The shots were published on Chinese Apple fan site iFanr and claim to show the rear casing and logo of a mid-sized Apple notebook.

Apple’s current Air and Pro notebooks are available with 11-inch, 13-inch and 15-inch displays.

The reports of a mid-sized MacBook Air originated at the start of January from 9to5Mac.

The fan site said Apple is preparing to launch a ‘radically new design’, in 2015 that ditches USB ports and SD cards to make it super thin, with a higher-resolution screen. 

These reports came from sources within Apple who had been given prototypes to use.

Now, the leaked photos have provided more evidence of this streamlined design.

They show the rear of the notebook and display, and reveal how it compares with existing Apple products including the iPad and the 13-inch MacBook Air.

The source of the images has not been revealed, so they can’t be verified.

In the UK, an 11-inch MacBook Air costs from £749, a 13-inch is £849 and prices for a 13-inch MacBook Pro start at £899.

There is also a 13-inch, and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display with prices starting from £999 and £1,599 respectively.

In the US, prices range from $899 for the smaller MacBook Air up to $1,799 for the high-end MacBook Pro with Retina display.

Apple may be looking to introduce a new price point for its notebooks range by launching a 12-inch model, or it could be planning to remove the 11-inch version from the range completely.

Rumours also claim Apple is working on a 12.2-inch iPad, dubbed iPad Pro or iPad Air Plus.

Earlier this month, an image was leaked that appeared to be a mould for the device.

The photo was reportedly taken at Apple manufacturer Foxconn's factory in China and is said to measure approximately 12 inches high by 8.7 inches wide.

It followed a leaked sketch that claimed to show one corner of the so-called megapad.

Other rumours suggest the tablet could have a 12.9-inch screen. 

(dailymail.co.uk)