15-Inch MacBook Air Demand Reportedly 'Weaker Than Expected' So Far

[El Szomorito]

It wasn’t possible for them to charge that markup in the past because users could upgrade the storage and RAM themselves

Now that it’s soldered in, they have us over a barrel

A really good reason we should reject this non-upgradeable design

The funny thing is, for the memory-intensive tasks I can rent a vm from Amazon for three years for less than going from 16gb to 32gb. I'm glad their pricing forced me to explore this option, because now I can essentially use my current laptop until it dies and still get the latest tech for work.

 

[El Szomorito]

Apple needs to bump up in the base level specs to 16 and 512, it's just too expensive for what they are giving you at the base level...especially once you add Apple care and taxes it's over 2K!

16 gb would be an overkill for the base model, but they should increase the storage to 512, and change the second stock model to 16/512, what's really nonsense is that I have to custom order a machine with 16 gb..

 

[iJest]

The limitation of supporting only one external display on the Air is frustrating, especially in the year 2023. As technology advances and our workloads become more demanding, the ability to connect multiple displays has become a crucial productivity factor for many users.

Having the Air accommodate more than one external display would have been a game-changer, addressing the issue and enhancing its appeal significantly. Unfortunately, the absence of this feature has led me to reconsider upgrading to another Air model from my current one. It seems a bit behind the times to offer only single display support in this day and age. I’m just going to patiently wait for the updated M3 MacBook Pro.

Hopefully, in the future, Apple will take note of the demand and make this necessary enhancement, ensuring that their products remain at the cutting edge and continue to meet the evolving needs of users in the tech-savvy world of 2023 and beyond.

 

[1rottenapple]

11 in air? That thing was too small back in 2010s. That would be a bigger flop than the iPhone mini (which I owned 12 mini and 13 mini and love) but no way would an 11 in air sell. People are pulling back on expenses right now. The 15 will be fine. It’ll be in apple line up for years and potentially decades. it’ll recover in 2 yrs give or take.

 

[mrat93]

Essentially, the upgraded models subsidize the base models.

This sounds like an excuse with little meaning, unless your main objective is defending Apple’s aim to keep average sale prices high.

You’re basically saying “if Apple didn’t charge a 10x premium on storage, they wouldn’t be able to offer the M1 Air for the accessible price of $999.” Sorry but that’s nonsense.

I get that Apple is “different” as far as profit margins and built quality goes, but you really need to reach to defend Apple essentially putting an arbitrarily-expensive paywall in front of adequate internal storage in 2023. I shouldn’t need to pay $800 to be able to fit my whole photos library on my Mac internally.

 

[czoli]

The main issue is the base configuration, No one in their right mind will be purchasing 8gb 256gb any more, I'm just a normal user and 256gb is too small for me, I can live with 8gb at the moment, however even I know I need 16gb for future proofing. At £1700 for that config, it's just not good value, compared to 14" Pro.
The next issue is the M2 chip, basically it's just an over clocked M1 with the addition of a media engine, (most buyers of this machine aren't creators), so most buyers like me are waiting for the M3 chip. Consumers these days are too smart to fall for the usual hype.
The final issue is; once you get past the bigger screen, it's compromised at every level compared to the Pro's... Screen, speakers, Pro Motion, Camera, IO's.
Like I said, I'm just a normal user not a pro and the only upgrade I'm considering is the M3 14" or 16" pro.
Once you you get to 16gb & 512gb the 15" is just not value for money.
I said from day one, it was not as good as the hype and these sales figures don't surprise me.

Correct, specs of base models , for the sake of "Starting at", are really becoming comical. Even the mac mini M2 is seeing nice discounts for the base model.
Either Apples increase the specs and keep the same price or become more reasonable for the specs bumps prices.
Especially considering that
1) there is really no technical reason for not making the SSDK user upgradeable, for example.
2) 8 GB is not much anymore and 8 GB as a starting spec can't last forever.

 

[RokinAmerica]

I am an outlier, I believe. I am not an Apple Eco guy, I have my 2 iPhones, my 5 or 6, (ME486LL/A) and my 12PM, an iPad, mini and maybe a dozen ipods, from classic to next to latest touches. My work setup is and has been a windows pc desktop with 3 large monitors, a 17" MSI lappy and a 6 year old pc as my backup system.

My only requirement to add to my WFH (or anywhere else I want) was a portable (lighter than my desktop replacement 17" lappy) was no less than a 15" screen.

