homeEntertainment

MacBook Air 2016 release date, rumors, updates: Upcoming laptop to be last product in Apple's Air brand; 13-inch MacBook Air added to obsolete list

Sheanne Aguila October 17, 2016 01:59 AM EST

A MacBook Air laptop is pictured on display at an Apple Store in Pasadena, California on July 22, 2013. | Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

Tech-savvy consumers have been waiting for Apple's 2016 MacBook Air for a long time now, but recent rumors claim the hotly-anticipated laptop won't be sporting any major changes. Is the Cupertino-based company no longer investing its Air brand?

According to reports, a 2016 MacBook Air is slated to be released before October ends. It is expected to have major upgrades including an Intel Skylake processor, a crisp Retina display and other state-of-the-art features. However, sources previously revealed that the only upgrade it will have is the USB port.

Another evidence pointing to Apple pulling the plug on its Air brand is the 12-inch MacBook Pro taking its post as the company's lightest and thinnest laptop. Rumor has it that the upcoming 2016 MacBook Pro will yet again take the title of the thinnest and lightest laptop from the tech giant.

On other related news, Japanese website Mac Otakara recently reported that the 13-inch MacBook Air from 2010 will be included in the roster of products heading to Apple's vintage and obsolete list. Other devices to be marked obsolete are the third-generation AirPort Extreme, all iPhone 4 models and the mid-2009 AirPort Time Capsule.

For the uninitiated, Apple products on the said list are no longer eligible for any hardware service. Obsolete products are defined by Apple as units no longer manufactured for more than seven years ago, while vintage products are those that have not been manufactured for more than five years but less than seven years ago. Although the report only refers to Apple's vintage and obsolete products in Japan, MacRumors notes that the new ad will likely extend to the U.S., Canada, Australia as well as the rest of the Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.

The 2016 MacBook Air is expected to be released before October ends, but Apple has yet to confirm a release window for the device.

Latest News

Sight & Sound’s ‘David’ showcases a king's sincere heart to pursue God

LANCASTER, Pa. — Four years in the making, the production “David” opened at Sight & Sound Theatres this year and explores the journey of an unassuming shepherd boy who became a king.

Presbyterian Church in America votes to leave National Association of Evangelicals

The Presbyterian Church in America has voted to leave the National Association of Evangelicals due to the ...

Secular intolerance of Christians' views is leading to self-censorship, report warns

Secular intolerance has a “chilling effect” on Christians who are having to practice “various forms of self-censorship” as they're finding it difficult to express their faith freely in society, according to a new report detailing accounts from four countries.

Over 50 killed in 'vile and satanic' attack at Nigerian church on Pentecost Sunday

Gunmen suspected to be Islamic Fulani herdsmen barged into a Catholic Church in southwestern Nigeria, opened fire and detonated explosives while the congregation was celebrating Mass on Pentecost Sunday, killing at least 50 worshipers, including women and children. It's feared that some Christians were also abducted after the attack.

Leah Sharibu held captive over 1,500 days in Nigeria, but family advocates haven't lost hope

For more than 1,500 days, Nigerian Christian teenager Leah Sharibu has been held captive by the Boko Haram terrorist group as Christians continue to be the target of attacks in the West African nation.