Apple rumored to release $799 MacBook Air
(CBS News) Apple is rumored to launch a $799 MacBook Air by the end of the year.
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Sources from "the upstream supply chain" report that Apple plans to release a cheaper MacBook Air to compete with the new ultrabook trend gained momentum during the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), according to DigiTimes.
The top trend at CES this year was ultrabooks.
The super-thin laptops is defined by the New York Times as "an ultra-slim laptop (think MacBook Air) that maxes out at 0.8 inches thick." The phrase is reportedly a marketing term coined and trademarked by Intel. Most computer hardware companies showed off new ultrabooks at CES 2012.
Currently, a MacBook Airs start at $999 for an 11-inch model and $1,299 for a 13-inch model.
Speculation over smaller, cheaper Apple products is nothing new. Recently, reports of iPad minis and iPhone nanos have been making rounds.
Rumors of a cheaper, iPad mini with 7.85-inch display have been circulating for some time. Again, DigiTimes reported that "makers" in Apple's supply chain has started "delivering samples of a 7.85-inch iPads for verification."
Then there is talk of the iPhone nano. A recent report by the China Times claims that Apple is planning to release low-cost iPhone nano this year. According to the Times, the move aims to make gains on the low-end smartphone market. If the rumors are true, the iPhone nano could be released with the next iPhone.
