The 15-inch MacBook Air will be the perfect mix of portability, price, and performance

Rumors say the new laptop will make its debut at WWDC.

- ROMAN LOYOLA

Rumors picked up again recently that a new 15-inch MacBook Air (fave.co/42P8JtH) will be Apple's next major Mac release, possibly at the Worldwide Developers conference, according to Mark Gurman's latest report (fave.co/44cDsS4). But whether we get it before, during, or after WWDC, this much is true: It will instantly become Apple's perfect laptop.

That may seem like a stretch, but hear me out. Assuming the rumors and our own assumptions are true, the 15-inch MacBook Air will be the ideal laptop for nearly every user, with its combination of size, processing power, and value. The MacBook Air is already Apple's most popular laptop, and a 15-inch model would be the jewel of the lineup. Here's why.

THE RIGHT SIZE

Apple offers MacBooks in four different sizes: 13.3 inches (13-inch MacBook Pro), 13.6 inches (M2 MacBook Air), 14.2 inches (MacBook Pro), and 16.2 inches (MacBook Pro). You'd think that with those options it would be easy to find the size that fits just right. But those sizes come with limitations and sacrifices that make the buying decision difficult.

If you want a big screen, the obvious choice is the 16-inch MacBook Pro (fave.co/3ETaZ8Q), which has the biggest screen on a MacBook. But the big screen means it's heavy-it weighs nearly 5 pounds (over 2 kilograms). It might not sound like much, but if you're carrying your laptop around for a full workday, the strain on your back and shoulders becomes noticeable over time.

If you want the lightest MacBook available, your choice is the 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air (fave.co/3zbn711), which weighs just 2.7 pounds (1.24 kilograms). That makes it a featherweight compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but the compromise is a much smaller screen. If you're using pro apps or you're like me and have a gazillion different app windows open at the same time, those 3 inches make a big difference.