Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Apple’s 12-inch MacBook might soon come back from the dead

Apple’s 12-inch MacBook was a highly advanced laptop, but one where its fatal compromises eventually led to its abandonment. Yet there are rumors Apple is planning to resurrect the tiny device, and a Korean source has seemingly confirmed that — yet there are questions over the report’s trustworthiness.

The claim was made on Korean website Naver by yeux1122 (translated version), an account that has something of a mixed track record for Apple rumors. According to the Naver post, Apple is preparing laptop parts and “major activities” relating to the 12-inch MacBook.

cheap macbook deals

While a product launch window has not yet been confirmed, yeux1122 claims, by the second half of 2023 Apple should have decided whether it will move ahead with mass production. At the moment, things are at the “preparation level” for the device.

Rumors of a return for the 12-inch MacBook have received a mixed reception from industry experts. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in June 2022 that he hadn’t heard of any plans for a 12-inch MacBook from his sources, while display industry guru Ross Young is similarly skeptical, saying Apple is instead focusing on laptops sized 13 inches and larger.

However, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has said a 12-inch MacBook is in the works. More recently, though, he claimed the device was “no longer on Apple’s near-term road map,” although he didn’t outright say the company had ditched its plans for the device.

2017 MacBook 12-inch

That industry skepticism means we should probably treat yeux1122’s claims with a degree of wariness, notwithstanding the fact that the author doesn’t have much of a track record for accurate Apple leaks. Still, it’s something to be aware of.

One of the reasons the 12-inch MacBook initially failed was that it was severely underpowered, as its super-thin chassis could only handle a mobile processor from Intel. However, the rise of Apple silicon has given Apple far more efficient chips to play with. These days, Apple silicon means a new 12-inch MacBook might actually make sense.

Whether Apple actually goes ahead and relaunches it, though, is anyone’s guess. Right now, it seems like it won’t get released any time soon, so there’s plenty of time for more information to come to light.

Editors' Recommendations

Apple’s security trumps Microsoft and Twitter’s, say feds
Apple's Craig Federighi speaking about macOS security at WWDC 2022.

Apple has long held a reputation for rock-solid security, and now the U.S. government seemingly agrees after praising the company for its security procedures. At the same time, the feds have suggested Microsoft and Twitter need to pull their socks up and make their products much more secure for their users, according to CNBC.

In a speech given at Carnegie Mellon University, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly pointed to Apple as a company that took security and accountability seriously, and suggested other companies should take note.

Read more
Apple’s second-generation VR headset is already in the works
A rendering of an Apple mixed-reality headset (Reality Pro) in a gold color seen from the front.

Apple’s first mixed-reality headset hasn’t even been released, yet the company is already working on a second-generation model that will bring even more power and performance to the table, according to a new report. That suggests we might not have long to wait before the successor device hits the shelves.

The news comes from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter. Gurman claims that the first edition of the headset -- likely dubbed Reality Pro -- will come with the same M2 chip that powers the latest MacBook Air, plus a separate chip that will handle augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences.

Read more
5 abandoned Apple products that need to make a comeback
Apple iMac with Retina 5K Display review green wallpaper

Apple has launched a ton of amazing products over its history, and plenty of them have been put out to pasture as new successors have taken their place. But technology moves on, and what’s buried in the past should stay that way. Right?

Well, maybe not. Apple has discontinued a host of products that I’d love to see make a daring comeback. Whether they revolutionized the industry or just did something totally out there, they all made their mark -- and they could still have a place in today’s world. These are the Apple products I’d love the company to bring back for another roll of the dice.
27-inch iMac

Read more