Apple rumored to be testing MacBook Air laptops with A5 processors

According to rumors from a Japanese Mac site, Macotakara, Apple has built a MacBook Air with an A5 processor and is testing it internally. In case you didn’t know, the A5 processor is the very same processor found on the iPad 2. An ARM-based SoC that’s known for its high-performance as well as low power consumption.

Now there’s no proof or confirmations to these rumors, but it wouldn’t be too farfetched to believe that Apple has been doing A5 processor testing in their MacBook Air laptops. After all, Apple is striving to create a super-light and super-thin device, using the A5 would reduce the power consumption of the laptop, which in turn allows them to use a lower capacity battery that would most likely be thinner and lighter – perfect for the MacBook Air.

But Apple will be throwing out their partnership with Intel if it replaces its processors with those of its competitors. Given that Intel’s processors have been known to outperform ARM processors, it’s going to take more than aesthetics to make Apple do the switch. Perhaps a second line of MacBook Air laptops that are less powerful but lighter? Who knows.