Apple could have a cut-price MacBook Air in store for later this year

Steve Jobs presented the first MacBook Air in January 2008. — AFP Relaxnews

Launched to great fanfare 10 years ago but barely updated in almost three years, Apple could now have a new version of its MacBook Air in the pipeline for release in the second half of 2018, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The idea would be for Apple to release a new 13-inch MacBook Air at a particularly low price point for this model, which would remain the entry-level offering in Apple's range. Rumours evoke a starting price of just US$799 (RM3,119), or thereabouts.

With this kind of product, Apple could target lower-income users, starting with students, who often look to alternative options running Windows 10 or even Chrome OS. So, rather than abandoning the Air, as some may have expected, Apple could be set to prolong the lifespan of this product. Indeed, the MacBook Air is a still strong brand, even if somewhat overshadowed in recent years by more profitable MacBook and MacBook Pro ranges.

If the rumour turns out to be true, the device could be revealed at the next Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), held in San Jose, California, in June.

The current MacBook Air starts at US$999 (RM3,900) in the United States in its most basic configuration, with specs including a dual-core 1.8 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, a 128GB SSD and 8GB RAM. — AFP Relaxnews