Sorry if I missed this somewhere but does anyone else feel that the rumored 12" laptop will actually be a redesigned MBP and not a MBA? Meaning that Apple will drop the 13" MBP, keep the 15" MBP as a power laptop, and keep both the 11" and 13" MBA as the budget line? It seems to me that most people are assuming it will be the MBA line that will be affected.
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12" will be a MBP instead of MBA?
- Thread starter citivolus
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99.9% unlikely. The 13-inch MBP isn't going anywhere. The more likely scenario is that the 12-inch Retina MacBook replaces the 11 and 13-inch MBA. Whether it'll be called Air, who knows.
I find that very unlikely. You can't get the sort of power out of a fanless design to make the so called "Pros" happy.
The reasoning that makes most sense to me is that the 11" & 13" are converging into one 12" ultra portable thin & light laptop using Intel Core M.
The 13" Pro will use powerful Intel i series CPUs with integrated Iris graphics and the 15" will use Iris Pro graphics with optional dedicated GPU like it is now.
The 12" might just be called "Macbook" as to not confuse buyers with the current Macbook Air which will probably still be sold for a while.
The reasoning that makes most sense to me is that the 11" & 13" are converging into one 12" ultra portable thin & light laptop using Intel Core M.
The 13" Pro will use powerful Intel i series CPUs with integrated Iris graphics and the 15" will use Iris Pro graphics with optional dedicated GPU like it is now.
The 12" might just be called "Macbook" as to not confuse buyers with the current Macbook Air which will probably still be sold for a while.
Necessary reference to this (big) thread, factorizing lots of discussions around the potential new 12" Apple notebook.
Randomly from this post: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=19267305#post19267305
I don't see the rMBP13 disappear. I don't think a 12" OS X retina notebook is certain, and there indeed is a debate around the future of the low-end Apple notebook offer.
Randomly from this post: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=19267305#post19267305
I don't see the rMBP13 disappear. I don't think a 12" OS X retina notebook is certain, and there indeed is a debate around the future of the low-end Apple notebook offer.
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No reason at all for Apple to do that. The MBA has not had a major redesign in 4 years. The rMBP was just refreshed in 2012, and they actually redesigned it in 2013 as well.
This might make some sense if they discontinued the MBA lineup as well, but having an 11.6", 12", and 13.3" notebook, two of which are outdated, just seems like a huge cluster****. It goes against the trends we have seen in the past, creates gaps in the lineup, and oversaturates the consumer lineup.
I would consider it highly unlikely that a new thiner, lighter, fan-less laptop would be part of the PRO line. Just not enough performance.
I expect it will become part of the AIR lineup, initially supplementing the lineup, and depending on how sales go possibly replacing the rest of the lineup.
I expect it will become part of the AIR lineup, initially supplementing the lineup, and depending on how sales go possibly replacing the rest of the lineup.
Apple will drop the 13" MBP ( it is still around in the Apple store ) .... the 13" rMBP will knock it off. The rMBP version will probably slot down into that entry $1,199 price point.
The 13" MBA successor could probably pick up the same "retina" screen in smaller form factor. (while keeping the lower price point $999-1999 ).
The 12" laptop sound far more like a replacement for the 11" (really 11.6") MBA. 0.4" difference in size isn't alot. Make it a real retina (dpi focused ) increase and not some euphemism for 'pixel doubling' and it would just bring the low end model's screen into current modern era of screen technology.
It is perhaps correct in that "retina" and perhaps "air" would get dropped as adjectives since the whole line up would have the similar characteristics on those dimensions. All made thin , port minimized , and relatively high DPI screens.
If updated to Core M then there would be a performance gap between the 13" Core M model and the Core i5/i7 13" product models. Folks who wanted "horsepower" to drive screen pixels faster simply pay more.
As others have already said, that is extremely unlikely.
My question is: can I have some of whatever youre smoking?
My question is: can I have some of whatever youre smoking?
Well all really interesting replies...seems like the consensus here is that at least the 11" MBA is going away, and maybe the 13" MBA too, but the 13" MBP will stay.
I know that the rumor is that the 12" will be even "lighter and thinner", but I can't imagine how much thinner than the current MBA it can get.
I know that the rumor is that the 12" will be even "lighter and thinner", but I can't imagine how much thinner than the current MBA it can get.
dfausty, who's that directed to?
It is a lot if it's a 16:10 screen rather than the 16:9 on the current MBA 11
Especially with the rumored fanless design, they could potentially cut as much as a pound off the weight. The iPad Air is 2/3 the weight of the previous generation iPad. It isn't too big a stretch to imagine a MBA that is 2/3 the weight of the design from 2010.
Matt
Haha, I was going to make a similar post, but after looking down at my calculations I felt too nerdy
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Well, the 12" (really 12.6") might be a replacement for both mba's in the nearby future. 1.0" difference in size is not much but it is something. It could even keep the fysical size of the 11" (really 11.6"): there is plenty to take from the 11" bezel. And it might even save some weight.
Broadwell is said to be 30% more powerefficient. It might get an igzo screen. That's another 30% saved. It hardly needs a battery!
if Apple is minimizing costs ( for lowest prices laptops) it more likely going to be 16:9.
Also for a fixed diagonal 16:10 screen will be smaller than a 16:9 on. A taller screen would push the opposing corners farther apart so would have to shrink to keep the same diagonal.
The other 12% and 7% larger is for diagonals floating inside the "12" range; not the same size.
If Apple had contractors shave 9-10% off the 16:10, 13.3" retina screens they are using now that would be a 11.97-12.1" diagonal. That rounds to 12" nicely. If that reduction pushes that derivative into the same price zone as the old screen they'd go that way. If not more pixels would get trimmed off to fit the cost profile.
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12.6" is big enough to perhaps drop both 11.6 and 13.3 and just have one MBA in the middle (coupled to bringing the rMBP 13" into the classic 13" laptop price point). Simplified product offering lets them keep the costs down. if Apple can squeeze out the screen costs there isn't alot of upside with sticking with just a 11.6" screen size at all. Apple going to the same screen tech cut to different sizes is a likely cost control path for them.
Having three 13.3" models are doomed. But even in Apple's drive to simplicity even two 13.3" isn't stable for the long term.
P.S. I think 12.6" comes from trying to minimize the bezel on the classic MBA design. IMHO that is bit backwards. The bezel is large because of the minimal constraints on keyboard (i.e, human hands). Over time the screen tech will get affordable enough to fill that up. It may not be the right time to do that now though. MBA unit numbers are going up because it is much more affordable now than it once was. Affordability is a constraint also.
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Yes, but having owned an MBA 11 in the past, that 12% increase will be concentrated vertically, where it's sorely needed