When it comes to the company's laptops, recent years have seen Apple focus on the MacBook Pro and 12-inch MacBook; other than incremental spec updates, we've seen very little news regarding its 13-inch MacBook Air. But that could soon change, with a cheaper model reportedly set to be released in the second quarter of 2018.

According to 9to5Mac, renowned KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is behind a large number of Apple leaks, believes the new MacBook Air complete with a "lower price tag" will arrive this spring. This matches similar claims made by Digitimes earlier this year.

The MacBook Air's design has changed little in the ten years since it was released. Apple has removed the 11.6-inch-model, leaving only the 13.3-inch version that sells for $999 or $1199, depending on the configuration. It remains popular among students, so a cheaper option will no doubt be welcomed.

It seems unlikely that Apple will redesign the MacBook Air. The company will probably upgrade the processor to a more modern CPU---the lineup was updated with a slightly faster 1.8GHz dual-core i5 last year---and Apple may also bring the MacBook Air in line with its other laptops by removing the USB-A connectors and leaving only USB Type-C ports.

The most interesting part of the update will be whether Apple increases the Air's resolution from its now dated 1440 x 900 to 1080p or higher, allowing it to compete with rival PC laptops.

Additionally, Kuo noted that an updated version of Apple's AirPods should arrive this year. He also said that demand for the HomePod speaker has been "mediocre."