Apple’s 12-Inch MacBook Refresh May Come Sooner Than Expected

There has been a lot of speculation that the new version of the 12-inch MacBook would be released around summertime. However, according to Mac Rumors, the MacBook refresh may come sooner than people had expected.

“Electronics retailer Best Buy has quietly removed all 12-inch MacBook models from its U.S. online store this week, fueling anticipation that Apple will refresh the ultra-thin notebook lineup in the near future. The authorized reseller now lists all 12-inch MacBook models as ‘no longer available’ on its website, whereas they were previously available for purchase or in-store pickup as recently as this weekend.”

Mac Rumors adds that last month, there was a reference to an early 2016 Retina MacBook that was discovered within OS X’s System Image Utility application.

New 12-inch MacBook has not been unveiled by Apple, but has been confirmed. @macrumors reports… https://t.co/8Hlhjv7eVk

— Gadgetology (@itsgadgetology) April 18, 2016

Commenters after the article express what they want to see in the new MacBook model.

“Please either give it either a reduced price or increase the specs on the new model. I don’t get the $1300 price tag; just buy a MacBook Pro for that price!” says Chrismail627.

“Better processor, battery life, keyboard (doubtful), addition of one more USB-C port… Of course none of these are going to happen, but a man can dream,” adds Kevinkyoo.

The first 12-inch Retina MacBook arrived in March of 2015 to mixed reviews. However, Business Insider noted how the MacBook may seem disappointing but is really the laptop of the future.

“But the real story with the new MacBook is we’re getting a taste of what the future of computers will look like. External drives won’t matter as we store more stuff in cloud services like Dropbox. Zippy processors won’t matter as we do more and more tasks in a web browser instead of desktop apps.”

The article added that the MacBook is a similar vision to what Google has for desktop computing, which continues to gain in popularity. They summarize their article by saying that the new MacBook may not presently seem ideal, but it will soon be all that people need.

Mashable also described the device as the “future of laptops.”

“Apple’s newest laptop is impossibly thin, incredibly light and has a screen that’s to die for. Oh yeah, it also comes in gold. Yes, there are compromises — and no, this is not the notebook for every user. But make no mistake, the new MacBook represents the new direction for laptops,” claimed author Christina Warren.

However, the Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern wasn’t impressed.

“I expect the new MacBook to follow the same path as the Air. Over the next few years, it will improve, and become an affordable, indispensable tool for life in the future. But here, now, in the present day, there are more practical slim, everyday laptop choices.”

At the time, Stern added that the best all-around option for Mac users was the MacBook Pro Retina 13, while the Dell XPS 13 was the best for PC users. Perhaps the new update will include a faster processor since many people who purchased 2015’s MacBook claim that the device is just too slow. What would you like to see in the new 12-inch Retina MacBook? Let us know in the comments section.

[Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty Images]