Apple plans to expand its laptop lineup with its new chips next year, with the aim of capturing a larger market share.
The company is developing a larger 15-inch MacBook Air for release early next spring.
This represents the first model of this size in the 14-year history of the MacBook Air. Apple is also developing what may be its smallest new laptop in years.
The new models underscore Apple's strategy of using its processors to make gains in a market led by Lenovo and HP.
The company began splitting from its old partner, Intel, in 2020. It announced the M2 chip at its developer conference.
Better performance and new designs helped spur the resurgence of the Mac family, which accounts for about 10% of Apple's sales.
The 15-inch MacBook Air model represents the extended version of the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, the biggest change to the device since Steve Jobs introduced it in 2008.
The company had previously considered releasing a 15-inch MacBook Air this year. But those plans have been discontinued to focus on the 13.6-inch version.
However, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air is taking time to reach consumers, because supply chain restrictions prevent it from being sold until July.
Apple has also started developing a new 12-inch laptop. It is considering launching this device at the end of 2023 or early 2024.
If Apple goes ahead with the release, it will be the company's smallest laptop since it discontinued the 12-inch MacBook in 2019.
Apple may also release a smaller laptop
The company introduced a 12-inch laptop for the first time in 2015 with a slim frame. But the device has been criticized for its keyboard malfunction and sometimes sluggish performance.
It is not known whether the new 12-inch laptop is a budget device or a high-end device that is part of the MacBook Pro line, which is currently available in 13.3, 14.2 and 16.2 inch sizes.
Between 2003 and 2006, Apple sold a 12-inch version of the PowerBook, the predecessor to the MacBook Pro. It briefly introduced the 11.6-inch MacBook Air.
Apple's new Mac processors are designed to allow the company to boost performance within a slimmer chassis.
Apple also plans to release the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips at the end of 2022. But the release date may be pushed back to early 2023. These two new 14- and 16-inch models won't be radically new products other than offering faster chips.
Apple is also launching a 13-inch MacBook Pro next month with an M2 chip like the MacBook Air. The M2 Max chip in the upcoming MacBook Pro includes 12 main processing cores and up to 38 graphics cores.
New versions of the revamped Mac mini and Mac Pro are also being tested within Apple. The company is also developing a dedicated M3 chip for the future iMac and other products.
Moving away from Intel chips has been a huge success for Apple so far. And it helped increase Mac's revenue significantly. The company reported $10.4 billion in Mac sales during the second quarter of its fiscal year, nearly double the sales it made in the second quarter of 2020.
Apple also plans to release a larger version of the iPad Pro next year. The new model takes advantage of the new multitasking capabilities built into iPadOS 16.
Separately, analyst Ross Young tweeted that a 14.1-inch iPad Pro with a Mini LED backlight and ProMotion display is in development, with a possible launch early next year.
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- Agencies