KGI: Apple to Launch Cheaper MacBook Air in 2Q 2018

[eVolcre]

I've got my fully-maxed MBP with TB for sale, because i can achieve neither the speed nor the accuracy of input on its keyboard that i get with my MBA. A shame. I love all the MBP's features & specs and would buy a new one in a minute if it came with the MBA keyboard.

Surprised so few people mention this point. As an author the keyboard is critical. The last good Apple keyboard was the early MacBook Airs. I simply couldn’t get used to the MacBook butterfly. It hurt my fingers and was about the same as typing on glass. Same with the new MBP.

Keyboard is so critical to my work that in 2016 I ended up spending 2k on a loaded thinkpad yoga 260. The flippy stuff is a bonus. I rarely use it except for tent mode for movies but it’s nice to have. The thing is a TANK and the keyboard is a dream. I’m fairly OS agnostic. Browser email MS office work about the same on both OS. That was a sale Apple lost simply because of the **** keyboards now being included.

My prediction for the MBA is perhaps one model. Maybe the 13” chassis with reduced bezels. Spec upgrades. A better screen (1080 but not retina) and all the current ports and same keyboard.

That hits the low end and student market. The MacBook 12 is the expensive ultraportable. MBP is for the prosumers.

Leaving us with a 12” retina MacBook. A 14 inch MacBook Air. And then a 13 and 15 MBP. The non touchbar MBP will be dropped.

It does work. Except for the naming strategy overlap between the MacBook Air and MacBook. In my version the cheap student laptop is the MacBook while the ultraportable retina gets rebranded as the MacBook Air. Maybe even have a 14” MacBook/MacBook Air ultraportable.

 

[Tech198]

I really see three general types of users: consumers, pros, and ultraportable road warriors.

road warriors? The ones which are never home....

 

[ksec]

For the most part, Apple can use the current non-TB 13" MacBook Pro as a guide for a new MBA motherboard. The cost of the equivalent Kaby Lake U-Series CPUs (i5-7360U - $304.00 i7-7660U - $415.00) are $11 cheaper than their Broadwell U-Series predecessors (i5-5350U - $315.00, i7-5650U - $426.00). The TB3 controller Apple uses (JHL6540) is $8.55, although it is superseded by the JHL7540, which is $9.10. I doubt the TB2 controller was any cheaper. Apple will have Thunderbolt 3 in this machine for a variety of reasons. The fact that the MacBook doesn't have it makes no difference to them, as it will by next year at the latest.

Intel is still currently selling SandyBridge, two generation older CPU of Broadwell in less then $50 to selected customers. I can guarantee Broadwell isn't anywhere close to $300 now. The price is likely closer to $150 and less then $200. So Apple gets to keep its margin intact with MBA.

One possible reason for Apple to do $799 Macbook Air is for market like China and India. Which has a rapidly growing Mac user base. Given the sales and Import tax in these countries, a $799 MBA will end up being sold as close to $899 or higher. The current Macbook Air cost around $1099 in China. And if you think $999 is uncompetitive elsewhere, it is even worst in China.

May be Apple do a $200+ price drop across the line. ( Yeah I know I am wishful thinking )

MBA Starts at $799.

Macbook 12" Starts at $1099
Macbook 13.9" Starts at $1299 ( The original 12" Price Point )

Get Rid of Non-Touch Bar Macbook Pro
Macbook Pro 13" Starts at $1699
MacBook Pro 15" Starts at $1999

All with No Spec changes.

Edit:
https://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/compare/7351641?baseline=7236747

Turns out Broadwell is way too good. May be Intel will keep providing Apple this at cheaper price. Or just use an AMD APU.

 

[TheHurryKayne]

Macbook,Macbook Air and Pro...
Core M dual,dual,quad 13 and exa 15?
An Air with a quad and thunderbolt 3 would be interesting but i don't think it will happen,
while i hope to see a 13 pro with a quad.

 

[navaira]

I really can't see Apple doing anything but dropping the Air and replacing it with Escape Edition of rMBP with lower price, or replacing it with rMB 13" and selling the 2015 rMB with 128 GB storage for $999 or less. The reason is simple: Air has a good keyboard, and too many ports. Those have to go.

 

[Bacillus]

Really? You want your new MacBook to include SCSI, RS-422 serial/AppleTalk, ADB, VGA, Firewire, and Ethernet ports, because losing them has no positive benefit for you?

No, I rather hassle around with a portfolio of convertors/dongles each of which get lost/stolen/borrowed every other week

 

[Jimmy James]

I'm almost 100% sure that this cheaper MBA is probably just a CPU bump and a $50 discount.

Perfect. I want the current Air with a current cpu (for HEVC hardware decoding) and less money. Just perfect.
[doublepost=1520487259][/doublepost]

They must have found some boxes of Core 2 Duo's laying around when they moved offices...

