Tablet

New MacBook Air users face Wi-Fi connectivity issues

Alexandra Burlacu

Apple's latest MacBook Air models are barely out, but some early adopters are already reporting issues with the laptops' Wi-Fi connectivity.

As it turns out, the new thin-and-light MacBook Air will drop its wireless connection out of the blue, on repeated occasions. The laptop will apparently lose its connection after a minute or two and will not regain it unless it restarts.

The Apple Support Communities website has a rapidly growing thread regarding such connectivity issues, with many users complaining about the inconvenience. The problems seem to affect both the 11-inch and the 13-inch versions of the recently refreshed MacBook Air lineup.

Meanwhile, Gizmodo also cites an anonymous source working at an Apple retail store in London saying that complaints over the new MacBook Airs' wireless connectivity are "well above average."

According to the thread on Apple's official support website, the problems persist regardless of routers and not even Apple's own AirPort accessories can provide a stable connection. Users report that they can connect to a Wi-Fi network at first, but the MacBook Air will lose that connection in no time.

Some of the affected users managed to solve their connection issues by trying various routers or even placing the MacBook Air in a different location, but no solution seems to fix issues for everyone.

Apple just launched its new MacBook Air lineup last week at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Leaving aside these connectivity issues for a moment, the new laptops should actually provide faster connectivity due to the new 80.11ac Wi-Fi. The refreshed MacBook Airs also pack Intel's latest Haswell chips, which helps prolong battery life to as much as 12 hours.

The new MacBook Air models also come with a $100 lower price compared to their predecessors. The new entry-level 11-inch MacBook Air, for instance, comes with a $999 price tag and packs 128GB of flash storage.

It remains unclear for now whether the problem with the new MacBook Air's Wi-Fi system is a hardware issue or a minor software bug. Switching several routers or constantly relocating with the laptop on your lap is definitely not a desirable solution, not to mention it doesn't even work for most users experiencing these issues. The Cupertino giant made no comment on these reports so far, but should offer a solution soon. Is your new MacBook Air Wi-Fi-moody as well?

© Copyright 2020 Mobile & Apps, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

more stories from Tablet

Back
Real Time Analytics