MacBook 2018: what we want to see

Apple’s 12-inch MacBook has enjoyed a steady three years of continuous support and sizable upgrades, but there’s plenty of room for an even more improved MacBook for 2018.

 Luckily, we’re already seeing signs of just such a product gracing our digital shopping carts (or baskets), with reports that Apple plans to release at least three new Macs with its custom co-processors for 2018. Better yet, it’s been reported that Apple is still on track to get iOS apps working on macOS before the next release of its operating systems.

The possibilities of a MacBook 2018 get even more exciting by the prospect of a brand-new, 13-inch MacBook rumored to release this year in place of the MacBook Air.

So, what do we know at this point about a potential 2018 MacBook, and what new features do we hope it will have in store? We can’t say that we have any official information, but we can make some educated guesses based on releases in the past and what we’ve heard so far. Plus, we can list what we want to see if a new MacBook 2018 does see a release.

Make sure you bookmark this page to get all of the latest news and rumors about the MacBook Pro 2018 model as they come in.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Apple’s thinnest 2018 laptop
• When is it out? April 2018 at the earliest?
• What will it cost? Hopefully as much as current models

MacBook 2018 release date

None of the most recent reports, rumors or leaks give any lead as to when we’ll see the 2018 MacBook. Of course, we’ll gladly speculate based on the previous three releases of Apple’s 12-inch laptop.

In 2015, Apple released the first MacBook during April, directly following a March keynote. That’s a largely odd time for Apple to release a device, but it’s happened before.

It’s highly unlikely for the MacBook price to budge in either direction.

Apple followed suit in 2016 with an April release, but not to the same fanfare as the debut. The most recent MacBook release occurred in June 2017, almost immediately following Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event and alongside the MacBook Pro.

So, this leaves us with two (and a half) distinct possibilities for a 2018 MacBook release. First, Apple could hold another March keynote this year and debut the device there for another April release. Second, the 12-inch MacBook could be under a veil until WWDC 2018 for a June release. And, finally, Apple could release the thing in April with nary a press release – hey, it’s been done before.

Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess as to when we’ll see the 2018 MacBook. We’ll look out for new rumors and update this article as soon as the MacBook 2018 release date begins to grow clearer.

MacBook 2018 price

Again, nothing about the most recent reports and leaks regarding a 2018 MacBook discuss the possible price of the laptop. These types of rumors or leaks usually don’t pop up until we get closer to an actual release, so it makes sense.

This is another area where we’ll have to speculate based on the current MacBook pricing. The entry-level MacBook runs you $1,299, £1,249 or AU$1,899 to start. Only one other model, with more power and storage, goes for another 300 to 450 bills on top of that.

We’re also anticipating Apple to release a brand new, 13-inch MacBook this year.

With the pricing so tight here, amounting to minute differences in hardware between offerings, it’s highly unlikely for the MacBook price to budge in either direction. That is short of Apple introducing more capacious storage or higher power options, which will send the price in only one direction: up.

For the MacBook price to come down, something somewhere would have to give – whether that’s storage coming down to 128GB to start rather than 256GB or starting memory dropping to 4GB from 8GB is entirely up to Apple. Again, we find this scenario to be highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

We’ll look out for new rumors and update this article as soon as the MacBook 2018 price begins to crop up as we inch closer.

What we want to see in MacBook 2018

All of this uncertainty surrounding a possible MacBook 2018 release is fertile ground for a well-crafted wishlist.

So, here’s what we hope to see Apple improve about the MacBook for 2018.

More ports, please

Our biggest bugbear with the 12-inch MacBook, since its launch, has been the incredibly sore lack of ports on the laptop. Still equipped with nothing but a lone Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port and a headphone jack, this absolutely needs to change in the next version. Just one more?

We’ve already seen Windows laptops accomplish this feat, like the Huawei MateBook X with its two USB-C ports. Perhaps there’s room for a microSD card reader in there, too.

Punchier processors

Costing what it does, Apple really needs to inject some more power into its 12-inch MacBooks. With the onset of Intel processors with AMD graphics onboard, this is the perfect opportunity for the 12-inch MacBook to get a power boost that wouldn’t impact battery life.

How, you ask? Well, we immediately look to these new Intel processors with AMD Vega, discrete-grade graphics on board that are already finding their way to new laptops this year. Such an upgrade would put the MacBook into an entirely new echelon of premium stature.

Stronger audio and video

Speaker performance and webcam quality are two corners that Apple obviously cut through in crafting the MacBook. With the MacBook 2018, this needs to stop. Tinny speakers and a sub-HD webcam for a laptop this expensive simply isn’t acceptable.

Simply bump the webcam up to 1080p FaceTime HD befitting of its price tag, and problem solved. The speakers, however, is a problem we don’t necessarily have a solution for. Supporting the speakers with down-throwing bass modules in the base might work?

iOS apps on MacBook

Now that it’s been talked about for so long, the idea of iOS apps on macOS has grown on us. We’re excited by the prospect of continuing work from our phones straight away on our laptops – or polishing off that top score upon sitting down at the desk.

However, Apple needs to nail how this is going to happen if a MacBook with a touchscreen remains unlikely. Will the mouse simply stand in for our fingers, or does Apple have something clever up its sleeve?

• These are the best Macs that 2018 has to offer so far

posted by Campus94