Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Debby Wu report Apple is working on new products for its Mac lineup, including a “Pro” Mac mini and a low-cost MacBook Air with a 13-inch Retina display.
The new laptop will look similar to the current MacBook Air, but will include thinner bezels around the screen. The display, which will remain about 13-inches, will be a higher-resolution “Retina” version that Apple uses on other products, the people said. They asked not to be identified discussing products still in development. Apple spokesman Bill Evans declined to comment.
There have been multiple rumors about an upcoming low-cost MacBook notebook, but it hasn’t been clear if the new laptop would be branded as a MacBook or a MacBook Air. The Bloomberg report specifically designates the new notebook will carry the “MacBook Air” moniker.
Apple is also said to be working on an updated, Pro-focused Mac mini, which hasn’t seen an update since the fall of 2014.
Apple is also planning the first upgrade to the Mac mini in about four years. It’s a Mac desktop that doesn’t include a screen, keyboard, or mouse in the box and costs $500. The computer has been favored because of its lower price, and it’s popular with app developers, those running home media centers, and server farm managers. For this year’s model, Apple is focusing primarily on these pro users, and new storage and processor options are likely to make it more expensive than previous versions, the people said.
Gurman and Wu suggest Apple may debut the new Macs in October, on the heels of the expected September debut of the new iPhone and Apple Watch models.
