The ‘Not Retina’ 2014 MacBook Air Arriving Next Week

Cool, desirable stuff — an updated Apple ultraportable, call it the 2014 MacBook Air, could arrive as early as next week. However, we are not talking about the long-dreamt of Retina MacBook Air, which is still anticipated later this year.

French Apple fan site MacGeneration has heard, and they have a mostly positive rumor record, that updated, though not new Apple ultraportables will ship next week. Given that Intel’s next generation Broadwell chips will not be arriving until later this year, the 2014 MacBook Air will be speed bumped models.

New Mac are expected next week, normally on Tuesday. We have heard references featuring screens 11 and 13 “, which obviously points to the MacBook Air. Last update these machines was in June 2013, with their Haswell processors.

Yes, Haswell architecture ultraportable models that are nominally faster, with processor speeds increasing from 1.3GHz to 1.4 or perhaps 1.5 GHz. Additionally, the 2014 MacBook Air updates will likely offer bigger, more efficient storage options — SSDs have gotten a lot more affordable since last June, when Apple updated its MBA line.

That said, the 2014 MacBook Air will be visually identical to last year’s 11 and 13 inch models.

2014 MacBook Air: Mine Eyes Runneth Over [with pixels]

The long-rumored Retina MacBook Air that gets people hot and bothered is still expected this Fall. A 12-inch model with a high-density display, the Retina MacBook Air will be a complete redesign that more than likely feature the aforementioned Intel Broadwell chips.

For what it’s worth, AppleInsider is reporting a number of mainstream Apple authorized resellers are showing individual MacBook Air model stock outs. Though hardly conclusive, stock outs are a reliable sign new Apple hardware is coming soon.

Ready to buy a Haswell-fresh 2014 MacBook Air or will you only stand up and salute for a Retina MacBook Air? Inquiring minds want to know…

Via AppleInsider