I saw at least one report that an M2 MacBook Air had lost a full percentage in battery capacity after only 40 charge cycles where as the same required well over a 100 charge cycles on a an M1 MacBook Air. I simply don't trust the thermals on a machine that runs that hot to not prematurely degrade the battery. Since I replaced my 2017 MacBook Pro's battery, I've used Al Dente to control battery wear but that won't solve a thermally defective computer.
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Kuo: MacBook Sales Down 30% Amid No New Products for Remainder of 2023
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Will not ever happen AFAICS. Apple have burned that bridge for various well-publicised reasons and they won't u-turn.
Couple that with how they handle new features like the claimed one for the iPhone 15 Pro that lets you lock the top charge to 80%. They really should have such hard charging lock option across every device that is still supported that uses a lithium battery. Trying to navigate the brief 80% charging window on an AirPod Pro 2 before it switches over to full charging is just ridiculous.
Well ditch iMessage then. The rest of the world has. (Mostly because by and large ROtW outside of America have also largely deserted iPhones.) Americans are literally the last iMessage bastions who won't move over to another solution.
I think it's more than just the lack of updates causing slower sales. The reasons are likely:
- The economy is in a weird place globally. It's not a recession, but inflation is high. If prices for necessities like groceries and rent are going up, people will cut back on other expenditures. Tech/entertainment is usually the first cost to go. I know I've cancelled several subscriptions.
- Macs are a premium compared to most other computers. If people are buying a new computer, with the economy being strange, they're likely either to upgrade their existing hardware (if they can) than to buy a whole new machine or buy a cheaper PC/Chromebook.
- Offices are spending less money this year because of the weird economy. Either companies are laying people off, not hiring more people, or just generally trying to save more than spend. I know our office has barely bought any computers this year since there's no need right now. We still have some unopened M1 MBP's from last year in storage.
- Upgrading isn't really needed right now. People who were waiting on M1 got those laptops 1-2 years ago and they're still excellent computers and will remain so for a long while. People also bought computers in the pandemic during work from home with COVID, and they likely still have those laptops, being Mac, PC, or otherwise. I bought my laptop and gaming PC during COVID and don't need to upgrade yet.
- For techies, the base specs frankly are terrible. You're spending (at minimum) $1100 on an M2 Air and it only comes with 256 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM? Is this 2012? If you want a better computer, say 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, you need to spend significantly more money being $1700. And for that, see point 1.
I, make many, live in a town full of incredibly stupid people. Incredibly stupid people use iPhones, because it is the easiest to use (most dumbed down) interface. Trying to get these people to switch to a different messaging platform, or God forbid, call me on the telephone, would be met with blank stares and twitching. The US ain't Germany. Our collective IQ is dropping, rapidly. I swear if you took these peoples' iPhones away they would be paralyzed, then starve to death in a few days. Because I am forced to interact with these people, I don't have a way out of iMessage. Yet.
What do you think if Dell sells a laptop for >1200 dollars with 256/8? Simply not acceptable in 2023. Would be ok if the upgrade prices are reasonable but they are pure ripoffs. And yes, I voted with my wallet: bought a refurbished, close to new 1tb, mbp m1pro 14 (not at Apple) for less than I would pay for a slightly upgraded mba 15.
Since I was in the market for a new computer, but I was shocked by the meager start config and upgrade prices. So I am partly to blame (0.0000001%) for the slumping sales
That's Dell's prerogative. The market will decide and will vote with purchases, or not.
I could not care less.
The perpetual Apple conundrum: Make superb albeit expensive products whose performance and quality built combined with long-term support of the main OS and key apps (including 3d party) and consequently suffer from market saturation and the lack of the user-base turnover not willing to part with perfectly working machine that still has not payed off its initial cost. Solutions: expand the market through the combination of lowering entry costs, address the limitations that prevent new folks from jumping in the pool with the rest of us, and innovate [more] courageously.
