Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Apple reportedly planning upgraded MacBooks in response to Microsoft's Surface Laptop

Add as a preferred source on Google
Promotional logo for WWDC 2023.
This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage

Disappointed by the latest MacBook Pro refresh? Well, you might be in luck. Apple could be planning to unveil a new slate of MacBooks at this year’s WWDC in a bid to win back some loyalists who fled after the most recent update late last year.

Just which models are due for an update? According to Bloomberg, there are three new MacBooks in the works, all of which will likely feature updated 7th-generation Intel processors. It’s unclear, however, which particular MacBooks will be graced with much-needed updates.

Recommended Videos

Bloomberg claims Apple is working on an updated version of its 12-inch entry-level MacBook, and is even considering a refresh of the wildly popular, ultra-portable, and woefully outdated MacBook Air.

These two products might see a physical redesign, but if the MacBook Pro is set to receive some internal upgrades, it’s likely that’s all it will be — the external design was revamped just last year, so don’t get your hopes up that we’ll see any fancy new colors in the MacBook Pro lineup.

Still, Apple is facing increasing pressure from competitors like Microsoft, and a more aggressive laptop and desktop release schedule could help win back some Apple loyalists who have been disappointed with the company’s update schedule recently.

Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop is just one of many premium laptops taking aim at the now-ancient MacBook Air, which Apple hasn’t updated in over two years. Manufacturers like Dell, Asus, and Acer have all released premium, high-quality, high-portability laptops in direct competition with the MacBook Air, but according to Bloomberg, Apple still sells a fair number of the venerable ultrabooks.

That enduring popularity is definitely a good thing for customers hoping to see a modern take on the MacBook Air, which would not only benefit from an internal refresh but an external one as well. The old design is starting to look a little dated, and if brought in line with the MacBook and MacBook Pro, a brand-new Air could look pretty slick.

Jaina Grey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jaina Grey is a Seattle-based journalist with over a decade of experience covering technology, coffee, gaming, and AI. Her…
How to set up selfie video sign-in for your Google account
Your face can now serve as a way to get back into your Google account. Here's how to set it up.
Google account selfie sign in tutorial featured

Losing access to a Google account is rarely a quick fix, but Google has been actively working to make things easier. Last year, the company introduced a feature called Recovery Contacts that lets you designate a trusted friend or family member to verify your identity if you ever get locked out. Now, Google has introduced a new option, one that uses your face to get you back in instead of a phone call to a friend.

Like Recovery Contacts, the new selfie video authentication feature requires some setup before you can use your face to sign into your Google account. This involves recording the reference video that Google will use to verify your identity whenever you attempt to log in this way. Here's how to set up selfie video sign-in for your Google account.

Read more
Framework Desktop packs Ryzen AI Max, up to 192GB of RAM, and local AI into a mini PC
192GB of RAM in a desktop this small? Framework says yes.
Framework Desktop feature

Framework has built a reputation for shipping things other PC makers won't even attempt, and its latest teaser keeps that streak alive. At AMD's Advancing AI event, the company previewed a new version of its Framework Desktop, and this one is clearly built with one goal in mind: running large AI models locally on your computer. If you have been eyeing a way to run local AI, this could be the machine to watch.

So what's actually new here?

Read more
AI is becoming the shoulder we cry on, and that worries me
Chatbots are learning to generate comfort now
Siri AI voice change

I expected artificial intelligence to be faster in performing calculations or data analysis than humans. But emotional support is one of the last things I could imagine it being better at. New research led by the University of Manchester, alongside Durham University, found that leading AI chatbots could match or sometimes outperform humans when responding to everyday emotional problems. The researchers conducted five studies involving 1,233 participants and tested responses from ChatGPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini 1.5 Pro.

The researchers conducted five studies involving 1,233 participants and tested responses from ChatGPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini 1.5 Pro. Participants evaluated messages responding to situations such as being passed over for a promotion or returning to an untidy shared home. They were initially kept unaware of whether each response came from a person or an AI system.

Read more