Apple's 15" Ultra-Thin Notebook Due in March 2012

mbathin
MacBook Air

Digitimes is reporting that small numbers of components for a 15" ultra-thin notebook from Apple will start shipping this month with mass shipments of the notebook beginning in March.

Upstream suppliers of Apple have recently started shipping a small volume of components for a 15-inch ultra-thin notebook model from Apple in November and the device could be either MacBook Air or just a thinner MacBook Pro. The new MacBook is expected to appear as early as the second quarter of 2012, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

Digitimes is unclear if the parts are intended for a 15" MacBook Air or a thinner 15" MacBook Pro. In July, we reported that Apple was finishing up work on a new ultrathin 15" notebook, and at the end of October, it was rumored that new machine was nearing production.

It seems likely that a thin 15" MacBook would use a SSD rather than HDD, similar to current MacBook Air models, and would forego an optical drive. The MacBook Pro line was refreshed earlier this fall with minor processor, graphics and storage upgrades.

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

Apple Changes How You Order a Mac

Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...

Top Rated Comments

GLS Avatar
186 months ago
Umm..no thanks. Id take windows 8 reasonably priced laptop over this garbage. Tim Cook, you are the beginning of the end! Watch out for Wild Bill. I cant wait to see windows 8 own this, completely. This will be I bet 2 grand! Rip apple, 2k7-2k11

Meth does a body good.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
komodrone Avatar
186 months ago
Liquid metal baby
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PCClone Avatar
186 months ago
Umm..no thanks. Id take windows 8 reasonably priced laptop over this garbage. Tim Cook, you are the beginning of the end! Watch out for Wild Bill. I cant wait to see windows 8 own this, completely. This will be I bet 2 grand! Rip apple, 2k7-2k11

I see Momma let the troll out of the basement...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jca24 Avatar
186 months ago
Umm..no thanks. Id take windows 8 reasonably priced laptop over this garbage. Tim Cook, you are the beginning of the end! Watch out for Wild Bill. I cant wait to see windows 8 own this, completely. This will be I bet 2 grand! Rip apple, 2k7-2k11

Ok, you use a winblows pc that doesn't work and we will use Macs that do!

:apple:
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dreamer2go Avatar
186 months ago
MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will be merging. We'll have 11", 13", 15" ... 17" is questionable. I could be wrong, but would be surprised if I was. If the MacBook Pro loses the optical drive and becomes thinner, I don't see enough differentiation between it and the Air. I see Apple calling the new product simply MacBook or another name all-together with a new design taking cues from the Air.

I don't think Air and Pro will be merging.
That's coz both categories targets 2 different types of market.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B Gallagher Avatar
186 months ago
Since SSD prices are still very high, and Apple is aware that pros want high storage capacity (500-750 GB), why not use a HDD/(blade) SSD combo, as they do in the iMac and Mac mini? Seems like the best of both worlds to me.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)