Another point is that many tasks are now carried out on tablets and even phones reducing the dependence or need to have a simple but capable laptop. In my recent trip, I didn't even bother to bring my MBP since I could do most of the things on the phone, all presentation files were created in advance, pushed to the cloud, etc. Of course, the small share represented by coders, devs, visual and music creators depend on laptops but their share is tiny compared to the desired growth in sales.
Market pressures are absolutely required to evolve and I am glad that it signals Apple to do better.
Another point is that many tasks are now carried out on tablets and even phones reducing the dependence or need to have a simple but capable laptop. In my recent trip, I didn't even bother to bring my MBP since I could do most of the things on the phone, all presentation files were created in advance, pushed to the cloud, etc. Of course, the small share represented by coders, devs, visual and music creators depend on laptops but their share is tiny compared to the desired growth in sales.
Market pressures are absolutely required to evolve and I am glad that it signals Apple to do better.
That will change when Apple figures out how to EOL products on a 2 year cycle without upsetting U.S. or E.U. regulators.
Your post reminded me of what happened to Carhartt. The money people and marketers took over, turned it into a fashion brand for urban hipsters, and their formerly great, durable, made in USA work wear is now overseas made garbage. But they're super profitable! lol
We wonder why Kuo spins these types of things.
Is he desperate for attention?
Reality: on the whole, laptops and tablet sales are down. Not just Apple. This is all known widely and reported widely.
In the old days there were gossip columns in major newspapers. They existed merely to stir up sh*t and drive sales of the papers. Truth was never on the menu.
My base model 14” MacBook Pro m1 is MORE than enough muscle to handle pretty much anything I throw at it. No reason for me to upgrade to anything new unless there’s a ground shattering feature.
Also, let’s start looking elsewhere for Mac/Apple news. Surely there must be another source out there than the usual Kuo. I get it, he makes his living around everything Apple speculation. The internet is already filled with enough of that, people want facts and not just ‘analytical’ assumptions that are lined with a hint of gossip to keep themselves relevant.
Also, let’s start looking elsewhere for Mac/Apple news. Surely there must be another source out there than the usual Kuo. I get it, he makes his living around everything Apple speculation. The internet is already filled with enough of that, people want facts and not just ‘analytical’ assumptions that are lined with a hint of gossip to keep themselves relevant.
Indeed, indicators show that at least for the US there is not a recession and one it not expected to be imminent.
We are in that time where the reality of the physical world, the world of ships on water, of oil wells and forests, of droughts and fires, of hostilities but not declared wars, but also declared wars... is in our face but we avoid it.
My point: it's a dynamic world but not a rosy world. A world in which old inventions (hence the ships and oil wells) are still vitally important but also a world in which many people seem convinced they can live in a virtual world that all exists inside some silicon.
At least that is the imagination that is sold by the marketing gurus.
People may want thrills but computing device purchases are rather hollow in that regards.
So you're on target there with the idea that people and business are not wanting to spend as much. Many people may have come to realize that spending their wealth on something that is made obsolete in 12 months is a demoralizing experience.
Buy what you need; these things are tools to enable other activities.
I still think that Apple's corporate decision to prioritize energy efficiency will be triumphant in the end. Well, at least the concept, regardless of the name of the corporation that pushes that.
I guess this is determined by market share. Where I live in the UK, we haven't proactively rebelled against iMessage, it's just that iOS has 'only' a 50% market share. I mean that's still impressive no matter how you look at it when you factor in that only one manufacturer out of half a dozen major players uses it, but it does mean that statistically 50% of the people we're likely to message are not on iOS. Therefore a platform-dependent messaging service is about as much use as a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest. Ourselves and continental Europe have mostly migrated to WhatsApp, which is of course cross-platform.
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i don't think Apple is designing new products thinking that people will upgrade their laptops every year.
They probably assume a life of 5 years at least.
