By Althea Serad (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Dec 15, 2015 07:00 AM EST

A new version of the 12-inch MacBook Air could be released in early 2016. Recent rumors claim that the highly-anticipated device will be thinner as compared to its predecessor launched some eight months ago, according to Blorge.

Since the release of the MacBook Air 2015, rumors have circulated online - social media and the blogosphere - about the 2016 version. Whether it's because of the high satisfaction rate of the 2015 model or not, many fans are already clamoring for the upgraded version.

According to MacBook fan suggestions, the MacBook Air 2016 is highly likely to debut at the scheduled Worldwide Developers Conference 2016, with its release expected to happen during the third quarter the year, according to Breathe Cast.

The initial MacBook Air 2016 release date was November. However, Apple reportedly delayed release until spring of 2016 to make leeway for iPad Pro sales.

Several news agencies, such as Taiwan's Economic Daily News, even confirmed that Apple will indeed be conducting the MacBook Air 2016 release next year.

The MacBook Air 2016 specs as well as aesthetics will reportedly have minor improvements. The newer versions of the premium laptops are expected to feature a more elegant and functional form than the 2015 versions, which already sport pioneering technology.

While the MacBook Air 2015 had a smaller form, next year's updated version will reportedly come in two variants, both bigger than 12 inches with a 13-inch model and a 15-inch one. However, the newer versions are expected to be slimmer. It will have no cooling fan just like the current model, but unlike 2015 version, the MacBook Air 2016 will sport an Intel Skylake processor, improved graphics, RAM capacity and battery life.

The highly-anticipated MacBook Air next year is also speculated to come with a USB Type-C support and a Retina display, which is just like this year's model. It is also expected to come with the Force Touch trackpad, as well as Apple's OS X El Capitan operating system. Another rumored MacBook Air 2016 feature is a new biometric scan feature for making online Apple Pay payments.

With the recent rumored MacBook Air 2016 specs and features, indeed it appears that the device is an improvement from the 12-inch Retina screen MacBook Air launched at the "Spring Forward" event on March 9, 2015. The current version is powered by a fanless Intel processor, 1.3GHz Intel Core M processor, 8 GB/16 GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 and Intel HD Graphics 5300. It also offers 2304 x 1440 resolution and has a USB 3.1 Type-C port.

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