Q: I just bought a new 13" Macbook Pro. Why is it mid 2012 model?

You can check the MacBook Pro models by going to the Knowledge Base articleHow to identify MacBook Pro models but the question does come up of where did you buy the Pro?  If not Apple then there is no guarantee of the latest iteration.  Depending on the Apple source, if you bought from Apple, it may have been what was in stock.  If you bought from Apple and are not satisfied with the date of build, you have 14-days after purchase to return for full refund.

If it is this non-retina model, it was introduced in June of 2012 and still is available as a new MBP:

You may verify this by accessing the Apple online store web site.

Ciao.

To clarify, it's because there hasn't been any new model released since June of 2012. The MacBook Pro with Retina display is treated separately; Apple hasn't updated the non-Retina display model in a while.

If your new MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) is the model without Retina display,

you likely have the correct model information per the mid-2012 designator; since

the model is still in production. The Retina models have seen update or refresh

since mid-2012, and so have a different build date; but not non-Retina model that

has an optical drive. Since the non-retina MB/Pro 13" has an optical drive, the

media on DVD includes an earlier OS X version, & software, plus hardware test.

•Some of general specs MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) are as follows:

Introduced    June 2012

Discontinued    --

Model Identifier    MacBookPro9,2

Model Number    A1278

EMC    2554

Order Number    MD101LL/A (2.5 GHz), MD102LL/A (2.9 GHz)

Processor    Intel Core i5 or Core i7 (3210M, 3520M) ("Ivy Bridge")

Processor Speed    2.5 GHz (Core i5) or 2.9 GHz (Core i7)

Architecture    64-bit

Number of Cores    2

Cache    3 MB (2.5 GHz) 4 MB (2.9 GHz) L3

System Bus    Intel Direct Media Interface (DMI) at 5 GT/s

Storage    500 GB, 750 GB, or 1 TB (5400-rpm SATA) or 128, 256, or 512 GB (SSD)

Media    Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Original OS    Mac OS X 10.7.4 (11E2617)

Maximum OS    Latest release of OS X

AirDrop    Supported

Hardware Test    AHT 3A237

Bundled Software    iLife '11 (includes iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand

Built-in Memory    None

Maximum Memory    16 GB (Actual) 8 GB (Apple)

Memory Slots    2 - 204-pin PC3-12800 (1600 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM

Graphics Card    Intel HD Graphics 4000

Graphics Memory    Up to 768 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory

Display Connection    Thunderbolt digital video output

Display Support    Support for up to two Thunderbolt displays

Display Modes    Dual display extended, video mirroring, and AirPlay Mirroring

External Resolution    Up to 2560 by 1600 pixels

Camera    720p FaceTime HD camera

Slots    1 - Secure Digital (SDXC)

Bays    None

Hard Drive Interface    6.0 Gbps Serial ATA (SATA)

Optical Drive Interface    6.0 Gbps Serial ATA (SATA)

{info & spec courtesy of http://mactracker.ca free database app}

You could check http://everymac.com for other product specs and also look

into the MacBook/Pro Apple Store online product page to match spec info.

Looks like you did get the correct model for the year, check model identifier

and series build info against other databases. Apple has additional info.

If instead, you intended to get a Retina MB/Pro model, then you may have an issue.

Good luck & happy computing!

You have 14 days from the date of purchase to return it if you are not happy with it.