Mac OS X Lion Launch Set for Next Week Alongside New MacBook Air?

Two new reports suggest that the Mac OS X Lion release date is indeed set for next week, likely on Thursday, July 14th, and that a new Macbook Air will launch alongside Lion.

The first report comes from 9to5mac, the origin of the suggested July 14th launch date, whose sources are saying that new retail signage is due next Wednesday at Apple Stores, likely for both OS X Lion and new MacBook Air models:

We’ve heard from a few overseas sources that Apple Retail stores are planning ‘overnights’ on July 13th. Overnights are generally where Apple refreshes store displays and trains up management on new products.

Corroborating 9to5mac is a similar report from AppleInsider, who cites a source with access to Apples internal retail news network, saying:

a new bulletin posted to the system this week is advising store management to perform RAM upgrades to certain Mac models on the showroom floors by Sunday, July 10th at the latest — presumably in preparation for those models to be upgraded with Lion shortly thereafter.

AppleInsider also mentions the retail store overnight plan for an unspecified time next week, but suggests that the revised MacBook Air may make an appearance later in the month and not on the actual launch date of Lion.

OS X Lion will cost $29.99 and be downloadable exclusively through the Mac App Store.