Storage requirements for me changed drastically since covid started. I went from needing local storage (6 drives with 6.5 TB total, about 75% used) to using a different software which now stores most everything on its server from my crew in the field vs them sending everything to me and me storing and then uploading. My C drive on my desktop is now using 232GB total on a 1 TB drive. And it has some of my music and my home security video backed up on it.

I don't need that on my new laptop. I need it to be able to allow me to use it anywhere away from home. It needs to be fast, portable and light. It needs to be at least 15". I didn't need the larger storage (and being a SSD vet for about 12 years, I know the slower speed of the 256GB SSD will not even be noticed by me) so I only needed the extra Ram (16GB).

I would not have bought an Apple pc in any form if it were not for the 15" Air. Maybe it has not sold to the expectations of whomever predicted the sales, but through in what some smart posters here did, the total effect of the last 3 years on pc sales and changes in the employment market for tech companies, yeah, I can see why it is slower than desired.

But it is the only product I would even consider buying, and I did. And I love it. Just a few weeks in, but it is a great addition to my work needs.

 

[theorist9]

This sounds like an excuse with little meaning, unless your main objective is defending Apple’s aim to keep average sale prices high.

You’re basically saying “if Apple didn’t charge a 10x premium on storage, they wouldn’t be able to offer the M1 Air for the accessible price of $999.” Sorry but that’s nonsense.

I get that Apple is “different” as far as profit margins and built quality goes, but you really need to reach to defend Apple essentially putting an arbitrarily-expensive paywall in front of adequate internal storage in 2023. I shouldn’t need to pay $800 to be able to fit my whole photos library on my Mac internally.

First, you've completely misunderstood what I wrote. I am not making an "excuse" for Apple, nor am I defending them. I'm simply saying that's how their business model works—that's how they've chosen to maximize profits: by keeping the prices on their base models relatively low (by which I mean relative to the upper-end versions), and making most of the profit on upgrades.

Second, and more importantly, I've responded to your comments in polite and collegial manner, yet you choose to respond with insults, saying I'm spouting "nonsense" and that what I wrote has "little meaning". It's people like you that make Mac Rumors a much less pleasant place than it should be. For instance, when you said this:

I bet sales would be higher if they didn’t nearly double the price for $200-worth of memory/storage upgrades.

I said this:

Not following; the 15" is only $100 more than an equally-equipped 13".

How would you like it if I instead acted like you, and wrote something like this?:
"That's got to be one of the most incoherent things I've ever read. What you posted is entirely lacking in intelligence."

 

[mrat93]

First, you've completely misunderstood what I wrote. I am not making an "excuse" for Apple, nor am I defending them. I'm simply saying that's how their business model works—that's how they've chosen to maximize profits: by keeping the prices on their base models relatively low (by which I mean relative to the upper-end versions), and making most of the profit on upgrades.

Second, and more importantly, I've responded to your comments in polite and collegial manner, yet you choose to respond with insults, saying I'm spouting "nonsense" and that what I wrote has "little meaning". It's people like you that make Mac Rumors a much less pleasant place than it should be.

I truly didn’t mean to insult or offend and I’m sorry if it came off that way. I intentionally referred to your point as nonsense and tried to keep it impersonal.

That being said, I understand the business rationale as you described.

I just don’t think that in 2023, the overall position of “it’s fine for Apple to charge a 10x markup on storage so they can continue to offer their cheapest MacBook for $999” can be justified.

 

[maxoakland]

The funny thing is, for the memory-intensive tasks I can rent a vm from Amazon for three years for less than going from 16gb to 32gb. I'm glad their pricing forced me to explore this option, because now I can essentially use my current laptop until it dies and still get the latest tech for work.

That’s interesting but what do you use it for?

 

[Trusteft]

Oh God please no. The new design is ugly enough already.

So you have a problem with optional colors....yeah that's normal.

 

[theorist9]

I truly didn’t mean to insult or offend and I’m sorry if it came off that way. I intentionally referred to your point as nonsense and tried to keep it impersonal.

Thanks. I know folks often make that distinction, but I find it's artificial. After all, we're defined by our actions. Given this, I don't see a significant difference between telling someone "Your actions are X" vs. "You are an X". And I'm not alone in this. After all, IRL, do people really react much better to the former than the latter?

Also, "nonsense" is gratuitious, unless something really is egregious, which my point clearly wasn't. After all, I wasn't claiming I've built a perpetual motion machine! One can just say they disagree, and explain why. [Yes, if someone takes a swing at you, I can understand swinging back with equally strong language, but that wasn't the case here.] But it's OK.

