Apple released an upgraded line of MacBook Airs Tuesday, April 29, with faster Intel Haswell processors - and pretty much nothing else.
9to5Mac reports that Apple introduced a refreshed model of its entry-level 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs with a dual-core 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost revving in at 2.7 GHz and the same 4GB of RAM. The two models previously had a dual-core 1.3 GHz processor with a 2.6 GHz chipset.
Apple also provided a similar update to the other computers in its lineup of MacBook Airs, with models with a 1.7 GHz processor being replaced with 1.8 GHz.
The line of refreshed MacBook Airs is now currently selling at the Apple Online Store, with each model costing $100 less than its previous price. The entry-level 11-inch and 13-inch Airs with 128 GB flash storage now cost $899 and $999 respectively, while their higher-configurations are now pegged at $1099 and $1199.
Apple is also offering a build-to-order option for both 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs, with a 1.7 GHz dual-core Intel i7 processor and 8 GB of RAM.
Apple retained the design, weight and other features of its MacBook Airs.
Gurner believes Apple will not place heavy marketing behind the refreshed MacBook Airs, save for some rearrangements at its retail stores to give the computers better visibility.
9to5Mac previously reported about the release when it obtained a leaked document purportedly listing the specifications of the latest 13-inch MacBook Air.
Earlier in May, Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities predicted that Apple will be releasing a milestone MacBook update in the second or third quarters of 2014 at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to kick off in June.
The new 12-inch MacBook Air - if that is the name Apple will give its new product - will be slimmer, lighter and possibly more affordable than its current lineup of MacBook Airs. Kuo also said that it will feature a high-resolution Retina display similar to that of the company's MacBook Pros and fewer ports and peripherals. It will also be able to run without a fan, as per Kuo.
Kuo also predicted a sixth-generation 9.7-inch iPad and a third-generation iPad mini, both sporting higher-resolution Retina displays. Apple is also rumored to be working on a 5-inch iPhone, new TV products and wearable devices.
In April last year, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said 2014 is going to be a major year for launching new products by the company.
Apple enthusiasts are leaning on their seats for the up and coming WWDC in San Francisco, California, where they hope Apple will reveal its latest Retina-display laptop, iOS 8 and the latest update to its beta-tested Mavericks OS X.
Apple last updated its lineup of MacBook Airs in mid-2013. Not much fanfare has surrounded Apple's reputable machines since then. In October, however, the company found that some of its older Air models had defective flash storage drives and offered to replace them free of charge.
