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Apple May Still Be Planning to Reintroduce 12-Inch MacBook
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they are lost now, they don’t know what people want, so they’ll release models in trial and error mode. it’s been more than 10 years since Steve left and almost all of his team is out or has aged. This doesn’t look good for apple
Agreed.
I get why they would keep the Air branding when they're introducing the Mx series chips, to reassure people.
But as you say, Apple's naming strategy is all over the place now. The iPad product line is a huge mess, imho.
As another poster on here mentioned, they need to return to the famous Steve Jobs product quadrant and make their product propositions really clear.
Sure, have different screen sizes, memory, storage space options etc. - but make it really clear what product is meant for what.
(Also accepting that 'Pro' can often mean: 'it's a really nice product for consumers who just want the best').
True - but I think that the MBA was very much seen as the future of Apple consumer laptops, looking forward to when it would gradually become affordable to make and sell at a lower price - with better, more powerful components.
As of course, the first MBA was horribly underpowered and very expensive - also quite a common feature of the Jobs late 90s/00 era!
Apple could benefit from simplifying its product lineup. The original MacBook Air concept was successful due to its slim and lightweight design, but now it could easily be rebranded as just the MacBook. It feels odd to have only MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs cause something in the middle is missing. So it would be better to offer regular MacBooks alongside MacBook Pros only.
If I were in Tim's position, I would suggest offering a 12" and 15" MacBook, with the latter configurable to the level of an M2 Pro and 14" and 16" MacBook Pros. This would provide a clear and concise range of options for consumers no matter what they are after.
If I were in Tim's position, I would suggest offering a 12" and 15" MacBook, with the latter configurable to the level of an M2 Pro and 14" and 16" MacBook Pros. This would provide a clear and concise range of options for consumers no matter what they are after.
That's a good point! $100 is real money. But Apple now only seems to make the "cheap" stuff by re-using an old casing (lots of examples: iPhone SE, iPad, current $999 MacBook Air) and swapping out some internal components.
I think this lineup makes a lot of sense:
MacBook Air 13, 15
MacBook Pro 12, 14, 16
You have the small-ish and big-ish MacBook Air while the Pro line gets tiny, just-right, and too-big.
I could see it always being a generation behind the latest Mx chip, to help keep it down to $999 (assuming it gets the M2 MBA design).
If this comes out when the 13 inch - and presumably 15 inch - moves to M3, a M2 12 inch MBA / MB is still going to be more than fast enough.
I mean, let's face it - you're going to buy a 12 inch laptop for portability & light productivity tasks / content consumption - not for video editing.
Yea I like the sharpness on my wife's M1 MBA 13, but it's too small overall.
A 12” MacBook would not need to be $1300 today. It was more expensive than the fair back in the day because it had the Retina screen. It would likely be cheaper than the 13” M2 Air now. It could replace the M1 Air as the cheap end of the Air line.
Most of the problems with the original were that it was expensive and slow. That doesn’t need to be true anymore.
I'll believe it when I see it. Then I'll buy it....quickly 
I loved that model. Man, they're getting a little thick with the notebook sizes, huh? The sizing, branding, pricing, etc. will be all over the place. Like others here, I do think "Air" should be removed and the non-Pro (currently the 13" and soon-to-be(?) 15" Airs) just be called MacBook.
That old 11” was 11.6” but the aspect ratio made it very short and cramped. I still have one. The 12” screen was about the same width but a taller, more comfortable aspect ratio. Apple could pare back the bezels and think the case a little to make a 12” Air smaller and lighter than the 13.6” Air. At that size 1.6” makes a difference
The real difference is not screen size, it's the weight. The MacBook weighed 2 lbs while the current Air weighs 2.7 lbs, that's 25% less weight with a screen size that's not much smaller than the Air. For some people this is a worthy tradeoff if they're always on the go. I'd argue that with curved display corners, you could even fit a larger screen in the same MacBook body now so the screen size difference may not be as big.
The real difference between the MacBook and MacBook Air is that the MacBook pushes the envelope on how small a computer can be while still being highly functional. The current Air is quite conservative with respect to its dimensions in favor of having a larger screen while the MacBook based its screen size around the width of the keyboard.
