Don’t get too excited about that 12-inch MacBook rumor

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12-inch-MacBook
A 12-inch MacBook would be a blast from the past. If real, of course.
Photo: Apple

Although one reliable Apple tipster recently said a 12-inch M2 MacBook is on the drawing board, another is skeptical that any such device is in development.

If released, the small notebook would be a change of strategy for Apple.

A (possible) return of the 12-inch MacBook

The 12-inch MacBook was added to Apple’s product lineup in 2015, and it stayed there for years alongside Air and Pro models. But it was discontinued in 2019 in favor of larger macOS notebooks.

But it is coming back, according to Bloomberg. “Apple has also begun work on a new 12-inch laptop,” Mark Gurman reported last week.

Or maybe not. Analyst Ross Young said on Monday via Twitter that he’s skeptical of that a MacBook of that size is in development because “companies in the MacBook Pro display supply chain we talked to are not aware of it.”

Young is a display expert with contacts in companies that supply screens to Apple. These have enabled him to make some very accurate predictions.

We won’t find out which of these two is correct for a long time. The Bloomberg prediction is that the 12-inch MacBook will launch “at the end of 2023 or in early 2024.”

A change of strategy

In throwing cold water on the prediction, Young said, “Apple’s strategy for notebooks is currently 13″ and larger.” A 12-inch model is out of step.

Also, in recent years, Cupertino increased the screen sizes of many of its offerings, not decreased them. And not just laptops. A highlight of Apple Watch Series 7 is that it’s bigger. The 24-inch iMac M1 replaced a smaller model. The iPhone mini series is reportedly being discontinued. And the largest iPad ever is allegedly coming in 2023.

With all this going on, it doesn’t seem likely that Apple is returning to a small, 12-inch MacBook screen.

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