Apple launches new 12" MacBooks with Intel Skylake CPUs, rose gold color & longer battery life

AppleInsider · April 19, 2016 12:38PM

Apple on Tuesday refreshed its 12-inch MacBook with Retina display, giving the thin-and-light notebook Intel's latest-generation Skylake chips, as well as improved graphics, faster flash storage, and an extra hour of battery life.

The new MacBook also comes in a rose gold color option, mimicking Apple's iPhone and iPad product lineups. Like the first-generation MacBook, the ultraportable notebook has a 12-inch Retina display, full-size keyboard, Force Touch trackpad, and a single USB-C port for charging and syncing, all packed into a 2-pound frame that is just 13.1 millimeters thin.

The base configuration with a 1.1-gigahertz dual-core Intel Core m3 processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of flash storage starts at $1,299. The new MacBooks are available to purchase starting today through Apple's website, and will be available to order at Apple Authorized Resellers and Apple's own retail stores beginning Wednesday.

The new sixth-generation dual-core Intel Core M processors found in the MacBook run at clock speeds up to 1.3 gigahertz, with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 gigahertz. The revamped notebooks also feature faster 1866 megahertz memory.

With Intel HD Graphics 515, the MacBook has up to 25 percent faster graphics performance. Speed has also been improved with new, faster PCIe-based flash storage.

With all the enhancements, Apple has also improved battery life, with the company claiming the MacBook offers up to 10 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 11 hours of iTunes movie playback.

"MacBook is the thinnest and lightest Mac we have ever made and it's our vision for the future of the notebook," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Customers are going to love this update to MacBook, with the latest processors, faster graphics, faster flash storage, longer battery life and a beautiful rose gold finish."

AppleInsider was first to report on Monday that Best Buy had halted sales of the first-generation 12-inch MacBook. A refresh for the MacBook Pro is also expected to arrive in the near future. The MacBook Air was given a bump to 8 gigabytes of RAM in a minor refresh on Tuesday.

Like its predecessor, the 2016 MacBook features a single USB-C port for charging, data transfer and video output. It's a reversible connector that is one-third the size of a traditional USB port.

The MacBook also lacks moving parts or vents, giving it a fanless design that runs silently. It also features 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.

As with all new Macs, the MacBook ships with OS X El Capitan, the latest version of Apple's Mac operating system. Apple-built apps like iMovie, Garageband, and the iWork productivity suite are also included at no extra charge.

rogifan_new · April 19, 2016 12:54PM

Totally expected. Though I'm sure some will complain because Apple didn't redesign it into a retina MacBook Air.

josu · April 19, 2016 1:03PM

So last week rumor wasn't about this MacBooks, Ok, Ok, it was from Digitimes...

pmz · April 19, 2016 1:19PM

This is Apple's idea of improving their MacBook line and being more competitive: Offer a pink one.

This product is beautiful, but ridiculously overpriced for what it is. Such a shame.

howardmarxb · April 19, 2016 1:19PM

Why didn't Apple upgrade the camera? It is still the 480p camera of 8 years ago!

Silico · April 19, 2016 1:25PM

After 1 year I still love my 2015 12" retina Macbook. I've always felt as if Jony Ive and I sat down and he designed this laptop just for me. Although the processor is slower, I have never noticed a difference from my previous Macbook Pro for the type of work I do - web-based business programs and Office. Only issue has been battery life - I typically get a max of only 6 hrs - so the battery upgrade is welcome. I'd recommend this to computer to anyone who wants a lightweight, fun to use laptop and doesn't need more processing power.

tjskywasher · April 19, 2016 1:25PM

howardmarxb said:

Why didn't Apple upgrade the camera? It is still the 480p camera of 8 years ago!

Because there isn't a 720P camera that's thin enough to fit into the MacBook display. If you can manufacture one then Apple will buy every single one that you can make.

jdw · April 19, 2016 1:27PM

480p camera = Light years ahead.

Oh wait... It's actually:

Light. Years Ahead.

Clever, Apple. Very clever.