That being said, I understand the business rationale as you described.

I just don’t think that in 2023, the overall position of “it’s fine for Apple to charge a 10x markup on storage so they can continue to offer their cheapest MacBook for $999” can be justified.

But then if you were Apple, and wanted to maintain your profit margins, what would be your alternative?

I.e. (the recent downturn aside), this has been an extraordinarily successful strategy for Apple (look at the sales of the M1 devices when they were introduced, which had—IIRC—the same storage pricing). What's your alternative to maintain their profitability?

Or are you instead telling Apple: "You need to accept lower profits, because your pricing strategy is unfair?" What company would do that? The only case in which I know a company has been forced into that is if they have a monopoly on a product segment, and Apple's Mac line doesn't represent a monopoly within the personal computer segment.

Plus if you need a lot of RAM or storage, and don't want to pay Apple's upgrade prices, you do have an alternative: Buy a used model or, better still, a used model from the previous generation (yes, for the 15" Air, you'll need to wait a year).

For instance, a new 16" M2 Pro MBP with 32 GB RAM, a 2 TB SSD, and 2 years of AC+ is $3,800. You can get exactly that used, in an M1 version, for <$2,000 -- about half the cost. Here's a 13-month-old 16" M1 Pro MacBook Pro with a 2 TB SSD and 32 GB RAM, with AppleCare+ through June 2025: "Comes with all original items. Apple Care expires June 2025. Included is a USB-c Hub. Item has little to no scratches or defects. I used a Hard Shell Cover originally."

 

[mrat93]

But then if you were Apple, and wanted to maintain your profit margins, what would be your alternative?

My main point was that the absurd upgrade prices are a deterrent for people to buy new Macs, and that could be why sales aren’t as good as expected — that’s all.

Or are you instead telling Apple: "You need to accept lower profits, because your pricing strategy is unfair?" What company would do that?

I’m not saying they need to do anything. I’m just saying that it’s scummy.

 

[G5isAlive]

I know of 2 people that literally gave up their MacBook Air for a windows because of cost.
Their Air was too slow after a few years so they needed to upgrade it and an upgrade cost $1500 before taxes. They got a windows that had more hard drive space and memory for under $500.

Not everyone is geeking out for an M3 chip when they don't even know how to take advantage of the M3 capabilities. I was obsessed with the Mac Pro until I saw someone use it for their job and I realized there is absolutely ZERO reasons as to why I should have it. Some of these devices are created for people in the graphic design world, the creating world etc. thats why I laugh when I see all the "I need an M3 now!" posts.

Majority of the people need hard drive space first and foremost, then they look at the size of the laptop/monitor/weight, then come back to maybe the memory portion if that.

When your average Joe sees a 256GB MacBook is going for $1200 before taxes, do you think he will choose that option or the $400 windows that does what he or she needs which is sends emails, browse the internet, do some online shopping and take care of work on Excel or Word.

I think the average Joe that thinks a $400 windows machine is all he or she needs is never going to look at a Mac. I think the average Joe that understands quality costs will look at a Mac.

 

[El Szomorito]

That’s interesting but what do you use it for?

I do mainly software dev but some scientific computing also. I use Visual Studio Code for both, and it can connect to another machine via SSH, and run everything on the remote machine. And it's much better than using some remote desktop tool, because actions feel instant.

 

[Tagbert]

Sorry but the 11" is tiny and carrying it around is so convenient you don't give it a 2nd thought if you are carrying any kind of bag or purse. It's like carrying an iPad. Carrying around a 13" is something that you have to make a choice about whether you want to take your computer out of the house. There is no comparison... the 11" was an amazingly portable device that the 13" does not come close to being.

What you said is true, but part of what made that 11.6” model so small was the 16:9 aspect ration on the screen. It was reasonably wide but vertically challenged. I used one for several years and still have it. I powered it up recently and it is fun to look back at it but it was a tight fit. Whenever possible, I connected it to an external monitor and used that display to get some more workspace.

I think that the 12” Macbook is probably a better size. The width was similar to the 11” but the 12” had the extra height in the screen.

 

[El Szomorito]

But then if you were Apple, and wanted to maintain your profit margins, what would be your alternative?

I hate this obsession with profit margins. As a costumer, it means I not only get overpriced but often badly engineered products where decisions were driven by sales not tech people. As an investor, I care about cash flow per share. Profit margins are just one variable, and volumes matter too. There's an optimal range to maximize cash flow, and I think Apple goes further and further away from that point with their pricing strategy. Meaning it costs me money on both ends.

