The beloved 12-inch MacBook form factor could make a return to Apple’s lineup, a new rumor suggests today. This comes after Apple discontinued the 12-inch MacBook several years ago after it refocused its attention on the MacBook Air and the transition to Apple Silicon.
The fate of the 12-inch MacBook
Bloomberg first reported on Apple’s work to revitalize the 12-inch MacBook last summer. “Apple has also begun work on a new 12-inch laptop and is considering launching it at the end of 2023 or in early 2024,” the report explained.
A week later, Ming-Chi Kuo said he hadn’t heard anything about a 12-inch MacBook, but he stopped short of saying such a product was definitely not in the works. This leads us to where we are today.
A sketchy rumor posted to the Korean social network Naver, by the user “yeux1122” suggests that even Apple hasn’t decided the fate of the 12-inch MacBook. This source has a so-so track record when it comes to Apple rumors, so we suggest treating today’s report with skepticism for now.
According to the rumor, which cites a “supply chain parts company in Taiwan,” Apple is “preparing to refresh” the 12-inch MacBook, but it “hasn’t been confirmed” if the product will actually launch quite yet. The supply chain is reportedly “preparing” parts and other things necessary for a 12-inch MacBook, but plans for mass production haven’t been confirmed.
Here is the full text of the post (translated):
Apple is said to be preparing to refresh the recent MacBook 12-inch model. It hasn’t been confirmed until the product launch yet, but the parts and major activities previously seem to be preparing a new product.
As early as the second half of this year, it will be confirmed whether the actual mass production will be carried out instead of the actual preparation level.
9to5Mac’s Take
Top comment by Jacob
I had the 2nd gen version of the MacBook and absolutely loved it! Admittedly, I was working part time at Apple when I purchased it so was able to max it out at a discounted price, but it was more than capable to handle the graphic and document design work I was doing for the nonprofit I was working at as my main day job. That combined with its hyper portability and a monitor at my desk was a phenomenal workflow. I'm now on a slightly upgraded M2 MacBook Air and it's great but there's just something about that old MacBook that I still love.
I’d love to see the 12-inch MacBook make a comeback. I loved the form factor of the original model, and it’s a design that could really thrive thanks to the improvements of Apple Silicon. Even if it’s not something I would buy (the 15-inch MacBook Air is calling my name), I think it could be a great machine for many people.
The original 12-inch MacBook was plagued by its high price, poor performance, and poor efficiency. Apple Silicon can help solve those issues (well, maybe not the price thing).
What do you think? Should Apple reinvent the 12-inch MacBook? Let us know down in the comments.
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