Will we ever see another 12" MacBook?

[HardBall]

I still think it's crazy that the iPad with magic keyboard weighs more than the 13" MBA.

Yeah, 12.9 " iPad is not really a portable form factor, especially for a tablet. It's not generally something that a professional on the go could count on as a carry any-where device.

A 12" MacBook would be a much better choice for that, both more portable and fuller in terms of functionality.

 

[Roadster Lewis]

I agree that it would be good to see a 12" Apple Silicon MacBook (Air). I recently got a 13" MBA for work and it feels loads bigger and heavier than the 12" MacBook.

I think for a portable laptop, what the Air was designed for, a 12" chassis, but with 2 USB-C ports would be ideal. The have the new, chunky, 14" chassis available with M1 and M1X for those that prioritise connectivity over portability.

 

[HardBall]

I agree that it would be good to see a 12" Apple Silicon MacBook (Air). I recently got a 13" MBA for work and it feels loads bigger and heavier than the 12" MacBook.

I think for a portable laptop, what the Air was designed for, a 12" chassis, but with 2 USB-C ports would be ideal. The have the new, chunky, 14" chassis available with M1 and M1X for those that prioritise connectivity over portability.

Yeah, what we need is something with 13" screen but in a foot print very close to the 12" rMB. That would be the ideal device for the vast majority of people who need to work daily on the go.

 

[Tagbert]

Love my 2017 rMB12. It's perfectly adequate to do basic office and remote tasks, but it would be much more capable with a slightly larger screen and the M1 chip. A re-designed 13" MBA close to the rMB12 would very likely dominate the average consumer space, and I'd definitely pre-purchase one for launch day.

Not sure how likely it'll be, but we should see the Air re-design this year.

If Apple redesigns the Air they are likely to reduce the bezels which would reduce the case size. it might end up closer to the old rMB 12" overall size and weight than the current Air. Something to keep an eye out for.

 

[abercrombie]

I also have a 12" among my collection of Macbooks and use it when I go on travel. It's significantly way lighter than the Macbook 13" which I had once in 2018, but returned since the 12" was better for travel.

One issue I've founed is that it can't be an always-on device due to battery expansion. Had the battery replaced twice since 2016, once under warranty and the next last year out of warranty requiring a circuit board replacement since3 the battery expansion broke the SSD. I have a macbook pro 13" I've used since 2016 with no issue always-on, but the expansion on the 12" will result in the case bending and damage internal parts.

 

[Roadster Lewis]

That doesn't sound good. Mine is still on the original battery from 2015, although it no longer lasts more than a couple of hours and reminds me that a "battery service" is required...

 

[bobob]

If Apple redesigns the Air they are likely to reduce the bezels which would reduce the case size. it might end up closer to the old rMB 12" overall size and weight than the current Air. Something to keep an eye out for.

As it turned out, Apple went another way.

Yeah, they reduced the bezels, but they also increased the display size of the 13" MBA from 13.3" to 13.6".

On the plus side, that does leave more room in the product line-up for a future revival of a true 12" MB:

• 12"
• 13.6"
• 15.3"