Apple working on 12-inch Macbook Air – report

MANILA, Philippines – Insider information revealed that Apple’s next Macbook is a 12-inch Air, one thin enough that Apple employees refer to it as “Macbook Stealth”.

A report from 9to5Mac shows artist’s renditions of the prototype for the next Macbook Air, based on sources within the company itself who are already using prototypes of the unit. It’s said to have a 12-inch Retina display screen, an inch short of the current flagship of the line.

There was no word on its internals, but the aesthetics feature a lot of changes, beginning with the display screen. Despite being an inch more than the current 11-inch model, its size is almost the same thanks to the adjustments to the bezels around the screen.

They reportedly decreased it on all sides, allowing for more glass in the panel. It is narrower and taller than the previous model, affecting other parts as well.

The keyboard was revamped, following the narrower dimensions of the monitor. It now sits edge-to-edge at the body and the keys sit closer together than the standard Mac arrangement.

The trackpad was also slightly modified and made taller. The speakers were placed above, also acting as ventilation spaces.

Keeping the ‘Air’ in mind, the unit is significantly thinner than the current model. It still has that tapered design, where in gets less at the bottom. The decrease in its thickness is thanks to the absence of many ports.

The new Macbook Air makes do with dual-microphones (for input and noise-cancellation) and a headphone jack on the right side and, on the left side, a single USB Type-C connection.

USB Type-C is reportedly faster and more reliable than USB 2.0 and 3.0 and can also transfer display and power – a likely reason for the lack of Thunderbolt and MagSafe ports. Keep in mind that the basis of the report is a prototype, so changes might still be made. Still, it’s surprising why Apple is considering a single port on this one.

It’s rumored to be out this year, especially now that Intel has revealed their Broadwell processors. – Rappler.com