Rumor: Apple Inc. (AAPL) is preparing to unveil MacBook Air with Retina in 2014

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is readying a launch of the MacBook Air with a Retina display sometime later this year, according to a rumor that appeared in Digitimes this morning. This report comes amid news that MacBook sales are likely to be approximately 15 percent lower in 2014 than they were in 2013, based on a sudden decline in March shipments after a robust showing in January and February. The lauch of the Retina MacBook Air would be exactly what was needed to reverse this trend, however.

A variety of sources have released information that suggests the new MacBook Air variant would feature a 12 inch screen, a thinner design that dispenses with the cooling fan to save space, and of course Retina screen technology. Retina would raise the screen resolution to 2304 pixels by 1440 pixels, were it implemented in the design. This ultra high definition display would likely make the new MacBook Air irresistible to a significant segment of purchasers, and quite possibly reverse the trend of declining MacBook shipments.

Some of these rumors, at least, are supported by assertions from Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at the market analysis firm KGI Securities. Mr. Kuo has a formidable reputation as an accurate predictor of Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) moves, so his assent lends additional weight to the rumor for many market watchers. Of course, Mr. Kuo has made a number of high profile errors in his predictions as well as many extremely accurate ones, so even his “seal of approval” on the features of a potential new MacBook Air release is not infallible.

Fitting the MacBook Air with a Retina display would bring its graphics and display potential in line with the MacBook Pro line, at a considerably lower price point and far greater portability. Making the Air even slimmer at the same time would potentially add even more cache to the product. Apple Inc. (AAPL) has pursued thinner devices with almost obsessive fervor since the death of Steve Jobs, making it one of their major selling points.

If Apple bets right, and the market will respond to a combination of thinness and a Retina display, the new MacBook Air – if it does indeed see the light of day – might well be a winner. Rumors state that the release date for this new computing product might lie in either the third or fourth quarters (Q3 or Q4) of 2014, just a few months away.