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Apple may not resurrect the 12-inch MacBook after all

Monica J. White
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Only a few days have passed since the first rumor about an upcoming 12-inch MacBook emerged, but now, new signs point to it being untrue.

According to display analyst Ross Young, various companies in the MacBook Pro display supply chain are not aware of such a device being made right now. So what’s really going on with the alleged 12-inch MacBook Pro?

MacBook Air with M2 chip seen over a purple background.
Apple

Just last week, Mark Gurman reported that Apple might be launching a completely new notebook, set to release in either 2023 or 2024. The device in question was a 12-inch version of MacBook, but Gurman wasn’t sure whether the laptop would be a MacBook Pro or just a regular MacBook. One thing seemed fairly clear, and that is that the alleged device would run on Apple’s new M2 chip.

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However, it seems to be too early to get excited about the rumored new Apple offering. Display analyst Ross Young posted a Twitter Super Fans-only tweet that indicates there’s no such device in the works right now.

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MacRumors shared the tweet, which stated: “We are skeptical on a 12-inch MacBook at this point. Apple’s strategy for notebooks is currently 13-inches and larger. Companies in the MacBook Pro display supply chain we talked to are not aware of it.”

Seeing as both Gurman and Young are reliable and well-known sources for Apple leaks, it’s interesting that they disagree on something so major as a whole new notebook. However, if Gurman’s word about a possible 2023-2024 release date is to be believed, it’s possible that the rumors of the new device still haven’t reached the Apple supply chain. This would imply that the device is still in the early stages of prototyping.

It’s equally possible that the device will never reach the market, however. Gurman himself has pointed out that Apple often prototypes various products internally, but it doesn’t release them to the public. At this stage, it’s too early to tell what really happened to the 12-inch MacBook, because it’s equally plausible that it’s just too early for the Apple supply chain to be aware of it.

The MacBook Pro with the default wallpaper, which hides the notch.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Gurman said that the rumored MacBook would be the smallest new Apple laptop in years, and that’s a fact — it discontinued the 12-inch MacBook in 2019 and it hasn’t reintroduced a laptop of that size ever since. However, the Apple lineup is currently quite flush with all manner of notebooks, ranging from the compact 13-inch MacBook Airs with M1 or M2 chips to the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Whether the 12-inch MacBook ever makes it to market or not, no one can accuse Apple of staying idle. The company has recently unveiled a few new things during WWDC 2022. These include a brand-new MacBook Air with the latest Apple silicon as well as various OS updates, such as MacOS Ventura, WatchOS 9, iOS 16, and iPadOS 16. If the 12-inch MacBook is indeed in the works, we might hear more about it in the summer, since Apple will surely announce some new products set for a fall release later on this year.

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Monica J. White
Monica J. White
Computing Writer
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…
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