Apple Putting Aside MacBook Air 2016 Release In Favor Of iPad Mini 4? Predicted Features & Specs Of MacBook Air Successor [RUMORS]

The MacBook Air was well-received by public due to its design, internal components and affordability. Opposite to what happened with its initial release, the 2015 edition was criticized due to its lack of change physically and on its features.

Partly because of the device's previous success, Apple is reportedly going to roll out first the iPad Mini 4 — which is a downsized version of the iPad Air — with iPad Pro, to delay the release of the MacBook Air's successor to next year, BidnessEtc reported.

So, what are the specs and features that customers could expect to see now that Apple has more time to work on the new device before its release?

For one, Apple will reportedly add the Retina display and battery life would be improved.

Force Touch feature, which was initially introduced to Apple Watches, then to MacBook Pro — and now will most likely hit iPhone 6S and 6S Plus — is also expected to be added to the MacBook Air 2016, according to PC-Tablet.

It was also rumored that it will come in 13-inch and 15-inch displays. It is anticipated that the latest MacBook Air will have the Intel Skylake-U chipset, OS X EL CAPITAN and USB-C port.

Despite the criticisms with the MacBook Air's current edition, according to reports, it still continues to lead the market of ultraportable PC, which includes netbooks, laptops and Chromebooks.

During the recent Financial Conference Call, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly noted a 9 percent growth, which was closer to the recently measured 12 percent by IDC defying the industry trend, as per the report of Patently Apple.

To check how much lead Apple's MacBook Air has, the site requested the leader charts from ABI. However, their request was denied.

The report from ABI also stated that many PC OEMs were hoping that the launch of Windows 10 will revive the operating system software and trigger a replacement chance for aging laptops.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is reportedly aiming to reach 1 billion devices in the coming years, banking on the success of its latest OS and the free upgrade promotion.

The newest MacBook Air's release date in the early 2016 is yet to be confirmed by Apple.

Real Time Analytics