M4 MacBook Air expected to launch later today

Despite collective wisdom and thoughts to the contrary, we did not get a new MacBook yesterday. That comes despite what looked like a tease from brand CEO Tim Cook on Twitter.

Instead, we got a new iPad Air, complete with an upgrade in the form of an M3 chip. That was expected to come around the same interval as the new laptop, or a little afterwards – but certainly not in advance of the MacBook.

Fortunately, it doesn't look like we'll have to wait too much longer. Notorious Apple insider, Mark Gurman, took to Twitter to suggest that the long-awaited M4 MacBook Air could arrive today.

So, what exactly can we expect from the new devices? Well, not too much is going to look different on the face of it – according to the leaks and rumours we've heard.

The device is expected to come in 13-inch and 15-inch variants, just as the current M3 MacBook Air does. That's shouldn't come as too much of a surprise – the range has used those sizes for some time.

There is, of course, going to be a new chip powering the devices. That's the M4 chip, which we've already seen in the Mac Mini, the MacBook Pro and other devices.

That chip should also bring some added functionality. The most notable new feature comes in the display tech, which should offer some additional functionality for users. That would allow for two displays to be used in addition to the built-in display. The current models only offer two external displays with the lid closed.

There's no word yet on when to expect the new devices, but given that yesterday's launch happened around 2pm, we might expect something similar today. Regardless, we'll be keeping a close eye on things as they develop throughout the next few hours.