MacBook Air 2015 Release Date, Specs News: Set to Land Either March 9 or June 8-12, 2015

Mercy Soriano Saturday, March 07, 2015

Apple's next MacBook Air is rumored to feature an entirely new fanless design and a 12-inch Retina display. | REUTERS

Speculations are mounting that the MacBook Air 2015 may be launched at the Apple Watch Event on March 9, 2015.

Apple has invited the press to a special event, called "Spring Forward," on that day. Although the event was initially expected to be the launching pad for the Apple Watch, there are new rumors that Apple may also use the event to launch its new MacBook Air.

Another indication that the launch is near is that resellers have been told they are free to reduce prices on current models to sell off inventory, a sure sign that new units are on the way.

However, there are contradictory reports saying that the launch of the MacBook Air with Retina Display might not be made until the Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, scheduled on June 8-12, 2015. The WWDC is usually the venue chosen by Apple to show off its new products.

Supporting this claim is Apple's choice of processor. If Apple does use Intel's Skylake processor, which is the successor to Broadwell, which doesn't get released until second half of 2015, then a release of the MacBook Air in June 2015 is highly probable.

In terms of specs, the New Retina MacBook Air is rumored to be a 12-inch model with a radically new and thinner design. It is said to be 12 inches high by 8.7 inches wide and a quarter-of-an-inch narrower than the 11-inch version, but a quarter-of-an-inch taller in order to accommodate the larger display. This suggests that there will be no SD card slot and fewer ports. The keyboard design and even trackpad will reportedly be different. Some rumors even say that the trackpad will totally disappear and replaced by a sensor's new touch gestures. Touch ID is another rumored addition, which will be a welcome and convenient addition for users.

The Apple MacBook Air 2015 is being pitted against the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and even the Dell XPS 13, which are being released at roughly the same time. If the MacBook Air is released on March 9, then it would have a jump on the competition still slated for mid-year releases.