It is no secret that Apple needs to release a number of compelling products this year in order to keep the company profitable. Amidst weakening sales and a fan base that is quickly demanding more from the firm, the Cupertino-based tech giant needs to make sure that the next devices it releases would be received well, critically and commercially.

The 2016 MacBook Pro

Among the most notable devices that Apple is set to release is the new 2016 MacBook Pro, which is rumored to include a number of notable upgrades, most significant of which is the speculated inclusion of a touch-enabled OLED bar that would take the place of the machine's function keys. Also rumored are the 2016 MacBook Pro's thinner, lighter frame, and powerful Intel Core processors.

Though Apple has not released the final date for the release of the 2016 MacBook Pro, speculations are high that the highly-anticipated reveal of Apple's power laptop would happen sometime during the latter part of 2017, possibly around October.

The 2016 MacBook Air

One thing that Apple has been pretty silent about is the MacBook Air line. In fact, the current iteration of the device still carries the same design it had almost 6 years ago. While Apple has been adding incremental upgrades to the MacBook Air every year, the line's stagnation, at least in the design and feature department, has not been appreciated by fans.

Thus, if Apple would indeed release a new MacBook Air this year, many fans believe that the machine would probably be just as uninspired as its previous iterations. That is, a device with the same appearance, but with slightly higher specs.

The End of the MacBook Air?

With Apple's silence on the next MacBook Air and with the company's focus on the 2016 MacBook as its lightweight ultraportable device, many fans are speculating that Apple will soon discontinue the Air line altogether. After all, the MacBook Air's market appears to be the very same niche that the MacBook is targeting.

Will Apple Release One Last MacBook Air?

Considering the massive fanbase of the MacBook Air, however, there is a pretty good chance that Apple would be releasing one final MacBook Air before fully retiring the brand. If this would be the case, speculations are high that the Cupertino-based tech giant would be releasing the new, improved, and most likely uninspired MacBook Air sometime after the release of the new 2016 MacBook Pro.

This year seems to be the year where Apple is focusing on the MacBook Pro. With the MacBook already getting its 2016 update, there might be hope for the MacBook Air line yet, if its fans can wait a little bit longer.

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