Apple has to grow market share by attracting Windows users, that's the only way to sell more.
Made worse by the drop in read/write performance of a single 256GB chip vs. the parallelism of 512+
I am pretty sure people won't notice this.
Memory: since RAM & storage is in SOC people don't need 32 BG RAM.
Apple should move to a two year release on all products, concentrate on software, its better for the customer and better for the environment. They should set an example.
It's not free. People are paying premium prices for a supposedly premium product. This about value for money. And customers absolutely should expect good value for their money.
Guess we should have just stayed with 128/4 eh?
Yea it’s 2023 and a laptop with 8GB of ram and a 256gb ssd makes me look at those specs and think it’s 2010.
With the cost of a 13” MacBook Pro with 8GB and 256gb of storage for $1299 would put anyone off.
With the advancements in ram and storage since 2010 you would image a $1299 MacBook Pro would come with at least 16GB and a 1TB ssd, MINIMUM.
When you can get a comparable HP or Asus in the same price point with 32gb of DDR5 ram and 2TB gen 4 ssd for storage and a faster gpu and processor it makes complete sense people are looking elsewhere.
Yea the Asus and HP do not have the same build quality, but the technology offered at the price point makes getting the low end MacBook Pro kinda pointless. Apple makes S-TIER products. But their specs leave A-LOT to be desired.
I’m surprised the 13” MacBook Pro even exists with the M2 air existing in the same space. I still have the Mac Mini Apple silicon transition kit, and it’s surprisingly running the newest macOS. It’s SLOW. But it works.
I would love to see apple offer a frameworks style system. Where you buy the screen and housing of the laptop and they sell modules with different specs that just pop in to the machine. Greatly extending the longevity of the machine and making upgrading more affordable. But this won’t happen. Ever.
So much for 15” MacBook Air selling like hotcakes lol I remember those posts.
A 13” Pro with 16/256, all of the ports, redesigned like the 14 and 16 and a $1499 price I would buy one.
A 13” Pro with 16/256, all of the ports, redesigned like the 14 and 16 and a $1499 price I would buy one.
Absolutely not.. Simply purchase what you need. Need more RAM or storage? Simply pay for it.
If you don't like Apple's value proposition, simply purchase a phone/computer/tablet/earbuds/etc. from a different manufacturer offering the value that meets your requirements. There are loads of other manufacturers out there.
Easy.
What do you think if Dell sells a laptop for >1200 dollars with 256/8? Simply not acceptable in 2023. Would be ok if the upgrade prices are reasonable but they are pure ripoffs. And yes, I voted with my wallet: bought a refurbished, close to new 1tb, mbp m1pro 14 (not at Apple) for less than I would pay for a slightly upgraded mba 15.
Since I was in the market for a new computer, but I was shocked by the meager start config and upgrade prices. So I am partly to blame (0.0000001%) for the slumping sales
I will then ask - what else am I getting for that $1200 then? With the M1 chip, I got 9 hours of zoom on a full charge. I get a form factor that’s cool to the touch and which I can comfortably use on my naked lap. I get native apps like preview, iMovie and quick time.
These are perks that all the ram and storage in the world won’t get me. At least I can pay for extra specs for my Mac. All the money in the world won’t get me the equivalent of the M chips on windows.
With windows, not a whole lot, which is why any Mac vs windows comparison invariably boils down to whichever is cheaper. Too much emphasis on specs, and not enough conversation on what Apple does differently or how it is able to set itself apart from the competition.
Apple is smart to not go down this race to the bottom.
It is almost 2024 and Apple is still cheap enough to "offer" 8gb RAM 256gb SD storage in their base models, which are already way overpriced as is.
Apple Macs are a joke right now, that's just how it is. 16gb RAM and 500+gb storage should be minimum... starting in 2020.
Apple Macs are a joke right now, that's just how it is. 16gb RAM and 500+gb storage should be minimum... starting in 2020.