Is Apple getting ready to axe the MacBook Air?

Apple's MacBook Air could be on its last legs following this morning's launch of its 2016 MacBook Pro range.

The company has already axed the 11 inch MacBook Air, which disappeared from the line-up overnight, and the 13 inch model may also be put out to pasture before too long.

It's not as much that the event – which also marked 25 years since the launch of the very first Apple notebook – skipped any update to the superthin and superlight Air, which has long been a favourite of business travellers and road warriors.

More telling is that the new MacBook Pro family includes an entry-level 13 inch model which is being seen as a successor to the Air.

The 13 inch MacBook Pro 2016 is overall 12% thinner than the current MacBook Air and also 13% smaller in volume, while keeping the scales at the same weight.

And of course it's faster than the Air, which hasn't had a serious update since March 2015.

However, like its siblings, the new entry-level MacBook Pro doesn't have the standard USB ports or SD Card slots of the Air; all you get are two USB-C sockets which can be used to supply power to the notebook, connect an external display or provide expansion to other devices via dongles.

(But at least it still has a headphone jack, unlike the iPhone 7 series.)

Those omissions are going to be major drawbacks for many users once they hit the road.

Also, sadly, there's not even a handy MagSafe version of the USB-C power cable.

For now, you've got a choice: the entry-level 13 inch MacBook is on sale today from $2,199, while the 13 inch MacBook Air starts at $1,549. There's also the 12 inch MacBook from $1,999, which is now something of a hybrid between the Air and the Pro.

Also read: First look: Apple's new 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.