Apple reportedly plans to release a slightly updated MacBook Air in a couple of weeks, but it won't be the much-rumored 12-inch Retina model.

For a good while now, the rumor mill has been constantly buzzing in anticipation of a redesigned 12-inch MacBook Air expected to debut this year. That redesigned model will reportedly be slimmer and lighter than ever and sport several notable changes in terms of design, ditching the fan, trackpad buttons, and USB ports.

A new report now indicates that Apple may debut a slightly updated MacBook Air refresh later this month, but it will not be the much-rumored 12-inch redesigned model with Retina display.

More specifically, Letemsvetemapplem.eu reports (via Apple Insider) that Apple will quietly unveil the minor MacBook Air refresh on Feb. 24, without any fanfare. The alleged refresh is expected to pack more powerful Intel processors for a faster performance, notes the publication. Apple could go for the 2.2GHz Core i5-5250U, a 1.8GHz Core i5 processor, or a 2GHz Core i7 variety, based on Intel's new Broadwell architecture. The ultra-low voltage chips launched back in January, and more PC makers are expected to adopt them this year.

Apple is not expected to unveil its new 12-inch Retina MacBook Air on the same Feb. 24 date, nor announce MacBook Pro improvements with more powerful processors.

Nevertheless, the purported 12-inch MacBook Air is still expected to make its debut this quarter, which means that it should arrive sometime by the end of March.

Apple, for its part, has not confirmed plans to launch a 12-inch MacBook Air model with a significant redesign, which means that it all remains in the rumor state at this point.

At the same time, the company last updated its MacBook Air lineup back in April 2014, and it would be about time for a new upgrade. Last year, Apple didn't have new processors from Intel, so it just bumped up the speed by 100MHz and cut the price by $100. This year, however, Broadwell is expected to bring some neat changes.

We'll keep you posted as soon as more information becomes available, but make sure take everything with a grain of salt until official confirmation.