Apple Considering 14-Inch MacBook Air to Focus on Asian Markets?

DigiTimes reports that Apple is considering launching a 14-inch MacBook Air model, a move that would appear to be targeting Asian markets where the size is popular with consumers.

Apple is reportedly considering launching a 14-inch MacBook Air and may start mass production in the near future to fully enter the Asia PC market, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

Currently, 14-inch panels are the mainstream specification of the Asia notebook market, while consumers in Western countries prefer 15-inch models. In the global market, 14-inch models have an about 20-25% market share, but in Asia, the market share is about 35-40%, an indication of Asia consumers' fondness for 14-inch models, the sources noted.

Apple first launched the MacBook Air in a single 13-inch size, adding an 11-inch size as part of a revamp in late 2010. Apple has also been said to be bringing a MacBook Air-like form factor to its MacBook Pro line, although it is unclear whether the company plans to unify its notebooks under a single line or maintain separate Air and Pro categories.

DigiTimes has an uneven track record when it comes to rumors, but the site has on occasion offered accurate information and so is followed fairly closely for its claims.