The latest rumors out of Taiwan claim Apple is planning an early 2012 MacBook Air refresh that will expand the ultra-light laptop lineup to include a 15-inch model. The anonymous supply chain sources sharing the info claim the 11.6- and 13.3-inch models, will stay in production, although they aren’t offering up any other details, according to DigiTimes.
This isn’t the first rumor to hint at a 15-inch MacBook Air. Earlier in November, parts suppliers claimed they were shipping components for a 15-inch Air or ultra-thin MacBook Pro that they expected would start shipping in the first half of 2012. Another report from November claimed Apple will “completely overhaul” the MacBook Air, along with the iMac, iPhone and iPad in 2012.
Apple introduced the current MacBook Air lineup in July with Core i5 and Core i7 processors, backlit keyboards and a Thunderbolt port. Assuming the anonymous sources are accurate, a refresh for the Air in early 2012 seems plausible. Apple, however, doesn’t comment on rumor or speculation, so for now this latest report out of Taiwan should be taken with a grain of salt.