Kuo: The redesigned MacBook Air to feature the M1 Chip, and more color options

Following today's event, when the Mac Studio was unveiled, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed some light on the MacBook Air, another Mac product set to be upgraded later this year.

The 2022 MacBook Air, according to Kuo, would have a whole new form factor and more color possibilities. According to previous speculations, the next MacBook Air will not feature a tapered design, instead opting for a more MacBook Pro-like aesthetic. It'll probably be slimmer and lighter than the 24-inch iMac, and will probably come in colors like blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange, and purple. Instead of black, it's said to have off-white bezels and a corresponding off-white keyboard.

The MacBook Air, according to Kuo, could be equipped with an M1 processor, which contradicts all previous speculations about the rumored machine. It's an almost two year-old chip! Everything we've heard so far about the MacBook Air suggests that it will be powered by an upgraded M2 processor with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, and macOS Monterey even showed evidence of such hardware. It's unclear if Kuo made a mistake or expects Apple to remain with an older processor for the upgraded device. The MacBook Air will, as predicted, lack a mini-LED display, which Apple reserves for its higher-end MacBook Pro models. According to Kuo, mass manufacturing of the MacBook Air would commence late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2022.