Apple did indeed test out a black powder-coated MacBook Air, but the treatment absorbed body oils and didn't live up to Steve's standards, according to an anonymous Apple employee.

macbookair
This employee got in touch after we wrote about emails we'd received claiming that the next-generation MacBook Air would have a black option.

The email:

The rumors that the next iteration of the MBA's will have an optional black finish is grounded in truth.

We tried to powder coat the Air's (and Pro's for that matter) in black as a test run. There are more than a few floating around campus.

The coating looks good and holds up well, but it also soaks up body oils, making the palm rest look pretty gross. Ultimately that is the reason that the top brass (Jobs) killed the idea... it was just too easy to make the computer look like crap.

At some point we may offer a black coating, but it won't be powder coat, and it won't be anytime soon.

The sender doesn't have an existing track record, but after chatting with him, we suspect his story checks out.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Top Rated Comments

jlgolson Avatar
182 months ago
The title of this article seems very unMacrumors-like. Must be written by the new guy.
The title, however, did give me a good chuckle.
You should have seen the first version!

Steve Jobs Killed Black MacBook Air Because Your Greasy Palms Made It Gross

OK, just kidding. But I appreciate y'all bearing with me while I do my best to learn the MacRumors style.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wordoflife Avatar
182 months ago
The title of this article seems very unMacrumors-like. Must be written by the new guy.
The title, however, did give me a good chuckle.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
acslater017 Avatar
182 months ago
i find it hard to believe that apple would hire someone that doesn't know when to use an apostrophe.

everyone else, there is no apostrophe in 'pros' or 'airs' - an apostrophe is used to denote ownership, or in a contraction. this is 4th grade grammar. no excuses.

u shud use Capitol letters
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdimitt Avatar
182 months ago
Darn!

I knew the black macbook air was too good to be true....
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdimitt Avatar
182 months ago
The title is 100% accurate.

Exactly why it was unmacrumours like! :p

For the all haters, that was a joke :D
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iDisk Avatar
182 months ago
I have seen black aluminum PC laptops, surely Apple can pull it off if Sony and Lenovo can.
Sorry but, "black aluminum PC laptops" and Apple don't belong in the same sentence..... Because there is a difference

Steve made the right decision, but I'm glad he realizes that the Black Mac needs to come back.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google recently made waves by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
Apple Glasses Purple Feature

Apple Smart Glasses Launching in 2026

Thursday May 22, 2025 12:22 pm PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a set of smart glasses by the end of 2026, reports Bloomberg. The glasses will be comparable to the Meta Ray-Bans and the Android XR glasses that Google showed off earlier this week. Apple's smart glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and AI capabilities, much like the Meta Ray-Bans. The glasses will be able to take photos, record video, provide...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
WWDC 2025 Banner

Apple Announces WWDC 2025 Schedule, Including Keynote Time

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a more detailed schedule for its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 9 through June 13. The schedule confirms that Apple's keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com, in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube. During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16,...
macOS 16 visionOS Inspired Feature 1

macOS 16: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday May 20, 2025 7:31 am PDT by
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's annual developer and software-oriented event, is less than three weeks away. We haven't heard a great deal about macOS 16 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 9 rolls around. Here's what we know so far about the next major update to Apple's Mac operating system. macOS 16 Name? Every year ...
maxresdefault

OpenAI Buys Jony Ive's AI Startup to 'Completely Reimagine What It Means to Use a Computer'

Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:27 am PDT by
OpenAI is acquiring io, the hardware-based AI startup co-created by Jony Ive, OpenAI announced today. Ive has been working with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on io for two years, and the duo expects to develop a family of AI devices. In a video shared by OpenAI, Altman and Ive outlined their partnership and what they expect to create as a result of the merger. "I have a growing sense that everything ...