Will MacBook Air be even thinner in 2013?
Apple’s MacBook Air laptop is quite thin and light, but apparently there’s still some weight to shed.
According to the sometimes reliable Digitimes, Apple is working with suppliers on a new way to allow them to take off another .15 millimeters from the thickness of the already thin laptop.
“Apple will reduce the thickness of light guide plates for the illuminated keyboards in its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models from 0.4mm currently to 0.25mm in 2013, according to sources in Apple’s supply chain.
“Since the current injection process for the production of .4mm light guide plates has been optimized to its limit, makers utilizing extrusion processes are likely to win orders for .25mm light guide plates, the sources indicated.”
Those new supplies could also be used in an expected 13-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina display. As published earlier on Blorge, there’s a good chance that Apple will release a smaller version of their popular laptop with ultra-sharp display.
MacRumors speculates that while the difference in thinness wouldn’t be noticeable — visually and by weight — it would serve more as a stepping stone for future laptops.
“…but combining small reductions in thickness for multiple components would pave the way for more significant overall reductions down the road.”
The iFixIt blog also weighed in, adding that the keyboard would actually be thinner on future laptops to avoid any residual marks (Doritos, powdered sugar… you know, basic residual) from showing up on the screen.
A thinner laptop could also allow Apple to squeeze components closer together and install a larger battery, which would make sense as Retina displays drain more battery life than non-Retina displays.
Apple released its MacBook Pro with Retina display this past summer, alongside an updated MacBook Air with faster specs. If rumors prove to be true, expect to see a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and an updated iMac before year’s end.
