Report: 12-inch MacBook Air will see ‘radical redesign’
New reports on Tuesday have potentially shed more light on Apple’s rumoured plans to launch a 12-inch version of its MacBook Air computer.
9to5Mac has published a series of artist’s impressions based on information it has received from Apple insiders, detailing a radically redesigned notebook.
According to the report, the 12-inch display will feature a headphone jack and just one port – a reversible USB Type-C connector, which will be used to connect accessories and charge the notebook.
That means there’ll be no standard-sized USB ports, no MagSafe connector, no Thunderbolt Display port and certainly no SD card slot (which does not appear in the current MacBook Air line anyway).
The lack of ports is allowing Apple to slim down the device even further, according to the report, as is a redesigned trackpad that does not feature feedback in the form of a satisfying click, as other models do.
The report claims the bezels are thinner all the way around the 12-inch display, which is slightly taller, but narrower than the current 11-inch MacBook Air model.
Read more: MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro – Which should you buy?
The keyboard will also run practically edge-to-edge, with the keys sitting much closer together in order to keep the footprint as narrow as possible.
According to the artist’s impression it’ll also have four speaker grills above the keyboard, which could improve sound output, but also allow for crucial ventilation considering the so-called ‘MacBook Stealth’ will not feature a built-in fan.
Tying in with earlier rumour’s 9to5Mac’s article says the 12-inch Air will have a higher resolution display than its predecessors, which will probably be branded a Retina Display.
The report suggests the new MacBook Air will be launched in mid-2015, just after WWDC if Apple stays true to recent form.