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Does a 15-inch MacBook Air make sense at WWDC 2023?

More space, same power.

Does a 15-inch MacBook Air make sense at WWDC 2023?
David Bernal Raspall

David Bernal Raspall

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Gurman says we will see it, but does it really make sense? The ability to choose a larger screen size without having to go to computers with the last name Pro gives us more options when it comes to choice, clearly. But does it conflict with the very concept of the ultraportable?

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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to announce the long-awaited 15-inch MacBook Air at the Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC 2023. This new laptop would share the stage with iOS 17, macOS 14, watchOS 10 and its new widgets, tvOS 17 and Apple’s long-awaited augmented and virtual reality headset.

A large and affordable laptop: a winning combination

The idea of a 15-inch MacBook Air is not new; rumors began in early 2021, with the most recent ones leaking that the production of display panels for this laptop has accelerated in recent months. The main source of this information is the well-known journalist Mark Gurman, which already gives us a great credibility to this rumor, even if for now it is just that.

As far as we know, the 15-inch MacBook Air would use the same M2 chip as the 13-inch model. Within that, as analyst Ming-Chi Kuo commented a few days ago, it would offer multiple CPU and GPU configurations. This means that, in terms of performance, there wouldn’t be a huge difference between the two screen sizes.

So why a 15-inch MacBook Air? The answer seems to be in the options. By offering a larger screen without having to opt for the Pro models, or even the M3 or the M2 Pro or M2 Ultra, Apple is giving us more choice in choosing the laptop that best suits our needs. It is relatively common to prefer a larger screen to work with more space for content without needing more power.

The same office tasks, which are very common, benefit greatly from a larger screen. True, one could argue that the very concept of the ultra-light MacBook Air clashes directly with a laptop with a 15-inch screen, but when it comes to taste, nothing is set in stone.

We have already seen a similar move in the iPhone, where the iPhone mini has been replaced by the Plus, which, without offering the features or costing the price of a Pro, gives us a considerable screen to enjoy the content.

We assume at all times that, by keeping in line with the MacBook Air, the price of the 15-inch model is expected to be considerably more affordable compared to a 16-inch MacBook Pro. True, we’re not talking about a mini-LED screen, like the one in the professional range, but we don’t find one of those in the entry-level MacBook Air models either.

In terms of design, no major changes have been leaked for the 15-inch MacBook Air, beyond its larger screen size. The new model is expected to feature the same notch for a 1080p camera, a MagSafe 3 charging port, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Magic Keyboard with scissor mechanism and Touch ID button, and a Force Touch trackpad. About the colors we would talk about the classic Silver, Star White, Space Gray and Midnight.

Seen what we have seen, it seems that a 15-inch MacBook Air at WWDC 2023 makes perfect sense, as it gives us more options to choose the laptop that best suits our needs and budget. A laptop that can easily be used for development, at least to get started on it, and has a good stage and context at the developer conference. We are not talking about power, the best chips, we are talking about a large and, as far as possible, affordable laptop: a winning combination.

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David Bernal Raspall

David Bernal Raspall

Architect | Founder of hanaringo.com | Apple Technologies Trainer | Writer at Softonic and iDoo_tech, formerly at Applesfera

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