Previous leaks indicated Apple’s intention to launch a smaller, lower-priced laptop alongside the MacBook Air, which is now confirmed by TrendForce analysts, as they expect the launch of this economical version during the spring of 2026.
Analysts revealed a new detail regarding the specifications, as the device will come with a 12.9-inch screen, which makes it slightly smaller than the 13-inch MacBook Air, which has a 13.6-inch screen.
With the thin bezels, the device’s width is expected to be close to the width of a traditional laptop keyboard, a design that Apple previously introduced with the 12-inch MacBook in 2015.
That older model was attractive to mobile users thanks to its light weight of about 2 pounds and a 39.7 watt-hour battery, but its performance was negatively affected by its reliance on relatively slow dual-core Intel Core M processors.
The new model is expected to address this problem, as Apple may rely on the Apple A18 Pro processor previously used in the iPhone 16 Pro. According to Geekbench 6 tests, this processor is more than four times better than the Intel Core i5-7Y54 processor found in the latest 12-inch MacBook in 2017, and its multi-core performance is close to that of the Apple M1 processor.
TrendForce believes that the launch of the 12.9-inch MacBook may help Apple enhance its market share, especially at a time when laptop prices are expected to rise by more than 20% as a result of the severe shortage of DRAM memory chips.
