In addition to numerous credible reports that Apple’s next-gen MacBook Pro and iMac models will feature Retina displays, a new report claims that Apple is planning to bring Retina displays to the MacBook Air as well.
From 9to5Mac:
Apple is preparing both new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models. […] The new Airs will also use improved Apple internal battery technology in order to support the battery life required by high-pixel-density screens such as the Retina Display, according to sources familiar with prototype versions of the super-thin notebook’s internal components.
Apple’s new MacBook Air will not see major changes across the entire computer like the next-generation MacBook Pro, but this update will truly be all about the Retina Display. […] Just like the new iPad added components such as an A5X processor and 5MP camera to support the headlining 2048 x 1536 Retina Display, the new MacBook Air’s other enhanced components will be built-around the presentation of its gorgeous new screen.
The report is hardly surprising. If Apple is planning to bring Retina displays to the MacBook Pro, it only makes sense that the iMac and the MacBook Air would eventually get Retina displays as well.
Unlike the MacBook Pro, which is expected to launch at WWDC, the report suggests that new MacBook Airs will probably not launch in June, as including a Retina display (and more powerful internals to handle it) poses a significant challenge both in terms of heat and power consumption for the device.
9to5Mac has previously reported that Apple is currently preparing new MacBook Pros with Retina displays for release in the near future, which has since been backed up by Bloomberg, who updated the report to say that the new models will launch at WWDC.