I waited a year for gen-2 and they still insult my intelligence with a horrific camera of epic proportions. I just sent Apple my displeasure. Perhaps you should as well:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbook.html

And don't give us the "there isn't a 720p camera that's thin enough" cop out. Making excuses for Apple only says "I'm as smart as Apple." Which isn't very smart at all since neither you nor Apple can fit good tech in a thin chassis. I say DO A STEVE JOBS. When stupid engineers tell me it can't be done, I say, DO IT ANYWAY. Where there's a will, there's a way. There's always a way. No excuses for stupid 480p tech. None. Zero. Nada.

pmz · April 19, 2016 1:34PM

jdw said:

And don't give us the "there isn't a 720p camera that's thin enough" cop out. Making excuses for Apple only says "I'm as smart as Apple." Which isn't very smart at all since neither you nor Apple can fit good tech in a thin chassis. I say DO A STEVE JOBS. When stupid engineers tell me it can't be done, I say, DO IT ANYWAY. Where there's a will, there's a way. There's always a way. No excuses for stupid 480p tech. None. Zero. Nada.

But there is an excuse, and its not a technical one. Its called saving money on the components, engineering, and R&D, and driving the margin up.

Herbivore2 · April 19, 2016 1:44PM

Yawn. Apple will be coming out with the A10/A10X CPU in less than 6 months. Those CPUs will offer better overall performance including much better GPU performance and far better battery life.

The iPad Pro also has better sound, and better software offerings.

Not interested in the MacBook and frankly, I have virtually no interest in any of Apple's computers with Intel CPUs. In another generation, Apple's CPUs are going to seriously outperform anything Intel has for a portable form factor. And Apple's mobile machines will come with better cameras, OLED panels, etc.

rogifan_new · April 19, 2016 1:44PM

pmz said:

This is Apple's idea of improving their MacBook line and being more competitive: Offer a pink one.

This product is beautiful, but ridiculously overpriced for what it is. Such a shame.

This isn't a must have like an iPhone so if the price wasn't reduced that says to me it's meeting Apple's sales expectations or close enough that they don't feel it necessary to reduce the price yet.

wood1208 · April 19, 2016 1:45PM

Possibly Apple can now combine Macbook and Macbook Air as one offer to keep lighter,thinner,ultra-portable laptop in sizes 11".12",13.3". and than for heavy duty work Macbook pro faster,powerful in 13.3" and 15". When Apple introduced Macbook, I was surprised to figure what user segment it intent to serve ? Now, looks like slowly dropping Air and replacing with Macbook and possible adding more sizes(11",13.3",15"). But, Apple could have kept Air and just added 12" in between 11" and 13.3" Air. But, what do I know ?.

isteelers · April 19, 2016 1:51PM

I still love the design of the MacBook. That space gray color is very nice. Not a rose gold person but hey, if it makes some people happy that's cool. I wouldn't expect a major redesign with more ports this early in the life cycle and am not sure about the camera, but I'm sure Apple has a reason for going with a the low resolution camera, and it's not about Apple trying to fleece their customers. I still think this and the Air will eventually merge into one product line once the CPU cooling can be improved. It would have been nice to have a retina on the Air with minimal bezels.

rogifan_new · April 19, 2016 1:53PM

pmz said:

jdw said:

And don't give us the "there isn't a 720p camera that's thin enough" cop out. Making excuses for Apple only says "I'm as smart as Apple." Which isn't very smart at all since neither you nor Apple can fit good tech in a thin chassis. I say DO A STEVE JOBS. When stupid engineers tell me it can't be done, I say, DO IT ANYWAY. Where there's a will, there's a way. There's always a way. No excuses for stupid 480p tech. None. Zero. Nada.

But there is an excuse, and its not a technical one. Its called saving money on the components, engineering, and R&D, and driving the margin up.

MBA is cheaper than rMB and has FaceTime HD camera.

pmz · April 19, 2016 1:53PM

rogifan_new said:

pmz said:

This is Apple's idea of improving their MacBook line and being more competitive: Offer a pink one.

This product is beautiful, but ridiculously overpriced for what it is. Such a shame.

This isn't a must have like an iPhone so if the price wasn't reduced that says to me it's meeting Apple's sales expectations or close enough that they don't feel it necessary to reduce the price yet.

I have no doubt that you're correct. The problem is that their sales expectations are obviously extremely low. They don't care about blowing the doors off with a MacBook. They care about having the nicest looking thing on the block. To Apple, its a big deal that they just added a pink one.

The MacBook is one of the remaining examples where Apple treats it more like a luxury item than a competitive computer, and they price it accordingly. This computer should reasonably start at $999, and go up to $1299, but it doesn't...because Apple needs to price gouge to make it feel more special.

wood1208 · April 19, 2016 1:53PM

jdw said:

480p camera = Light years ahead.

