The new MacBook Air may come with a long wait

Apple is set to introduce a new MacBook Air at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, but even if it does, you may not be able to buy one right away. According to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the COVID-19 shutdown at Chinese plants making MacBooks could mean limited supplies of new devices or an earlier release date.

China's zero-COVID policy has led to the temporary closure of factories manufacturing Apple products, including Pegatron and Quanta. Although China has begun to ease some movement restrictions that were initially reinstated in March, some neighborhoods in Shanghai are still closed.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to ship about six to seven million new MacBook Airs before the third quarter of this year if Quanta's production capacity returns to pre-lockdown levels. He also believes that there may be more shipments of the new MacBook Air than current shipments of 14- to 16-inch MacBook Pros — the new MacBook Airs are to be shipped by both Quanta and Foxconn, while the MacBook Airs are to be shipped by both Quanta and Foxconn. Shipped to Pro. Only by Quanta. Apple has new orders for MacBook Pros on hold until the end of July due to closures and a shortage of parts.

Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo both agree that the upcoming MacBook Air won't come in a wide array of colors. It's more likely to feature some of the standard options currently available, such as Space Gray and Silver, with two new colors including dark blue and "Champagne Gold". Gurman also feels that the MacBook Air will come with a 13-inch display, two USB-C ports, MagSafe charging capabilities, and Touch ID. It is not expected to come with a Touch Bar, and may even have a notch like the MacBook Pro.

In terms of a new MacBook Pro, Gurman says that Apple originally planned to release a "sharper" 13-inch version of the device at the time of the Air's launch. However, this date has reportedly been pushed back due to the COVID-related lockdown in China.

The debut of a new MacBook Air, which will likely come with an M1 processor, is expected to be a big part of Apple's fast-paced WWDC event on Monday — but so is Apple's mixed reality headset project, even if Apple is clear. It's not really mentioned. As Apple looks to move beyond its existing devices and the software paired with them, WWDC expects to see an undercurrent dominated by augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

As noted by both Gurman and a report from The New York Times, Apple is set to show developers new tools that will allow them to incorporate mixed reality features into their apps ahead of the headset's expected release in 2023. Is. Gurman noted that Apple is working on adding AR and VR features to its own apps, potentially creating VR versions of FaceTime, Maps, Notes and Calendars, and viewing the Mac's display through the headset. is a way of. ,