It has been a long time since Apple did a major update on the MacBook Air. Tech enthusiasts believe that a refresh of the lightweight Mac laptop is overdue. However, the Cupertino-based tech giant has updated the MacBook Pro lineup instead last year. As the specs and features of the current Mac Air are already left behind, people wonder if Apple will be launching its next iteration, but according o the latest rumors, the MacBook Air 2017 will arrive soon.

If the recent price discounts on the MacBook Air units are any indication, it seems likely that the MacBook Air 2017 is on its way to the shelves. As reported by MacWorld, Best Buy is offering huge price cuts for their MacBook Air laptops. This may sound like an annual store promo, but this can also be due to the arrival of newer models as the older ones get cleared in the market. Furthermore, MacWorld suspects that the MacBook Air 2017 release will happen sometime between March and May. Based on the release dates of Mac Air updates in the past few years, this window seems likely.

As stated  by Droid Report, Best Buy placed the MacBook Air on sale last February for as low as $800. This promo offer by the US retailer is the cheapest one yet for the Mac Air, and it looks like the store is trying its best to clear all the old Mac laptops from their inventory. One of the most likely reason is the impending arrival of the MacBook Air 2017. To note, Best Buy seemed to be aware of the new iMac release in 2016 when they accidentally spilled the specs info of the desktop PC even before its officiall launch. With this, it is possible that the retailer has already detected the release of the new Mac Air model. However, there still lies a possibility that Apple will only go with another minor update for the Mac Air, instead of releasing an all-new MacBook Air 2017 this year. Last year, the public only got a minor RAM update for the current 13-inch Air laptop. There are also speculations that Apple will discontinue the MacBook Air lineup soon, but Apple has yet to confirm the rumor.

Nevertheless, there is still hope that the MacBook Air 2017 will become a reality. Even last year when the rumored Mac Air refresh first circulated, there are talks whether the laptop will finally receive the USB Type-C port. As for the laptop's design, it is likely that the new Mac Air model will sport a lighter and thinner body. The major specs upgrade will come from the laptop's RAM and processor, in which the latter is said to upgrade to the next generation Intel Kaby Lake chipset.