Oh wait... It's actually:

Light. Years Ahead.

Clever, Apple. Very clever.

I waited a year for gen-2 and they still insult my intelligence with a horrific camera of epic proportions. I just sent Apple my displeasure. Perhaps you should as well:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbook.html

And don't give us the "there isn't a 720p camera that's thin enough" cop out. Making excuses for Apple only says "I'm as smart as Apple." Which isn't very smart at all since neither you nor Apple can fit good tech in a thin chassis. I say DO A STEVE JOBS. When stupid engineers tell me it can't be done, I say, DO IT ANYWAY. Where there's a will, there's a way. There's always a way. No excuses for stupid 480p tech. None. Zero. Nada.

Why we fight to have better front camera on laptop ? Better back camera on iphone or ipad is desirable because it is meant to take good pictures of many things. For, front video chat camera, I rather have less pixel camera that not let me see other people's expressions/issues(pores,cut,bruises,not clean etc) on face and nor to show mine. Front camera is just a face representation on both side for mainly audio conversation. .

pmz · April 19, 2016 1:54PM

wood1208 said:

Possibly Apple can now combine Macbook and Macbook Air

Possibly now? If there is one thing to take away from today's updates, its that Apple is not even remotely close to doing anything of that sort.

rogifan_new · April 19, 2016 2:01PM

pmz said:

rogifan_new said:

This isn't a must have like an iPhone so if the price wasn't reduced that says to me it's meeting Apple's sales expectations or close enough that they don't feel it necessary to reduce the price yet.

I have no doubt that you're correct. The problem is that their sales expectations are obviously extremely low. They don't care about blowing the doors off with a MacBook. They care about having the nicest looking thing on the block. To Apple, its a big deal that they just added a pink one.

The MacBook is one of the remaining examples where Apple treats it more like a luxury item than a competitive computer, and they price it accordingly. This computer should reasonably start at $999, and go up to $1299, but it doesn't...because Apple needs to price gouge to make it feel more special.

I think 16GB iOS devices and charging $100 more for increases is more gouging than this laptop. Unfortunately people treat this as if it's the only laptop Apple sells and throw temper tantrums because it doesn't include all the specs they want at the right price for them.

rogifan_new · April 19, 2016 2:04PM

pmz said:

wood1208 said:

Possibly Apple can now combine Macbook and Macbook Air

Possibly now? If there is one thing to take away from today's updates, its that Apple is not even remotely close to doing anything of that sort.

Apple was never combining the rMB and MBA. The rMBP is going to become the rMBA everyone wanted.

rogifan_new · April 19, 2016 2:10PM

One other thing....the WWDC keynote is being held at Bill Graham auditorium not Moscone. That seems like a pretty big hint that new hardware will be announced at WWDC. No need to move the keynote to a bigger space if the only announcements are OS updates. The press mostly cares about new hardware.

linkman · April 19, 2016 2:15PM

wood1208 said:

jdw said:

480p camera = Light years ahead.

Oh wait... It's actually:

Light. Years Ahead.

Clever, Apple. Very clever.

I waited a year for gen-2 and they still insult my intelligence with a horrific camera of epic proportions. I just sent Apple my displeasure. Perhaps you should as well:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbook.html

And don't give us the "there isn't a 720p camera that's thin enough" cop out. Making excuses for Apple only says "I'm as smart as Apple." Which isn't very smart at all since neither you nor Apple can fit good tech in a thin chassis. I say DO A STEVE JOBS. When stupid engineers tell me it can't be done, I say, DO IT ANYWAY. Where there's a will, there's a way. There's always a way. No excuses for stupid 480p tech. None. Zero. Nada.

Why we fight to have better front camera on laptop ? Better back camera on iphone or ipad is desirable because it is meant to take good pictures of many things. For, front video chat camera, I rather have less pixel camera that not let me see other people's expressions/issues(pores,cut,bruises,not clean etc) on face and nor to show mine. Front camera is just a face representation on both side for mainly audio conversation. .

Exactly! A front-facing camera on a laptop is useful for what? Selfies and chat? Capturing images of anything else than yourself ends up being an awkward contortion. 99% of you already have a really good camera that can do the same thing AND is ergonomically better for photos and video -- your cell phone.

Apple launches new 12" MacBooks with Intel Skylake CPUs, rose gold color & longer battery life

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