Apple's next MacBook Air will remove almost all traditional hardware ports: report

A render of the 12 inch Macbook Air projection from 9to5Mac.com. Photo: 9TO5MAC.COM

In a world of falling laptop sales, Apple's immensely popular MacBook Air stands tall.

But the current line feels stale to many, lacking the retina display of the MacBook Pro and the razor thinness of some of its competitors. An update is due some time this year, and as with all things Apple, rumours are everywhere.
  
A new report from 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman, which is built on information from sources within Apple, describes a new 12 inch MacBook Air that is thinner than both the current 13 and 11-inch models, with much less 'bezel' (think borders) getting in the way.

"Besides a new look for the front of the computer, the entire unibody has been revamped from the keyboard to the trackpad to the speakers. Taking cues from the 12-inch PowerBook introduced by Steve Jobs over a decade ago, the new keyboard sits edge-to-edge across the width of the laptop. In addition to going edge-to-edge, the entire key set has been subtly redesigned so that each key sits noticeably closer together."

Where are all the ports?! Render by 9to5Mac.
 
As well as saving space on bevels and keys, this projected model eschews almost every port, including Apple's own ThunderBolt and MagSafe ports. What's left? One standard headphone port and one USB Type-C port.
 
This new reversible USB port would allow for charging as well as your usual USB needs, including external monitor support. The prospect of Apple ditching that many ports at once seems somewhat far fetched, but with a pricy adaptor and a healthy dose of arrogance it does feel very Apple. Gurman takes care to note that Apple test many different versions of most devices, so the Air that ships may well have more ports on offer.
 
This news comes during CES, a huge gadget industry showcase that Apple do not take part in. They often offer some sort of counter-programming to disrupt the tech news cycle, which isn't to say this is an intentional leak, or even an authentic one. As with all things Apple, we won't know anything for sure until the device's release - likely at WWDC in the middle of this year. For more details and renders, check out the full report on 9to5Mac. 
 
Would you buy a MacBook Air with only two ports? 

~ Henry Cooke

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