All of the consumer laptops will likely either stay as “Air” or all transition to “MacBook”. There is a lot of consumer value in the Air name and Apple found it difficult to switch last time they tried with the previous 12” MacBook. Not sure if they want to fight that perception or not.
The 12" was the best laptop I've ever owned. Not only was it super light, but it was sturdy. Samsung makes 2lb laptops but they are fragile. The 12" MacBook was a little tank.
I just don't see them coming out with one within the next 3 years. I may be wrong. It's a profit thing I'm afraid.
I just don't see them coming out with one within the next 3 years. I may be wrong. It's a profit thing I'm afraid.
I agree with you that Apple should make stuff with smaller screens. I just don’t believe they will release a 12” MacBook, that’s all.
I disagree with those who say it would be too close to 13" MBA because the diff. is "only an inch", since that ignores weight and thickness.
The current MBA's are 2.8 lbs (M1) and 2.7 lbs.(M2). The 2017 12" Retina MB was only 2.0 lbs. That's a substantial difference. And with a low-binned M3 chip, they could make it thinner than the MBA.
Plus, to be more precise, the M2 MBA is 13.6", while the last MB was 12.0".
I think a 12.0" MB that's <= 2 lbs, uses a low-binned version of the M3, and sells for <$1k, could really be a statement product for Apple, since you'd have a (relatively) inexpensive ultra-light whose SC speeds were comparable to those of much larger, heavier, and more expensive PC laptops. It would allow Apple to show off the efficiency of their chips in an even more striking way than they've done already.
The current MBA's are 2.8 lbs (M1) and 2.7 lbs.(M2). The 2017 12" Retina MB was only 2.0 lbs. That's a substantial difference. And with a low-binned M3 chip, they could make it thinner than the MBA.
Plus, to be more precise, the M2 MBA is 13.6", while the last MB was 12.0".
I think a 12.0" MB that's <= 2 lbs, uses a low-binned version of the M3, and sells for <$1k, could really be a statement product for Apple, since you'd have a (relatively) inexpensive ultra-light whose SC speeds were comparable to those of much larger, heavier, and more expensive PC laptops. It would allow Apple to show off the efficiency of their chips in an even more striking way than they've done already.
They need to bring back the 17" MacBook Pro with an anti-glare display. I would love that.
I don't get why MBAs are so relatively thick right now considering they don't require massive cooling, or have customizable parts - why not have the old paper-thin enclosure, it sure would make more sense for the MBA with Apple Silicon than it did back then for slow low-voltage Intel chips.
I have the 12.9 iPad Pro also. I use it in portrait for zoom calls and FaceTime, with mount for music lessons and sheet music. It is instant on, beautiful screen for watching sports, etc. The on screen keyboard is really nice and I use my Mac mini if I am doing a lot of typing or need macOS. I would miss portrait mode for so many things with a MacBook.
I had the 2017 MB and put close to 800 charge cycles on it in 3 years bringing battery life to 76% and getting battery swap under warranty. it was a great bed typing laptop which I can't say about the 16" I now use.
for those saying 2lb is same at the Air... No. I used the 2lb for 3 years and then bought the M1 Air and could feel the weight and size discomfort in bed and on couch. returned it. Nothing replaces the small 2lb MacBook and ive been patiently waiting once I played with the M1 Air when it first came out.
for those saying 2lb is same at the Air... No. I used the 2lb for 3 years and then bought the M1 Air and could feel the weight and size discomfort in bed and on couch. returned it. Nothing replaces the small 2lb MacBook and ive been patiently waiting once I played with the M1 Air when it first came out.
A 12" MBP is ridiculous. A 12" is definitely a consumer model.
My Bride and I each used 2, 2015 rMB and upgraded to the '17 models when they discontinued them. I upgraded when the M1 Air came out and she thought the Air was too big/heavy. I also upgraded to the M2 Air and she still would not bite. To big and heavy. Personally, I prefer the size and weight of the rMB myself.
Her rMB recently had a WiFi module issue and was "forced" to change to a M2 Air.
I ask her how she likes the M2 Air and her response is, "it is FINE". Gentleman, we all know what it means when a woman says something is "FINE" LOL
Her rMB recently had a WiFi module issue and was "forced" to change to a M2 Air.
I ask her how she likes the M2 Air and her response is, "it is FINE". Gentleman, we all know what it means when a woman says something is "FINE" LOL
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