Apple working on 12-inch MacBook, cheaper iMac for 2014: Report

Apple could be working on a slew of new products including a brand new 12-inch MacBook with a Retina display, if analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities is to be believed.

Kuo, who's had a decent record when it comes to Apple related predictions, has mentioned some new products and upgrades in a new research note. The development was first reported by 9to5Mac.

According to the research note, Apple will release a 12-inch MacBook with a Retina display, a new iPad with an even better resolution, and a budget iMac desktop computer, all in the year 2014.

Kuo predicts that the Cupertino giant will unveil a new smaller MacBook with an entirely new design in second or third quarter of 2014. The laptop will feature a high-resolution (Retina) 12-inch screen but would be as portable as the 11-inch MacBook Air and offer the same level of productivity as the 13-inch MacBook Air. The alleged MacBook will "redefine laptop computing," as per the analyst, mentioning that it would be thinner and lighter than the MacBook Air and feature a new clamshell structure. He also adds that the laptop will be powered by an Intel chip and will cost less than current Apple notebooks.

Kuo has also predicted that Apple could ship a lower-cost iMac desktop in Q2 or Q3 2014, as the current iMac sales were below expectations. He expects the desktop to take on Windows powered desktops and boost iMac sales by 10 percent to 20 percent.

He also forecasts a new sixth-generation full sized (9.7-inch) iPad featuring a more pixels-per-inch, with a resolution 30 to 40 percent higher than the current generation iPad. He adds that the third-generation iPad mini would feature a 2048x1536pixels Retina display currently seen in the full-sized iPad.

As usual, there's no official word on this from Apple, but just like other technology companies, even Apple has to keep on reinventing its products to capture the consumer market's attention (and share). Also, if the prediction about the new lower-cost Macs turns out to be true, the fruity company might be able to make its presence felt in the PC market at a big level, since it would be able to target a wider consumer base.