If Apple is making a bigger MacBook Air, why not a smaller one too?

A 15-inch MacBook Air is fine, but these Apple devices need new screen sizes too.

- DAN MOREN

A wise green puppet (fave.co/3YjylLN) once contended that "size matters not." Obviously, he never had to contend with navigating Apple's product lineups.

Recent reports suggest that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company might soon be releasing a MacBook Air with a larger 15-inch screen (fave.co/3KUTtoq). Strategically, that makes a lot of sense: The MacBook Air is Apple's best-selling Mac, and for it to only be available in a single size is a missed opportunity. Yes, there are upsell opportunities for those who want a larger display above all else, but given that it currently entails a jump all the way from $1,200 to $2,000, many customers won't take the leap-especially if they don't need the power or performance of a MacBook Pro.

Screen size has proven to be a key differentiator in many of Apple's other product lines, and even the MacBook Air was available in multiple sizes in its past incarnations. But I say, why stop there? There are plenty of other Apple products where another screen size might make a big (or small) difference.

LIGHTER THAN AIR

Let's start with that same MacBook Air line. Once upon a time, Apple offered its lightest notebook in two sizes: the 13-inch it sells today and a smaller 11-inch model. Alas, only the good die young, and the 11-inch Air was discontinued in 2019, the same year that Apple discontinued its other small laptop (and putative Air replacement), the 12-inch MacBook.