Rumor: Apple could launch $ 800 MacBook Air in Q3 2012

If it depends on the controversial Asian vehicle DigiTimes, Apple will launch a $ 800 MacBook Air in the third quarter of the year, in order to give no chance to the growth of ultrabooks (laptops from other manufacturers that follow the same style as Air).

New MacBooks Air aside

Given that the cheapest MacBook Air currently sells for $ 1,000, a 20% cut in its price is sure to boost sales even more. Intel has already launched a $ 300 million investment fund intended exclusively for the development of ultrabooks, trying to reach a minimum price of $ 700. However, if the MacBook Air does indeed fall, it will be very difficult for the competition to compete with it.

The only thing that doesn’t hit much in this story is the date for that to happen. I think Apple is unlikely to launch a new line of MacBooks Air for now (until the middle of the year) and move it again in the third quarter of the year. On the other hand, it will be complicated if the company stops to update the notebooks only in the third quarter, since the last change occurred in July 2011.

[via AppleInsider]