Photos of 12-Inch MacBook Air Display Show Black Glass Cover, Polished Apple Logo

[DamoTheBrave]

I don't want a 12" Air - I want a 17" Pro (that is actually affordable).

 

[puckhead193]

well it was taken in a BMW from the looks of it a n. american car so it might have came from apple HQ

we shall see...

 

[Rogifan]

Hope someone updates the realistic renderings soon...

What if someone was trolling Gurman (or just passed on really outdated info) and the device doesn't look like his render.

 

[booyahbooyah]

I'm still using my 2011 13" MBA it's the best laptop I've ever owned. This 12" Air will be its replacement IF the keyboard is stretched edge to edge like the display. I've tried typing on the 11" MBA keyboard and the keys are way too crammed together. It's frustrating. I'll also have to see the 12" display in person and see if it's too small, again the 11" is far too small this 13" is just right. I'm also leery of buying revision A Apple products...

I'm hoping for the best!

The only difference in the keyboards between the 11" and 13" Air is that the function keys in the 11" are smaller. No other difference.

 

[JoEw]

If you look at the bottom of the part in the first picture you can see the swivel pieces with the cutouts for screws. I don't think a piece made for an ipad would have this.

This won't be an iPad which is sad, I'd love a detachable ipad via a Mac

 

[atlatnesiti]

so....i guess no more illuminating logo on the back?

What's the point of that - if anything, it's battery saving (highly appreciated) feature

 

[twigman08]

Sort of disappointing. Based on those photos you can tell it is a laptop screen. I was sort of hoping that the "iPad Pro" and this were the same product and would be something to "compete" with the Microsoft Surface.

Oh well. Maybe Apple does have something up its sleeves that we can't tell yet.

 

[occollegeboi420]

So other than esthetics, what's new? lol.

 

[unobtainium]

Are they just going to nix the current MBAs?

Yep. I bet they'll have the 12" MBA, the 13" rMBP and the 15" rMBP.

The combined USB/charging port sounds terrible. Imagine not being able to charge while you have something else connected to the one (???) USB port!

 

[mac666er]

Strange way of saying No SD card slot.

A younger crowd is now hanging on macrumors as shown by looking at what is voted up.

The comment was in reference to when the iPod was first released. A blog called slashdot said it was going to bomb with the quote:

"No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame."

That was only 12 years ago, not that long!

http://beta.slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-ipod

So macintologist is implying it in spite of a lack of SD card it is going to sell like hot cakes.

 

[Vanilla Face]

Lots of rumors about a 12 inch "iPad Pro" and a 12 inch Macbook Air?...Why would Apple make two different, and in a way competing, products with the same screen dimensions.

Because they are two different products in two different product categories that aren't really competing. They'd be competing even less than the 13" MBA and the 13" MBP do.

They most likely aren't the same screen dimensions either. The iPads has an aspect ratio of 4:3 (iPad Pro is expected to have the same) while the 12" rMBA will be either 16:9 or 16:10 , this makes them very different screens. Assuming 12" means 12" (which it probably doesn't in either case), the iPad would be 9.6"x7.2" and the rMBA would be 10.46"x5.88"(assuming 16:9).

 

[CrazyForApple]

Am I the only one doubting that it is real?

 

[saintforlife]

This is innovation? Meanwhile in other tech news, Google is working on driverless cars and CP3 robots, and Microsoft is working to covert our lives into a holographic minority report world that aims to blow your minds.

 

[nagromme]

How could Apple POSSIBLY offer a Mac that compromises on ports??

I know SOME people want maximum portability and simplicity, but not everyone has the same goals.

So the only way this alleged model would make any sense is if Apple ALSO offers other laptops that meet the needs of people who need tons of wired peripherals and more speed.

They could call them "MacBook Pros" or something.

And if they worked to make those "Pro" models thinner (just not AS thin as the Air) and gave them retina displays, that would make quite a flexible lineup! I can dream...

This is innovation? Meanwhile in other tech news, Google is working on driverless cars and CP3 robots, and Microsoft is working to covert our lives into a holographic minority report world that aims to blow your minds.

Exactly!

Apple should NEVER make evolutions to existing products. ONLY revolutionary new things should ever be released.

And products that actually ship don't matter. Products like holo goggles and robot cars that are NOT shipping--and may never? Those are what matters!

We all know Apple has nothing in the labs. If they did, they'd be making "what if" videos for what might happen someday! Oh, well.

P.S. I like that the leaked shell still has a bit of MacBook Air "dome" to it, vs. the pure flatness of an iPad. A MacBook Air screen is thinner than an iPad, and curves mean strength I don't want to lose. (When I buy the 2nd-gen of this 12" MBA next year.)

 

[marshallbedsaul]

Find the bmw find the leak
Taken 12 inch out soon

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Hear me out guys.

Everyone here obviously notices the blacked out logo on the back. Hmmmm, it interestingly looks to be the same as the logo on the back of the iPads. Weird because it's orientation (horizontal) on the back would indicate it's some sort of Macbook?