You laugh. I'm in this thread because I'm interested in replacing my core 2 duo without needing a lottery win.

 

[lec0rsaire]

Apple introducing new Mac in 2018 with tb2 and selling that for the next decade? Last time they introduced new model with tb2 was in 2015. Maybe they should bring also tb1 back? I’m still using fw, so bring that back also!

Yeah I know it’s old but use is still widespread. In addition this is a budget MacBook Air. I can’t see Apple offering TB3 for that price when the much more expensive rMB doesn’t have it. Unless their plan is to sell a non-retina display base MacBook Pro. Nearly every notebook with TB3 is at least $1k and Apple always charges more than PC OEMs for comparable hardware. They have to make it attractive enough for loyal MBA fans to want but not too nice that it cannabalizes sales of the base 13” non-TB MacBook Pro.

 

[Mainsail]

Yeah I know it’s old but use is still widespread. In addition this is a budget MacBook Air. I can’t see Apple offering TB3 for that price when the much more expensive rMB doesn’t have it. Unless their plan is to sell a non-retina display base MacBook Pro. Nearly every notebook with TB3 is at least $1k and Apple always charges more than PC OEMs for comparable hardware. They have to make it attractive enough for loyal MBA fans to want but not too nice that it cannabalizes sales of the base 13” non-TB MacBook Pro.

The other option is to kill the nTB MacBook Pro, which sits awkwardly between the rMB and MBP tb. The faulty keyboard disqualifies the nTB MBP as a reliable workhorse consumer laptop.....and, it’s just too damn expensive for this category.

 

[lec0rsaire]

The other option is to kill the nTB MacBook Pro, which sits awkwardly between the rMB and MBP tb. The faulty keyboard disqualifies the nTB MBP as a reliable workhorse consumer laptop.....and, it’s just too damn expensive for this category.

This is another possibility. I’m skeptical they would make this move since they do sell but anything can happen really.

 

[CWallace]

The other option is to kill the nTB MacBook Pro, which sits awkwardly between the rMB and MBP tb. The faulty keyboard disqualifies the nTB MBP as a reliable workhorse consumer laptop.....and, it’s just too damn expensive for this category.

That would leave a $500 gap between the base MacBook and base 13" MacBook Pro (now only with Touch Bar). I would expect the $1299 13" MacBook Pro to be a poor seller due to the 128GB SSD, so they could in theory drop it and just have the $1499 model as the base model which leaves a $300 gap to the base 13" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

 

[Mainsail]

Well, it is all just conjecture, but to me, the rMB and nTB MBP just don’t qualify as entry level everyday consumer laptops. They are both too expensive at $1,300. Apple might be able to lower the price of the rMB by reducing the SSD to 128 GB. But, the rMB is really an ultraportable niche product with just one port, and it is generally not designed for the typical consumer.

 

[qawes]

No, I rather hassle around with a portfolio of convertors/dongles each of which get lost/stolen/borrowed every other week
View attachment 753572

See? There's a solution to everything.

 

[ksec]

Perfect. I want the current Air with a current cpu (for HEVC hardware decoding) and less money. Just perfect.

Well I dont see how any HEVC Hardware Decode CPU could be offered while being cheaper then the current Broadwell CPU, the only way possible is the Gemini Lake Pentium CPU. Even possible for an $799 introduction price.

 

[Jimmy James]

Well I dont see how any HEVC Hardware Decode CPU could be offered while being cheaper then the current Broadwell CPU, the only way possible is the Gemini Lake Pentium CPU. Even possible for an $799 introduction price.

If it's available as an option that would be fine with me.

 

[CWallace]

Well, it is all just conjecture, but to me, the rMB and nTB MBP just don’t qualify as entry level everyday consumer laptops. They are both too expensive at $1,300.

That's true for the majority of the PC market, but generally doesn't apply to Apple's share of the PC market. And Windows PC OEMs have also been able to make some inroads into this market by offering higher-quality products with consummate higher prices.

I honestly think the MacBook Air is not still in the line-up because it appeals to some broad base of people looking for an inexpensive Mac laptop, but more for educational markets (both institutional and individual) as well as a select part of the Mac purchasing public who do not see the benefit of a high-resolution Retina display and find USB-C to be a liability, not an asset. To them, the $300 higher price of the MacBook or base MacBook Pro 13" itself is likely not a critical decider, but instead they do not feel Retina and USB-C warrant spending $300 more.

As such, if Apple does update the MacBook Air's internals, it will be because they have to due to the components now being End of Life from the suppliers. If they can still secure the existing parts, then I expect to see just a price drop - most likely $100, with $150 and $200 being less and least likely.

 

[Abazigal]

No, I rather hassle around with a portfolio of convertors/dongles each of which get lost/stolen/borrowed every other week
View attachment 753572

And how many of those dongles would you really need at any one time?

