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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple may be planning to release a 12-inch MacBook with an all-new design and high-resolution Retina Display in the middle of 2014, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

macbook_air_line-800x294.jpg
Specifically, the new MacBook is expected to feature a clamshell form factor even thinner than the current MacBook Air, and may debut at a lower-price point than the current Retina MacBook Pro line due to an improving yield rate. While Kuo stops short of calling the new model a replacement for the current MacBook Air line, his description of the model suggests that it would indeed supplant Apple's current ultra-slim notebook line.
We expect the unprecedented 12" model will boast both the portability of the 11" model, and productivity of the 13" model. The high resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro. The offering will likely be lighter and slimmer than the existing MacBook Air to further highlight ease of portability in the cloud computing era. We think the form factor will showcase a much improved clamshell structure, and that it will redefine laptop computing once again following the milestone created by the MacBook Air.
Kuo's claims match with a report from NPD DisplaySearch analysts earlier this week claiming that Apple is planning to introduce a new 12-inch MacBook Air next year. That new model was predicted to use a high-resolution 2304 x 1440 display

Both rumors also fall in line with earlier reports that Apple is set to move to IGZO displays for many of its future products, allowing for higher-resolution displays with lower power consumption.

Kuo has generally been quite accurate with his predictions over the past several years, including accurately outlining many of the details of Apple's 2013 launch plans as far back as January. Other accurate predictions have included the introduction of a "third MacBook line" that arrived in the form of Retina MacBook Pro models and the discontinuation of the 17-inch MacBook Pro last year.

Article Link: Apple Predicted to Release Ultra-Slim 12-Inch MacBook with Retina Display in Mid-2014
 

Stetrain

macrumors 68040
Feb 6, 2009
3,550
20
Makes sense. The current Airs have a very wide bezel, much wider than the retina MBPs currently have.

They could probably fit a 12" retina display in something with a footprint not much larger than the current 11" Air.

The 13" retina MBP will probably get thinner. Look at devices coming out now with Haswell + high DPI displays for reference, like the ASUS UX301:

ASUS-ZENBOOK_UX301_PR-Photo_03.jpg


So there would really be no point in a 13" retina Air and a 13" retina MBP.
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,020
7,863
Count me in if this is true. I was a MacBook Air owner from February 2008 until last December. After I lost my MacBook Air I used the insurance proceeds to get a 13" rMBP. I love the screen but miss the portability of the MBA.
 

Scarpad

macrumors 68020
Jan 13, 2005
2,135
632
Ma
I hate to say it but between the iMac and now the macbook, apple is turning me off with all this need to be the thinnist out there, it gets to the point where it starts hampering performance, it does'nt always have to be the thinnist
 

Dulcimer

macrumors 6502a
Nov 20, 2012
891
688
I hate to say it but between the iMac and now the macbook, apple is turning me off with all this need to be the thinnist out there, it gets to the point where it starts hampering performance, it does'nt always have to be the thinnist

To be fair, the MBA isn't meant to excel in terms of performance. I do agree with your comment about the iMacs, though.
 

Duff-Man

Contributor
Dec 26, 2002
2,984
17
Albuquerque, NM
Duff-Man says...I'd rather have a 15" Air, and the Mrs would like to replace her 17" with something that size. I get that smaller and lighter is good and desirable but it doesn't cover the needs of everyone, especially not having that 17" option anymore...oh yeah!
 

vpro

macrumors 65816
Jun 8, 2012
1,195
65
i've been saying all along

Just get rid of all current macbooks and start again.
Macbook 11, 13, 15, 17 all with retina displays.

Just do retina macbook pro 11" and 17".
Retina ipad mini or 12"
Retina imac 27" or 33"

Simple.
 

Moshe1010

macrumors 6502a
Jun 27, 2010
874
99
I hate to say it but between the iMac and now the macbook, apple is turning me off with all this need to be the thinnist out there, it gets to the point where it starts hampering performance, it does'nt always have to be the thinnist
That's what she said ;)
 

drewyboy

macrumors 65816
Jan 27, 2005
1,385
1,467
oh sure yup...
Best Buy Rep: hey, you want the 11",12",13" or 15"?
Customer: I was looking at the macbook
BB Rep: Yeah, they're all MacBooks, so 11,12,13, or 15?
C: I like the idea of maybe the 13
BBR: The Air or Pro
C: I thought you said they were all MacBooks
BBR: They are but there's two lines, the air and pro. Air 11 & 13, pro 12,13,15
C: 12? That's only an inch less?
BBR: Well...

Can you see the craziness? I'm not saying the 12" isn't true, but I'd put money on it that they won't be the exact same line. If the 12" is true, I'd guess that the 13" is going away. Who know's, maybe it's a consolidation. Or maybe he's got his sizes mixed up and the 12" is actually for an iPad. Maybe the air will be consolidated to a single size... I have no freak'n idea and neither does he but anyone with half a brain can realize that a only a 1" decrease in Apple's book does not justify a new product, it's just too confusing (for what apple has had for product lines). Now if it was any other oem, heck yeah... look at asus. 11,11.5,12,12.25 SE,13.3,14.2,15.1,15.8.... You get the idea
 

rhinosrcool

macrumors 68000
Sep 5, 2009
1,748
683
MN
A 12" MacBook would be awesome. At present, the 11" air's vertical height hampers web pages. Adding a little size could really make a difference. Add retina and wow. We'll see...
 

cgk.emu

macrumors 6502
May 16, 2012
449
1
I really liked my 11 inch MBA. I bought it in Germany to replace a machine that died on me. It was a Core 2 Duo, 10.6....64GB SSD. It was a speedy machine! My only real complain was that the screen, at that DPI, was just too little work space. A high DPI 12 inch would be stellar.

----------

oh sure yup...
Best Buy Rep: hey, you want the 11",12",13" or 15"?
Customer: I was looking at the macbook
BB Rep: Yeah, they're all MacBooks, so 11,12,13, or 15?
C: I like the idea of maybe the 13
BBR: The Air or Pro
C: I thought you said they were all MacBooks
BBR: They are but there's two lines, the air and pro. Air 11 & 13, pro 12,13,15
C: 12? That's only an inch less?
BBR: Well...

Can you see the craziness? I'm not saying the 12" isn't true, but I'd put money on it that they won't be the exact same line. If the 12" is true, I'd guess that the 13" is going away. Who know's, maybe it's a consolidation. Or maybe he's got his sizes mixed up and the 12" is actually for an iPad. Maybe the air will be consolidated to a single size... I have no freak'n idea and neither does he but anyone with half a brain can realize that a only a 1" decrease in Apple's book does not justify a new product, it's just too confusing (for what apple has had for product lines). Now if it was any other oem, heck yeah... look at asus. 11,11.5,12,12.25 SE,13.3,14.2,15.1,15.8.... You get the idea

Remember before Jobs came back, he said Apple had gotten too complicated. They had a TON of models that confused the consumer because the bean counters ran the company...we're definitely getting back to that time unfortunately.
 

djtech42

macrumors 65816
Jun 23, 2012
1,447
56
Mason, OH
Best thing would be:

11" and 12" MacBook Air
13" and 15" MacBook Pro

All of them could be referred to as MacBooks to make things simpler.
 

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,707
351
This means apple would axed the 13 mbp pro and air and just merge those two into one... Otherwise it would be too much lineup.
 

DawnSlayer

macrumors newbie
Oct 4, 2013
2
0
Tired of waiting

I tell you what Apple, i've been waiting for 6 months for the next retina macbook pro to be release, but you move it and move it! Now it's mid of 2014????!!! Are you frigging kidding me?!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
 
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