Apple's 12-Inch Retina MacBook Air Shown in Artist's Renditions - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple's 12-Inch Retina MacBook Air Shown in Artist's Renditions

In a set of artist renditions, 9to5Mac offers a look at Apple's long-rumored 12-inch Retina MacBook Air. The renditions and details shared in the report are consistent with previous reports on the machine, although plans do sometimes change during the development process.

retina_macbook_air_render
As previously described in rumors, the next MacBook Air will have roughly the same footprint as the current 11-inch model, but include a 12-inch display nestled inside narrower bezels. The machine's keyboard will also extend from edge to edge while the speakers move to a set of grilles above the keyboard.

retina_macbook_air_side

Comparison of 12-inch Retina MacBook Air (left) with current 11-inch MacBook Air (right)

As part of Apple's effort to reduce the thickness of the MacBook Air, the new 12-inch model will do away with nearly all of the ports currently found on the machine, including the usual USB and MagSafe ports. Instead, the machine's sides will include only a headphone jack, a pair of microphones, and a USB Type-C port that appears set to handle both connectivity and charging.

Apple's new Retina MacBook Air is expected to run on new Broadwell Core M to allow for the thin, fanless design and perhaps come in multiple color options similar to the company's iPhone and iPad lineups. The machine has been rumored to be entering production as soon as this month, although it is unclear whether Apple may wait until its Worldwide Developers Conference in June to launch the device or introduce it earlier in the year.

Related Forum: MacBook Neo

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...
iOS 26

Apple Says iOS 26.5 Adds Three New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday May 5, 2026 7:36 am PDT by
iOS 26.5 includes three new features for iPhones, according to Apple's release notes for the update, which is expected to be released next week. As discovered during beta testing, iOS 26.5 enables end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging between iOS and Android devices. Apple says this security upgrade is limited to supported carriers around the world and will continue to roll out....
Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...

Top Rated Comments

148 months ago
really don't get removing so many ports...
Score: 70 Votes (Like | Disagree)
148 months ago
Because 11 is just too small, and 13 is absolutely enormous. :rolleyes:
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
148 months ago
magical thinner battery life!
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
148 months ago
So it will only have one port, and that port will be used for charging. So basically, you can either charge, or you can use USB.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adcx64 Avatar
148 months ago
Buying dongles for peripherals will be the downfall of this machine
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
148 months ago
LOL, anyone remember this?



And yeah, i bloody hate these "artists renditions"...
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)