Apple debunks 60 minutes leaked 12 inch MacBook Retina
During the 60 Minutes Special Inside Apple, aired on December 21st and hosted by Charlie Rose, some viewers caught a glimpse of what they believed to be either an unreleased concept 2016 12 inch MacBook, or a concept for an ultrathin MacBook Pro.
The device appears right behind the shoulder of Apple’s general counsel Bruce Sewell. Apple has issued a statement to Tech Insider, debunking the speculations. The spokesperson contacting Tech Insider has also mentioned that the laptop featured in the 60 minutes special is in fact the 12 inch MacBook Retina released on April 10 2015, and not a next generation concept.
The special gave viewers a closer look at Apple’s secret design studio, camera lab, and the future Apple store to be built within Apple Campus 2. While taking Rose through a tour of the design lab, Jony Ive has made sure to cover some of the tables with cloth. By this token, the chances of Apple showing a next generation 12 inch MacBook in display, during an interview with a number of Apple executives would have been extremely unlikely.
The rumor mill is still at work
Almost 9 months ahead of the launch of the iPhone 7, yet another “leak” has surfaced, this time originating from French website Nowherelse.fr, which portraits what seems to be a device held by a Foxconn employee.
The handset features no home button, and a number of Apple-like markings on the back. It also looks suspiciously similar to an HTC One M9
It’s highly unlikely of Apple to show a glimpse of a product that is still potentially in a design stage, and it’s especially unlikely that Apple would provide design specs to its manufacturing plants, 9 months before launch.
Aside from the suspicious legal markings and logo at the back of the unit, the handset is also noticeably thicker than the iPhone 6S.
While it’s true that Foxconn, and other manufacturers have been the source of genuine leaks in the past, such as the rear case for the iPhone 6, leaking a complete, or near-complete design, is very unlikely, and in this case especially, most definitely far-fetched.