Apple’s New 12-Inch MacBook And MacBook Air Updates Coming Soon: Report

Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to release new Macbook notebooks soon, with a slimmed-down 12-inch form-factor that eliminates the need for certain hardware, according to a new report from a Chinese website.

A forum post on China’s Weiphone.com (Google translation) on Friday revealed many details about Apple’s plans for its next-generation MacBook. According to author of the post, the upcoming MacBook models could feature a 12-inch screen, while lacking the fan assembly that is found in Apple’s iOS device lineup.

The new MacBook models could also feature a multitouch trackpad, which may not come with the usual mechanical button, in favor of a new user input solution. According to AppleInsider, the company could put a recently granted patent into practice, replacing the click button assembly with force and optical sensors.

MacRumors, which first reported the rumors, spelled out the details:

1. MacBook Air updates are coming soon; MacBook Pro updates won't occur until September.

2. He discusses a new 12-inch notebook without fan assembly. It comes with a new trackpad design that doesn't include the mechanical button, as it does on current MacBooks.

3. An Apple watch device does exist but is still in the prototype stage, so its announcement won't come anytime soon.

In October last year, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said in a report that Apple could introduce a 12-inch, slim MacBook with a Retina display later in 2014. Here is what Kuo said about the redesigned MacBook:

We expect the unprecedented 12” model will boast both the portability of the 11” model and productivity of the 13” model. The high-resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro. The offering will likely be lighter and slimmer than the existing MacBook Air to further highlight ease of portability in the cloud-computing era. We think the form factor will showcase a much-improved clamshell structure, and that it will redefine laptop computing once again following the milestone created by the MacBook Air.

In addition to the MacBook update, the forum post said that Apple is also working on the much-rumored smart watch, dubbed the iWatch. However, the device is still in the prototype stage and is not likely to be released anytime soon.