Apple Expecting High Demand for Upcoming MacBook Pros, Enlists Extra Mini-LED Display Supplier

[One2Grift]

Such trash journalism. This has nothing to do with expected demand. There have been dozens of other reports about the difficulty of securing the mini-LED displays. They are adding extra suppliers wherever they can just to meet the minimum needed.

Wow, right and wrong in one succinct paragraph.
Do we know this is about demand? Correct, no.
Do we know this is about securing whatever supply they will need to meet the minimum? Wrong, no.

For everyone else consider this: if either increased demand or restrained supply was something to be figured out from reports, trust me the big investment firms would be the ones doing the figuring out -- and their investing would reflect it. Since big investment firms were tepid on Apple up until a few weeks ago, yet it looks like Apple's revenue/GP/FCF is going to be super, this tells you what you need to know about the ability to know whether its big demand or restrained supply (i.e. they don't know).
If media reports are so correct then right now I'd be picking up my new 70" LED Apple TV in my new Apple Car. Then when I got home on my new AppleTV I'd be playing my AppleTV gaming box that's just like other big gaming systems like Xbox

 

[Fomalhaut]

I actually welcome the return of the SD slot. I do photography and I’d rather have the slot than having to use the use USB-C card reader taking up a port.

It's not just taking up a port, it's having an unwieldy USB-dongle often with a USB-A->USB-C adapter.

I have a SanDisk UHS-II SD reader dongle, but need a USB-A-to-C adapter on the end of it. The whole thing hangs out of the side of the computer about 9-10cm and looks very precarious - possibly putting more physical stress on the USB-C socket.

 

[Fomalhaut]

I hope the apple gpu in the m1x can perform at gtx 1060 levels.

The current one is almost at GTX 1050 levels so this would be a minimum expectation. I'm hoping the rumored 32-core GPU would get close to a mobile GTX 3060...

 

[One2Grift]

This! I'm a huge Apple fan but that is one of the big issues I have with them. They provide the bare minimum specs at a premium and then go nuts on the price when you increase specs.

You rarely get A and B (A-low price and B-great form and function quality). Companies generally either have to target A or B or give up some on each. Apple doesn't target A and their volume/sales do suffer for it. Their business plan is to make up with lost volume opportunities by emphasizing B.
To amplify that point take a look at gross profit margin comparisons:

Google gross profit(GP) of 50+% (TTM)
Apple GP 38% (TTM)
Samsung Electronics GP 38% (Avg Last 12 quarters - couldn't find TTM)
Interesting to note:
Microsoft - During the past 13 years, the highest GP for Microsoft was 77.73%. The lowest was 64.04%. And the median was 66.84%.
Lenovo GP is 21%
ACER computer GP is 13%
Walmart GP is 7.5%

I completely understand you want it a lower cost. So do I . But Apple is not unique in that gross profit margin is an important pricing factor for a company's health that allows it to do what it does best(or thinks it does best). That's not specific to Apple by any means. Ultimately if you want prices lowered by Apple then they have to complete the process of R&D->prototype or upgrade->beta->manufacture->sell with less emphasis on B.

 

[TimothyJohn]

If you build it they will come! A proper 16inch that doesn't sound like a model jet engine would be nice. Send mine back after a week, it was so noisy and hot.

And that's why they cancelled the June release. IMO, this is the reason why new releases are always shrouded in mystery; and often delayed. Old stock. And tons of it. Go to their refurb site and look at the pages of intel laptops and iMacs ... I am a musician. The lack of heat and fan noise on the M1's is incredible. Not only that, my previous 17" MacBook Pro cooked it's second GPU. They replaced the first one, out of warranty, because of a class action suit. Again, my opinion, but their desire for "thin" is pathologic. These last intel Macs and MacBooks don't NEED to sound like jet engines, or fry eggs. The iMac Pro proves that an attractive yet efficient design is possible. But who in their right mind would buy an intel iMac or laptop? And until the numbers of these heat/noise generators drop to an acceptable level, NO NEW MacBook Pro's!! Just think, if Apple execs sought counseling. "Thinner til it disappears" is thought to be a Mac selling slogan. They truly are pathologic. So thin, you have to put a headphone out on the side. So thin, everyone HAS to buy adapters to connect peripherals, cos they don't put world standard ports. So, here we are. Waiting til the old stock of Intels drop low enough before they "let" us buy a product they could have designed years ago: An effectively cooled/quiet laptop, with an adequate number of ports.

 

[pshufd]

And that's why they cancelled the June release. IMO, this is the reason why new releases are always shrouded in mystery; and often delayed. Old stock. And tons of it. Go to their refurb site and look at the pages of intel laptops and iMacs ... I am a musician. The lack of heat and fan noise on the M1's is incredible. Not only that, my previous 17" MacBook Pro cooked it's second GPU. They replaced the first one, out of warranty, because of a class action suit. Again, my opinion, but their desire for "thin" is pathologic. These last intel Macs and MacBooks don't NEED to sound like jet engines, or fry eggs. The iMac Pro proves that an attractive yet efficient design is possible. But who in their right mind would buy an intel iMac or laptop? And until the numbers of these heat/noise generators drop to an acceptable level, NO NEW MacBook Pro's!! Just think, if Apple execs sought counseling. "Thinner til it disappears" is thought to be a Mac selling slogan. They truly are pathologic. So thin, you have to put a headphone out on the side. So thin, everyone HAS to buy adapters to connect peripherals, cos they don't put world standard ports. So, here we are. Waiting til the old stock of Intels drop low enough before they "let" us buy a product they could have designed years ago: An effectively cooled/quiet laptop, with an adequate number of ports.

I had a 17 inch MacBook Pro that died after ten years. I wouldn't call it thin. It could get hot though but that was the nature of Intel CPUs back then. I had Dell Inspirons that got hot as well. Apple Silicon is very different.

I have an Apple Silicon Mini next to an i7-10700. Both are fast, quiet and cool. But the 10700 system is more powerful - it just has a good cooling system. I look forward to Apple Silicon systems that can better handle my workload than the M1.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Man, y'all have fun with those. This reeks of Rev. A problems down the road. New architecture, new design, new interior, historical track record of all new MacBook Pro redesigns having at least one major reliability issue all equals a massive headache that I'm only too happy to avoid!