Lots of rumors about a 12 inch "iPad Pro" and a 12 inch Macbook Air?...Why would Apple make two different, and in a way competing, products with the same screen dimensions.

My take is that Apple has been working on a competitor to Microsoft's Surface. Surfaces are great and in an area that Apple isn't really competing in. The 12" iPad Pro rumors and the 12" Macbook Air rumors are actually one in the same.

Some feedback would be nice because I haven't been able to get this connection between the two out of my head.

Not agreeing or disagreeing that the two rumour streams could be the same, but this is definitely a laptop screen - indicated by all the wiring along the bottom (taped up) and you can also see the under screen soft matte black area as per current macbooks where the hinge sits.

I would love a 12" iPad Pro/Plus though.

I think that there are actually internals in the screen, much like an iPad. Seems like the most logical explanation for the Apple logo not being back lit. Our two iPad Air 2's stacked are thinner than my 2011 11" Air at its thickest point, so I could definitely see this being a strategy. They could use different configurations to play with the weight distribution and cooling efficiency until they got it just right...can we see any evdence of anything beyong display cabling coming out of the bottom of that screen?

But it isn't going to be a Surface competitor or some kind of hybrid. This is a laptop, most definitely. The hinge assembly at the bottom puts that odea to rest immediately.

 

[oldwren]

My take is that Apple has been working on a competitor to Microsoft's Surface. Surfaces are great and in an area that Apple isn't really competing in. The 12" iPad Pro rumors and the 12" Macbook Air rumors are actually one in the same.

Some feedback would be nice because I haven't been able to get this connection between the two out of my head.

A big problem with that theory is that there is no iOS/OS X hybrid. Whereas developers have been testing the new Apple Watch "OS" for months, we're expecting this new MBA to be released relatively soon—so there's no time for developers to test let alone create new hybrid apps.

 

[iThingsGurl]

A younger crowd is now hanging on macrumors as shown by looking at what is voted up.

The comment was in reference to when the iPod was first released. A blog called slashdot said it was going to bomb with the quote:

"No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame."

That was only 12 years ago, not that long!

http://beta.slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-ipod

So macintologist is implying it in spite of a lack of SD card it is going to sell like hot cakes.

Hey thanks for the backstory. Appreciate it.

 

[Vanilla Face]

So macintologist is implying it in spite of a lack of SD card it is going to sell like hot cakes.

Which it probably will. Few people use SD cards regularly. This isn't targeted for those that do. Those that use them occasionally can get a USB connector.

Same can be said for multiple ports. Really, when does the normal consumer plug multiple things into their laptop? I can't remember the last time I plugged something into my MBP, let alone multiple things. Everything is moving to connectionless data transfer.

 

[Tanegashima]

So really, a bigger iPad Air 2 with a backlit keyboard attached to it that runs OS X Yosemite. Nice.

Yeah...

Basically an iPad Air 2...

... except in all functional aspects: screen, keyboard, trackpad, ports, operating system, speed, ports, etc...

Nice...

 

[nagromme]

I'm still using my 2011 13" MBA it's the best laptop I've ever owned.
... I've tried typing on the 11" MBA keyboard and the keys are way too crammed together.

FYI, the 13" and 11" MacBook Airs have identical keyboards (and even desktop Macs share the same layout). No difference in key size or spacing.

The new 12", supposedly, will have slightly reduced spacing (same key sizes) so it will probably affect some peoples' habits. Try before you buy, as you say!

(The rumored move of Power over by Esc is what would annoy me--but I've heard the theory that a lot more people hit Power by accident when Deleting, then use the Esc key. If so, I'm in the minority--never happens to me, and I do use Esc.)

As for the screen, if it's retina, it will probably scale pretty cleanly to a couple different modes--there's hope that one of them will feel right to you! Or switch the res on the fly for different tasks--something laptop users would never do in the pre-retina days, but it's great flexibility to have.

 

[MoreAwesomeDanU]

umm am i the only one seeing this? It looks more like a bigger ipad than anything else.

Why a 12" MBA? Doesn't make sense when you already have 11 and 13... Not sure what the value prop is.

On the other hand, a bigger ipad makes a lot more sense for content consumption.

 

[Tanegashima]

For all those who worry that apple is going to take out USB ports, Power charger, Thunderbolt, etc...

You worry too much...

 

[Rogifan]

umm am i the only one seeing this? It looks more like a bigger ipad than anything else.

Why a 12" MBA? Doesn't make sense when you already have 11 and 13... Not sure what the value prop is.

On the other hand, a bigger ipad makes a lot more sense for content consumption.

Because eventually the 11 and 13 go away and the 12 retina is the new MBA. Maybe they discount the 11 and 13 models to get rid of inventory.

 

[Tanegashima]

Black bezel, no lit Apple logo?

Obviously Wrong!

Because the 9to5mac "press release" has show us a silver bezel, and lit Apple logo!

9to5mac speaks the truth!