The latest MacBook Air is just seven months old, but in the world of Apple that’s a time table indicative of a product refresh. The real surprise here is that instead of using Intel Core I processors like the new MacBook Pros and iMacs, the 2011 MacBook Air will sport the A5 processor — the same processor inside our beloved iPad 2.
An A5-powered MacBook Air, while shocking, is not a total surprise. Earlier this month reports surfaced suggesting Apple would move away from Intel processors in favor of ARM for all of its portables. Using the iPad 2’s A5 processor in the 2011 MacBook Air would certainly justify that claim.
According to the report from Japanese blog Macotakara, Apple is having trouble integrating Thunderbolt I/O with iOS and therefore has not decided between its mobile OS and OS X. By using the A5 processor the 2011 MacBook Air could offer a thinner design, increased battery life and a smaller footprint since CPU, GPU and RAM reside on a single die.
As always, take these rumors with a grain of salt, but feel free to entertain the idea of an A5-powered 2011 MacBook Air. Assuming the rumor pans out do you think Apple will use iOS or OS X Lion for the razor-thin laptop?
Coming Soon | Apple | TBD
