New MacBook Airs To Arrive Mid-July?

Apple's refreshed MacBook Air has been rumored for several weeks now. Constrained supplies from global retailers and most recently low availability at Best Buy suggest that the new version of the popular ultraportable laptop would be hitting very very soon. Some reports predicted a June launch while others tipped that Apple may wait to ship the new MacBook Airs with OS X Lion. Now, new insider sources offer a more pinpointed time frame.

9to5 Mac was told directly by an insider source that the MacBook Air would launch in mid-July. They also confirmed that the exterior of the revamped MacBook Air would look almost identical to the previous version except for the new Thunderbolt logo over what used to be the mini-display port. It's believed that the update will include not only the new Apple proprietary connector port that promises 10Gbps transfer speeds, but also Intel's latest Sandy Bridge chips.

The MacBook Air will also come with OS X Lion preloaded. OS X Lion was announced at WWDC 2011 for a summer release, and now with the MacBook Air set for mid-July, we can only assume that OS X Lion will launch at that same time. Many industry folks are pointing to a Thursday, July 14, release just ahead of Apple's earnings call on Tuesday, July 19. Apple has a history of releasing new products just a few days ahead of their earnings calls to have something interesting to talk about.

Other possible dates include Tuesday, July 12, as Tuesdays are traditional Apple product launch days. However, Fridays are also common for iOS device launches. Either way, if you're getting ready to spring for the new MacBook Air, just know that you have another 2 to 3 weeks to wait.

[via 9to5 Mac]