According to a recent post on the Korean blog Naver, Apple may be continuing its plans to bring back the 12-inch MacBook. The account that posted this information, “yeux1122,” has a mixed track record for sharing accurate Apple rumors.
As per the alleged source at a company that supplies parts to Apple in Taiwan, the company is preparing to reintroduce the 12-inch MacBook. The device’s future is still under consideration, and Apple has not confirmed whether it will reach the launch stage. However, production activities related to the device are said to be ongoing and Apple apparently plans to confirm whether the device will move forward to mass production as soon as the second half of this year.
It is worth noting that in 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that he had not heard of any plans for a new 12-inch MacBook model. Similarly, display analyst Ross Young expressed “skepticism” about Apple launching new MacBooks with display sizes below 13 inches.
The original 12-inch MacBook was introduced in March 2015 and featured a thin, light design weighing just two pounds. It was Apple’s first notebook to feature a fanless design, USB-C port, and butterfly switch keyboard. The company updated the 12-inch MacBook in June 2017 and discontinued the device in 2019. The announcement of Apple’s transition to its own custom silicon chips for the Mac renewed interest in the potential of a new 12-inch MacBook.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman first sparked rumors about Apple reintroducing a 12-inch MacBook model with Apple silicon last year, suggesting that the device could come at the end of 2023 or early 2024. However, in a recent update, Gurman mentioned that the new 12-inch MacBook was no longer on the company’s near-term roadmap. Nevertheless, he stopped short of ruling the device out completely, which means that it could be pushed into 2024 or later, aligning with the latest claims from Naver.
It remains to be seen if Apple will indeed reintroduce the 12-inch MacBook, but the rumors continue to pique the interest of many Apple enthusiasts who are hoping for a new, smaller, and more portable laptop option.
