Apple is rumoured to be planning a new entry in its MacBook Air laptop range, with a completely passive cooling system and an ultra-compact 12in design.
Apple's super-slim MacBook Air range was the first to benefit from development carried out by Intel on low-power and space-saving technologies, and launched the current trend for Ultrabooks - laptops which are considerably slimmer than their predecessors, typically using solid-state storage and ditching the once-common optical drive to keep dimensions down. Since launch, the MacBook Air family has been a considerable success for Apple - so much so that the company used the Air moniker again in its slimmed-down iPad Air redesign.
Now, an anonymous source speaking to the Weiphone forum has suggested that Apple is looking to extend the range beyond the MacBook Air 11in and MacBook Air 13in variants currently on sale to include a 12in version. The MacBook Air 12in, the source suggests, is to be even slimmer than the current models thanks to a total removal of all moving parts. This is said to include the fan, with the new version relying entirely on passive cooling - unlike existing models, which are passively cooled while idle but use a small fan for active cooling when under load.
The source indicates that the new model will launch this year, possibly alongside an updated MacBook Pro and refreshed MacBook Air 11in and 13in models. Work is also said to be continuing on Apple's iWatch wearable project, but this is claimed to still be in the prototype stage making a 2014 launch unlikely.
Apple, as is usual for the company, has refused to comment on the rumours. The company usually only launches new laptop products alongside the latest Intel processors, but with no new silicon beyond the current Haswell line-up this is one rumour to take with a liberal pinch of salt.
Source: Expert Reviews
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