Apple unceremoniously ended the 12-inch MacBook in 2019. Although it was one of Apple’s most daring products in recent years, it ultimately failed to have the impact the company hoped for. However, rumors have been floating around for some time that he could make a spectacular comeback.
If that turns out to be true, it would be a return for the ages. So what can we expect? Will the new model be like the original 12-inch MacBook or will it take a new direction? We have gathered all the news and rumors in this post to help you catch up.
Price and release date
Right now, it looks like the 12-inch MacBook is a long way from release. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurmanwho has been one of the strongest proponents of the idea of reviving the 12-inch MacBook, says the device is “still in early development” and likely won’t see the light of day until late 2023 or early 2024.
However, other leading analysts are more skeptical. Display industry insider Ross Young and seasoned Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo reportedly checked with their sources and came empty handed. Young, for his part, has said that “Apple’s strategy for laptops is currently 13” and larger. The MacBook Pro display supply chain companies we spoke with don’t know [the 12-inch MacBook].”
It could be that the sources Young and Kuo spoke to aren’t aware of the device simply because it’s so early in the development process and therefore the manufacturers haven’t been told about it. Or it could be that Gurman is wrong on the release date. Only time will tell.
As for the price, that remains unknown at this time. The 2015 12-inch MacBook had an introductory price of $1,299, but the revived version may cost more, as Apple has been raising the prices of its laptops lately. Apple also has to worry about how such a laptop would fit into its already full lineup, which includes both the MacBook Air M2 and the MacBook Pro M2.
Time for a new design?
Recently, Apple has moved to bring its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines together in terms of visual style, with both laptops adopting similar flat-edged designs. So we think the 12-inch MacBook is likely to do the same.
Its design will probably depend a lot on the MacBook family it belongs to. Will it be a slimmed down MacBook Air and will it resemble that device’s design language, or will it have a slightly thicker form factor similar to the MacBook Pro? Or will it sit in its own individual lineup of MacBooks and thus look slightly different? That is unknown for now.
The original 12-inch MacBook was used as a pioneering device. It was revolutionary in many ways and led to many of its features and design elements appearing on other MacBooks. That torch seems to have carried over to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air these days, but who knows? Maybe Apple is ready for something completely new when a new 12-inch MacBook arrives.
Greatly improved performance
The performance of the 2015 12-inch MacBook was disappointing. Because it used such a small chassis, it had to use an Intel M-series chip, which wasn’t much more than surfing the web and sending email. However, things have changed a lot since then, with Apple silicon meaning it’s much more possible.
We hope that the Apple silicon chip in the 12-inch MacBook will allow it to be much more capable than before. It won’t be at the level of the MacBook Pro, of course, as it will have a very different target audience, but it certainly won’t be anything to sneeze at.
However, there is another possibility. The Apple Majin Bu leaker has claimed on Twitter that the laptop could be part of the MacBook Pro range and come with an M2 Pro or M2 Max chip. However, Majin Buu has a mixed history, and we think this claim is a bit unlikely.
For one thing, if the Gurman release schedule of late 2023 or early 2024 is correct, it would likely fall into the M3 Pro/Max release cycle, not the M2 series. On top of that, the 12-inch MacBook has always been positioned as a lightweight, travel-ready device, not for the intensive tasks Apple’s Pro and Max chips are designed for. Still, Majin Bu has been accurate in the past, so we can’t rule this claim out entirely.
Features: lack of fans and ports?
Given that the MacBook Air and 12-inch MacBook will likely be promoted as lightweight laptops that are perfect for users on the go, we wouldn’t be surprised if they both ended up fanless and running quietly. Given how small the chassis is likely to be, Apple may not be able to fit a fan in there even if it wanted to.
The 2015 12-inch MacBook became famous for coming with only one port: a single USB-C slot that handled data and power and helped usher in the USB-C era. Considering that ports take up space on motherboards, and considering how small the 12-inch MacBook’s motherboard is likely to be, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Apple repeats that trick this time.
There is a possibility that it will come with MagSafe However, too, as it has made a comeback on recent devices. That is just speculation at this point.
There is one final possibility: it could come with the butterfly keyboard. Apple equipped the 2015 12-inch MacBook with this divisive keyboard in part because it was so thin and helped slim down the device, so it would make sense if it came back. After all, Apple’s Phil Schiller has previously claimed the company is still working on this keyboard. Still, it would be a controversial move, especially considering how good the current Magic Keyboard is.
12-inch MacBook: our wish list
The original 12-inch MacBook was expensive for what it offered, in part because it was so experimental and unlike anything Apple offered at the time. So we wouldn’t be surprised if the new 12-inch MacBook cuts back on features as well. Still, there are a few other things we’d love to see.
The first thing is a decent webcam. Apple has started upgrading its laptops to 1080p webcams, but the company might be tempted to equip only the 12-inch MacBook with one. 720p camera. That would be disappointing given that many people are likely to use it on the go, where the quality of video calls is important.
We’re also hoping Apple will put more than one USB-C port on the laptop, as one isn’t enough these days. It means that you need to unplug the charging cable to connect a peripheral, for example, which is not practical.
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