In reality, most users are likely going to require just one or two adaptors, depending on their unique workflow and on whether they require VGA or HDMI. And when I don't need them, I can leave those dongles in my bag, leaving behind a thinner and lighter device. In contrast, it's not as though I can remove the excess ports from a laptop when I don't need them and leave them behind. They are there whether I want them or not.

For me, my thunderbolt to HDMI is permanently attached to the HDMI cable at my desk. I really only have to bring a lightning to VGA adaptor around with me for my ipad, and there is also an Apple TV set up in my classroom. This has allowed me to keep my macbook air less bulky and I find I have generally been better off for it.

 

[Bacillus]

And how many of those dongles would you really need at any one time?

In reality, most users are likely going to require just one or two adaptors, depending on their unique workflow and on whether they require VGA or HDMI. And when I don't need them, I can leave those dongles in my bag, leaving behind a thinner and lighter device. In contrast, it's not as though I can remove the excess ports from a laptop when I don't need them and leave them behind. They are there whether I want them or not.

For me, my thunderbolt to HDMI is permanently attached to the HDMI cable at my desk. I really only have to bring a lightning to VGA adaptor around with me for my ipad, and there is also an Apple TV set up in my classroom. This has allowed me to keep my macbook air less bulky and I find I have generally been better off for it.

That’s typical “my usage is the norm for others”-reasoning to ratify the dongle economy
Really, nobody ever complained that unused ports hampered/ impacted their workflow. Sue Apple if you think so.

 

[navaira]

Really, nobody ever complained that unused ports hampered/ impacted their workflow.

Actually, here in MR forums I saw one person saying that they welcomed the removal of ports, because ports were heavy, and the person didn't want to carry them around.

This is not a joke.

 

[eVolcre]

Actually, here in MR forums I saw one person saying that they welcomed the removal of ports, because ports were heavy, and the person didn't want to carry them around.

This is not a joke.

*facepalm*

 

[Bacillus]

Actually, here in MR forums I saw one person saying that they welcomed the removal of ports, because ports were heavy, and the person didn't want to carry them around.

This is not a joke.

Whaha!
That must be some Iviot (if not Joni himself...)

 

[Tozovac]

Just lower the price of the Retina MacBook (they’re on sale all the time, anyway), add a second USB-C port, and be done with it. People buy the Air only for it’s affordability, anyway.

Couldn't disagree more. I bought the MBA in 2014 mostly since:
-highest battery life, helped by non-Retina.
-most functional/flexibility of use: magsafe, USB-3.0's, headphone jack, displayport, SD card slot, real function keys, good keyboard, real trackpad (not force-touch crap), and replaceable SSD.

It's a laptop after all, where it's more than just being about smallest/thinnest, at least to some users like myself. Things like battery life, usable processing power, and ability to not also heave around a sack of dongles rate rather highly.

How can technologies like Thunderbolt 3 push forward if Apple keeps selling products with obsolete technology? And a 900p non-IPS display in 2018?

USB-3.0's are obsolete? Magsafe? SD card slots, which is a WONDERFUL way to add SSD-type storage to an MBA. Again, for many, owning a laptop is not all about having the fastest and most fashionable piece of hardware. For many of us, an MBA is the last of the good, well-balanced designs available on Apple's shelves still, as today's Apple seems to no longer care about producing designs well-balanced for function & usability, but instead focuses too much on appearance and minimalistic weight/thickness reduction.

As far as retina screen: it's super easy to connect an MBA to an external monitor and get reasonably good/usable pixel resolution. Or pony up $29 for an iPad app called Duet that lets you use your iPad as an external screen via usb/lightning cable. Voila, instant Retina screen, woo hoo!

Point is - the MBA with flexible ports and "low" resolution is quite nice. Its lower cost vs. an MBP is icing on the cake, and with the MBP's lack of flexible ports, the MBA is the cake itself for me!

 

[Tozovac]

delete

 

[saintstryfe]

A cheap $499 Macbook Air is better, though if Apple ever does it i want a ARM based macbook Air. People who think that why an obsession with ARM based Laptop ? Well that is the ultimate dream and wont die. Specially people who liked Macs when they were PowerPC and could chew and spit Intel for a breakfast. ARM can someday achieve those stats back and give better performance than Intel simply because of its better design choices that

"Yeah, I want a Macbook that can only run a fraction of programs, will have no pro apps for years, and is basically a bad clone of Windows 10S which Microsoft has all ready written off."

I really don't get it.

 

[617660]

The air is still the best laptop that Apple makes. Put in a better display with the same resolution and you have a real winner to me. I regret selling my 2013 air for a 2017 MacBook Pro no touch bar model..the air was better

Unless you do some graphic intensive task, the upgrade doesn't make a lot of sense.