Technology & IT | Tuesday 10 March, 2015 1:08 am |

Apple CEO Tim Cook took to the stage on 9 March at the company's Spring Forward Apple Watch event to unveil the latest development in its MacBook line-up, simply named the New MacBook to create an all-new notebook line, rather than MacBook Pro or MacBook Air (those got their own, smaller updates). Here, we bring you everything you need to know about the New MacBook 2015, including its release date, UK price, specs and features.

We are updating this article as Apple unveils the new MacBook. Follow our live blog here.

"Apple has reinvented the notebook with the new MacBook, and at just two pounds and 13.1mm, it's the thinnest and lightest Mac ever," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Every component of the MacBook reveals a new innovation. From its fanless design, ultra-thin Retina display and full-size keyboard that's 34 percent thinner, to its all-new Force Touch trackpad, versatile USB-C port and breakthrough terraced battery design, the new MacBook is the future of the notebook."

New MacBook 2015 release date: When is the new MacBook coming out?
Apple will begin selling the new MacBook from 10 April through Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Store and Apple Authorised Resellers.

New MacBook 2015 price: How much will the new MacBook cost in the UK?
The new MacBook will start at £1,049.

Taking a closer look, you'll find that the 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core M model with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 2.4GHz, 8GB memory, 256GB of flash storage and Intel HD Graphics 5300 starts at £1,049, while the 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core M model with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 2.6GHz, 8GB memory, 512GB of flash and Intel HD Graphics 5300 starts at £1,299.

Prior to Apple's unveiling, it had been predicted that the MacBook Air would come in iPhone-like Gold finish, as well as the usual silver aluminium and Space Grey, and sure enough the all-new MacBook is available in Gold.

It's the thinnest MacBook ever measures just 13.1mm thick, which makes it 24% thinner than the previous thinnest MacBook, the 11in MacBook Air. It also weighs just 2lbs.

This design was achieved using a fanless design, which not only reduces noise but also enabled Apple to make the MacBook so thin and light.

New MacBook 2015 specs: Display

The new MacBook 2015 has a stunning 12in Retina display, at a resolution of 2304x1440 pixels.

It's the thinnest display ever found on a Mac, at just 0.88mm thin.

New MacBook 2015 features: Keyboard & Trackpad
The New MacBook 2015 has an all-new, redesigned keyboard and trackpad.

The new keyboard, which is still full-size, uses a butterfly mechanism rather than the previous scissor mechanism to improve precision and accuracy and allows Apple to make it 40% thinner.

The new trackpad is called the Force Touch Trackpad uses force sensors and a haptic engine, just like the technology used in the Apple Watch. It means that a deeper click can be used to fastforward videos, for example, or force click on an address to launch the Maps app.

It's completely customisable, so you can change the amount of pressure needed to register each click and gesture to suit your preferences.

New MacBook 2015: Ports
Apple has introduced the new USB-C port for the new MacBook, which can be used for data transfer, video out and charging in just one single connector, meaning Apple has been able to significantly reduce the number of ports on the notebook (there are just two!).

New MacBook 2015: Specs
Apple has applied miniaturisation techniques that were used in the iPhone and iPad to make the New MacBook's logic board the most compact logic board ever. In fact, it's a whopping 67% smaller than the logic board found in the 11in MacBook Air.

As mentioned above, the New MacBook 2015 has no moving parts or vents, so it's the first fanless Mac Apple has made. Not only does it help make the MacBook so thin, it also aims to improve efficiency and should make the New MacBook completely silent.

When it comes to processors, the New MacBook has a fifth generation Intel Core M processor, paired with Intel HD Graphics 5300.

As for connectivity, the New MacBook has 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0.

New MacBook 2015 specs: Battery life
Apple claims that the new MacBook has all-day battery life thanks to new battery technologies that allow 35% more battery capacity despite the thinner and lighter design. The display is designed to consume 30% less energy with the same brightness.

Apple's battery life estimates are 9 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 10 hours of iTunes movie playback.

What about the New MacBook Air?
We had originally thought that the MacBook Air would get a Retina update, but it looks like Apple has decided that the New MacBook should be an all-new line of MacBook models, while the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro line-ups remain.

The MacBook Air didn't get completely left out of the event, though. It did get an update, albeit one that Apple skipped over after the announcement of the New MacBook.

The new 11in and 13in MacBook Air models now have fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 2.2GHz, and boast Intel Graphics 6000. The 13in model included new, faster flash storage too.