Confusion has reigned among Apple watchers in response to a tweet – said to be from well-respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – that indicates he has changed his mind about what processor will be found inside the next MacBook Air.
The tweet in question was published by the @mingchikuo account – which, while not publicly verified as belonging to the analyst, is associated with a LinkedIn profile believed to be his. Furthermore, the 9to5Mac website has claimed it has independently verified the account as being operated by Kuo.
Predictions for new MacBook Air in 2022:
1. Mass production in late 2Q22 or 3Q22
2. Processor: M1 chip
3. No mini-LED display
4. All-new form factor design
5. More color options— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 9, 2022
The communication set out a series of “predictions for MacBook Air in 2022”. These included mass production of the device beginning in the second quarter or third quarter of this year, as well as an “all-new form factor design” and a greater number of color options.
In addition, though, the tweet said that the next MacBook Air would not have a mini-LED display, but would incorporate an M1 chip. Both of these things contradict claims that have been made in previous reports – Kuo himself stating, for instance, as long ago as March 2021 that he expected “the new MacBook Air to… use mini LEDs in 2022 to help increase the mini LED adoption rate of the MacBook.”
As for the question of what processor will be included in the device, multiple previous reports had pointed to the next MacBook Air having an M2 Apple silicon chip, instead of the M1. The well-placed Apple observer Mark Gurman of Bloomberg was among those to put this idea forward to the public, stating that the Cupertino company was testing a new M2 chip with eight CPU and 10 GPU cores.
Even the timeline provided in this latest Kuo tweet is a little different to that suggested by past speculation; both Kuo and Gurman had earlier reported that we could expect a debut of the 2022 MacBook Air in the first half of the year.
The tweet, then, if we are to assume it is definitely from Kuo, would seem to prompt more questions than it answers. As always in the world of Apple rumors about upcoming releases, time will tell.