 

[enb141]

I think the average Joe that thinks a $400 windows machine is all he or she needs is never going to look at a Mac. I think the average Joe that understands quality costs will look at a Mac.

I think the average Joe that understands that can get 2TB SSD and 64 GB RAM for less than $200 and for that, apple charges for upgrading from 8 GB RAM to 16 GB or to increase 256 GB Storage to 512 GB, I think the average Joe that understands about hardware pricing will not look at Mac.

 

[Zest28]

I think the average Joe that understands that can get 2TB SSD and 64 GB RAM for less than $200 and for that, apple charges for upgrading from 8 GB RAM to 16 GB or to increase 256 GB Storage to 512 GB, I think the average Joe that understands about hardware pricing will not look at Mac.

Indeed, the average Joe is much smarter than MacRumors.

I was in the Apple Store last week and I was laughing how a guy went off an Apple employee about the 15“ MacBook Air, that he had to pay $200 extra to get a normal SSD, which he found super overpriced. The Apple employee was lying his ass off saying Apple uses “high-quality” SSD’s, but the guy wasn’t having it.

People who spend $1300+ on a laptop, are not throwing money at it without doing any research.

Unless they are billionaires and $1300 is what they use as toilet paper.

 

[enb141]

Indeed, the average Joe is much smarter than MacRumors.

I was in the Apple Store last week and I was laughing how a guy went off an Apple employee about the 15“ MacBook Air, that he had to pay $200 extra to get a normal SSD, which he found super overpriced. The Apple employee was lying his ass off saying Apple uses “high-quality” SSD’s, but the guy wasn’t having it.

People who spend $1300+ on a laptop, are not throwing money at it without doing any research.

Unless they are billionaires and $1300 is what they use as toilet paper.

A lot of MacRumors are Mac fanboys that think apple overpricing tax is fine for 99% of people.

 

[cgs1xx]

Slim enough? The difference in height between the 13.6" and 15.8" MBA is 0.01 inches (0.02 cm ). . Talk about " the princess and the pea". It is ridiculous demarkation line. The height of the Intel MBA that the M1 is stuffed into is 0.16 inches (or 0.41 cm) taller. And yet 0.1 is horrendous.... please.



Is the depth ( does't fit on an airplane fold down tray ) bigger? yes. But 'slim'. Really????

As for weight. More glass weighs more. More aluminum weighs more. Apple capped the battery increase so that run time just exactly matched the sibling MBA 13". ( more battery than that would have been more weight). Apple has trimmed what was practically trimmable here without doing goofy stuff ( like bring back the butteryfly keyboard to trim of some micro sliver of aluminum in some fanatical move where less weight is better than a crappier keyboard. )
It is 0.3 lbs ( 0.11 kg) over the Intel era MBA 13" weight. Folks are going to throw there back out over a 0.3 lbs addition to the backpack? Probably not. Leave the old Intel era power supply cable at home on the daily commute and probably a net drop in weight being hauled.

I think you may have misread what I wrote. I wasn’t comparing the 15 to any other Mac… but even if I were, what’s your point? If I don’t think it’s slim or light enough, it means it’s not as slim or light as I was expecting. Also, why so aggressive? 😳

 

[SR 7]

I think the average Joe that thinks a $400 windows machine is all he or she needs is never going to look at a Mac. I think the average Joe that understands quality costs will look at a Mac.

Lol no, wrong. Not everyone is obsessed with those details. Again, talking like everyone geeks out to these things.

 

[mudflap]

Technically yes, but the DisplayLink connected monitors won’t have any hardware acceleration from the GPU (because they aren’t going through it).

I guess you could argue a DisplayLink dock is kind of a GPU in itself, but with little to none of its own processing, and generally connecting over a much slower USB bus. But, it’s as close to an external GPU as Apple allows.

Ah! Thanks for learnin' me, I actually had no idea.

 

[lazyrighteye]

I suspect even the M1 Air would be fantastic compared to the 2014 MBP 😊

Ha. Indeed.

 

[helloapple1]

The base configuration is the main issue of the product, who the heck will buy a Mac with 8 GB RAM and 256 SSD in 2023? The default configuration should have at least 16 gigs of RAM, we're not in 2010, Apple!

I really love Apple's predatory marketing tactics. It was the same with the iPhone, which came with 16 GB storage and no 32 GB option, but a jump straight to 64 GBs. They have been forcing users to buy their more expensive products because the base config sucks.

This.