Macbook Air 2017: Will Apple Ditch the Air in Favor of iPad Pro?

By Gracezyl Blanco, Monday, April 24, 2017

Apple's line of laptops, the MacBook Air, has a rather shaky future as of the moment. Most enthusiasts seem to believe that Apple is phasing out this line in favor of focusing more on the iPad Pro.

The MacBook Air's decline in popularity may be because of its price and spec issues. The laptops are so far known to be expensive, but they cannot really match up to other leading laptop brands when it comes to specs and battery power which are also offered at a more affordable cost.

Previous speculations, however, speak of an upcoming MacBook Air in 2017 which will carry an upgraded set of specs. Without any official announcement, though, it is becoming clearer that Apple may not have any more plans to go on with another line of MacBook Airs.

Reports also surfaced that the company had stopped ordering items from its suppliers for the MacBook Air, which means that Apple may indeed discontinue the model.

What the company is banking on, however, is its new line of iPad Pros - hybrid tablets that can also double up as a handy laptops.

Apple's iPad Pro units are sold for as low as $599 and could go up to $1,229 depending on its size, memory, and connectivity options. The 2016 iPad Pro model was offered at a size of 9.7 inches, but speculations for the iPad Pro 2 includes other size variants such as a 12.9 inch-model and a 10.5 inch-model.

The iPad Pro 2 may indeed be a better alternative for Apple fans who would like a laptop, but are not willing to spend $1,300 or more for a MacBook Air.

As for a launch date for the iPad Pro 2, speculations first put it on March, but since nothing has materialized, enthusiasts now believe that the device may be announced by June.

Prices would also vary depending on the size variant. Apple may still introduce the 9.7-inch variant at $599, but may put the 12.9 inch model at $799.

As for the specs, it is expected that the iPad Pro 2 might carry the A10X processor, an updated iOS 10 version, and 4GB worth of RAM.