Apple is expected to announce a number of new Mac models next week that will feature its own M4 CPU, but if reports are to be believed, the MacBook Air is not among them.

At Bloomberg, Apple's leaked tipster Mark Gurman claims that Apple has just begun production of the MacBook Air with the M4 chipset. This could mean that the more powerful Air will not be available until early 2025.

Gurman further reported that the MacBook Air will have an unchanged exterior design and will look much like the current model launched in 2022 The MacBook Air will be available in two models, one with a 13-inch display and one with a 15-inch display.

Unlike previous years, Apple has taken the time to enhance all new product lineups with the most powerful CPUs available today. Just as all iPhone 16s are powered by the new A18 chip, all Mac computers are expected to feature some version of the M4 processor.

Like most things in 2024, these moves are being made to allow Apple's newest devices to run Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI effort. the M4 chip is expected to offer better efficiency and upgraded speed it should offer.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the new MacBook Air will be released after a December software update, likely macOS 15.2. Again, this suggests a release date between January and March 2025.

The currently available M3 Macbook Air was released in March of this year. Nevertheless, the 15-inch version with the M2 chip was released in June 2022. In other words, there is no strict release schedule like other Macs or the iPhone, which is released annually.

Garman also reported that Apple is delaying the release of the new high-end Mac Studio, confirming earlier rumors that we won't see that computer until mid-2025. He added that Apple is working on M4 versions of Mac Studio and Mac Pro, which will add an enhanced Neural Engine important for ray tracing and Apple Intelligence tasks. Both professional Macs will likely be available after March of next year.

This is further reason to believe that Apple will not hold a major event this October.