According to display industry analyst Ross Young, panel shipments for the upcoming MacBook Air M4 are set to begin in October, as reported by MacRumors. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has also confirmed this timeline, suggesting that Apple is on track to launch the next MacBook Air in the first quarter of 2025.
These insights come from analysts who track production trends and company activities to make educated guesses about new product launches. While their predictions are often accurate, it’s important to remember that companies can change their plans at any time, so these forecasts should be taken with caution.
In addition to the MacBook Air displays, shipments for a new low-end 10.9-inch iPad are also expected to start next month. However, this indicates that the iPad might not launch as soon as some had hoped, especially since there were expectations for it to be announced alongside the new M4 Macs next month.
Looking ahead, it’s anticipated that by the end of 2025, Apple will refresh its entire Mac lineup with M4 chips, marking the first time all its products share the same chip generation. While the prediction for the MacBook Air M4 launching before March seems plausible, there’s still room for variation.
Another intriguing topic is the potential increase in RAM for the new MacBook Air. Rumors suggest that Apple might raise the minimum RAM for its MacBook Pro models to 16GB, leading to speculation that the same could apply to the MacBook Air. This idea is still just speculation, but it could be challenging for Apple to justify keeping the Air at 8GB if the Pro model moves up to 16GB.
One downside of having a minimum RAM of only 8GB is that budget-conscious consumers often feel pressured to buy the lowest option available. This can severely limit the longevity and overall value of their devices, especially as many users may want to engage in more demanding tasks over time, which 8GB simply can’t support.
Overall, there’s a lot of speculation surrounding upcoming Macs that will either be confirmed or disproved in the coming months. The first announcements to watch for will likely include the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, and a refreshed iPad mini, which we hope to see revealed next month. We’ll keep you posted on any updates!