The Apple MacBook Air might finally be getting the overhaul it needs, reports indicate that work has begun on a 'cheap' new MacBook

A new report seems to suggest that Apple’s venerable MacBook Air is either dead or finally in for an overhaul.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 10 years since Steve Jobs pulled that sleek device out of a brown paper envelope, wowing the world with a laptop that was not only small and light, but also well-built and well designed.

Today, however, the Air has fallen from grace, and after the Mac Pro and Mini, is Apple’s most neglected product. In 2018, the Air you can buy uses three-year old internals, an HD display and a design that hasn’t changed in basically forever.

Despite its shortcomings, it’s also Apple’s cheapest notebook and is surprisingly competitive even in 2018. Better yet, it’s the only modern MacBook that still includes USB 3.0 ports and an SD card reader.  The rest of Apple’s MacBook lineup is on the expensive side, with the cheapest, barely-a-computer 12-inch MacBook going for $1,299.

The good news, for fans of the Air, is that Apple is likely to be working on a replacement. The as-yet-unnamed device is apparently supposed to be a cheap, 13-inch MacBook. Sources tell Digitimes that GIS (General Interface Solutions) has landed a massive contract for making LCD modules (LCM) for Apple. These modules are to be used in the upcoming, 13-inch device.

It’s certainly a small thing to latch on to, but for Air fans, every shred of hope is definitely worth latching on to.