Apple has apparently been working on a radical redesign for its next-generation MacBook Air and if the changes are as expected, this could be the next big leap in the MacBook series since the 2012 Retina MacBook Pro.

According to report from the typically reliable 9to5Mac, Apple's next Macbook Air will round out at 12 inches and do away with many of the ports traditionally found on Apple's laptops. While Apple has not confirmed anything, 9to5Mac claims its information comes from Apple insiders who have had hands-on experience with internal prototypes.

For starters, the 12-inch MacBook Air will be significantly smaller than the current 13-inch model. However, the laptop will also only be a quarter-inch taller than the 11-inch version, and Apple plans on accommodating the larger screen by reducing the bezels on all sides. The new MacBook Air will also be quarter-inch narrower than the 11-inch Air.

So how is Apple going about to achieve all of this space saving? The keyboard will now sit edge to edge (once again, doing away with the outside bezel space) and the keys have been redesigned to sit closer to each other. Functional keys at the top have also been relocated/reassigned and the trackpad won't have any physical feedback (that "click"). All of these measures, apparently allow Apple to slim down the laptop and Apple employees apparently refer to the new MacBook Air as the "MacBook Stealth."

The biggest change, however, could be the elimination of usual ports such as standard USB, SD card slot, and even the company's own Thunderbolt. Instead, the new MacBook Air is said to sport a headphone jack and two microphones (one for input and the other for noise-canceling) on the right side and a single USB Type-C port on the left. That's it.

The USB Type-C port will potentially make up for all the lost ports while eating up far less space on the inside. The connector can charge the laptop, drive displays, and is smaller and faster than USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. As The Verge says it in its headline, "The next version of USB is the key to Apple's new MacBook."

Of course, having only one port brings up the issue of connectivity, so expect Apple to release an accessory hub so that users can plug in multiple devices without having to constantly switch them out.

There is no release date for the next-gen MacBook Air, although 9to5Mac has it pegged around mid-2015. When it does come out, however, it could be the most inexpensive, accessible Apple MacBook to date.

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