MacBook Supplier Ramping Up Production as 15-Inch MacBook Air Rumored to Launch at WWDC

[esserpain]

They've been making tons of $en$e... and Dollar$... but point is very well taken by me too. I miss the Apple that seemed focused on product before profits. Whether it was actually that way then or not, I don't know. Perhaps Jobs was just much better at hiding a maximum-profits-above-all-else motivation?

To me, that Apple felt like MAX profits and shareholder motivations was NOT top motivation. "Just works" seemed more than just increasingly-fading spin and it seemed like high-imagination products like transporters & holodecks might arrive by about this point in time.

I miss that Apple, whether it was only better at fooling me or that was really as it was.

That Apple sadly isn’t coming back, no matter how badly we all hope for it. Though it’s arguable that the current Apple would’ve manifested at some point regardless of if Steve Jobs was still alive. Business sustainability is very real, after all.

 

[esserpain]

Correct me if I’m wrong🙂
but wasn’t M2 first released with the Air? And after a while the M2 Pro/Max came in the MacBook Pro?
And also the same with the M1?

So maybe we see an M3 in the new Air 15, if Apple releases it.

And if so, Apple probably will use a slower SSD than the Air M1, just like they do with the M2 Air and also the M2 MacBook Pro.

Actually I can’t understand why Apple can do this. Is it lack of component? Idk.

I would like to but a new Air 15, but for me personally I actually would buy a M1 Air.
Yes, I know you can upgrade SSD to 512GB and don’t have this issue, but why would I?
I don’t need so much storage, and I’m not gonna pay Apple their insane price for extra storage.
So I’m gonna stick with my ”old” 2015 Mac until Apple can get a real SSD.

IMO, Apple’s decision to switch out the SSDs is a combination of cost cutting and an attempt to force the informed among their customers to pay a premium for the better SSD. If this wasn’t the motivation, then why would the 2nd-lowest tier base models of the M2 MBA, Mini, 13-inch Pro and MBP tout the bigger SSD capacity as the main upgrade? Really scummy, in any case.

 

[darngooddesign]

…And if so, Apple probably will use a slower SSD than the Air M1, just like they do with the M2 Air and also the M2 MacBook Pro. Actually I can’t understand why Apple can do this. Is it lack of component? Idk.

The M1 had two 128GB SSDs; the M2 had one 256GB SSD. Dual chips are quicker when moving data. It’s unknown why they made them change, cynics say it was profit driven, optimists think its was supply constraints, and realists know the truth lies somewhere in between.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

The real answer as to how much better M3 will be is that there isn’t one yet. The only thing we can speculate on is the 3nm process, which will supposedly bring performance improvements, but we don’t know how much.

Personally, I expect the jump to M3 to be bigger than the one to M2 - especially since Apple needs to make improvements that aren’t as incremental to keep driving interest in the advancement of their products - but I don’t know, either. Only Apple knows.

I agree with your commentary, except that this thread regards the coming 15" MBA, a new, larger size of Apple's existing low end laptop. As low end IMO the size increase alone will sell 15" MBAs if Apple does not overprice it. M3 or M2 matters naught, just whichever one Apple gets off their SoC fab lines cheaper (very very likely M2).

Please Apple do not overprice this thing...
[this from someone who just bought a MBP and will not be buying an MBA]

 

[esserpain]

I agree with your commentary, except that this thread regards the coming 15" MBA, a new, larger size of Apple's existing low end laptop. As low end IMO the size increase alone will sell 15" MBAs if Apple does not overprice it. M3 or M2 matters naught, just whichever one Apple gets off their SoC fab lines cheaper(very very likely M2).

Please Apple do not overprice this thing...

I’m also seriously hoping it’s not too overpriced. If they increase the price by more than $300, I think it’s going to be a whole lot less attractive for a whole lot more people. Though of course, some will buy it regardless. 🤷‍♀️

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Apple is in the catbird seat here. If MBair 15" is...

• overpriced: those viewing it as "too close to MBpro" will probably buy MBpro and Apple will enjoy established fat margins there.
• priced right: the apparent pent-up demand will jump on it and Apple will take the target margins in it on good-to-great volume.

There's no loss scenario for Apple here. I don't see the "overpriced" crowd opting to NOT buy some MB.

Given that in seemingly 500 rumors about this MBair, there's not been ONE about the PRICE of this MBair (only us speculating about price ourselves), I do expect it to be "overpriced," creating intellectual conflict with "should just buy MBpro"... which I expect to be resolved with the launch of the next generation of MBpro at higher pricing to cleverly "fix" the i$$ue. 💰💰

I look to high config Mac Mini pricing vs. low config Mac Studio as a very tangible example... which I suspect will get resolved in the very same way.

Personally, I'm a long-term, MBpro-only buyer for laptops, intrigued at 15" MBair instead of another MBpro... even if it could be somehow underpowered for select tasks. If so, I'll just save those for time at the desktop. When using an aging MBpro now, that's already a game I play, doing what I can with it and saving the most intensive things for when I can get back to the desktop Mac. I bet I'm not the only MBpro owner doing that... and fully considering MBair 15" instead of another MBpro this time.

Pricing and perhaps a Goggles functionality surprise (virtual computer screen functionality) will drive my own, buy or wait decision.

 

[Matsamoto]

The M1 had two 128GB SSDs; the M2 had one 256GB SSD. Dual chips are quicker when moving data. It’s unknown why they made them change, cynics say it was profit driven, optimists think its was supply constraints, and realists know the truth lies somewhere in between.

Thanks for explaining!

 

[darngooddesign]

I’m also seriously hoping it’s not too overpriced. If they increase the price by more than $300, I think it’s going to be a whole lot less attractive for a whole lot more people. Though of course, some will buy it regardless. 🤷‍♀️

There is $200 USD difference between the two MBP sizes, so this should only be $150-200 more than a similarly specced 13” Air. For that you’ll also get better cooling, better speakers, and a bigger battery.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

The M1 had two 128GB SSDs; the M2 had one 256GB SSD. Dual chips are quicker when moving data. It’s unknown why they made them change, cynics say it was profit driven, optimists think its was supply constraints, and realists know the truth lies somewhere in between.

The "in-between" is Apple's stubbornness to dig itself out of the very deep hole of profit over function and make the base model 16GB/512GB and use DUAL CHIPS that are readily available. But then, since their upgrades are so ridiculously priced (ie., pure profit), they'd be biting the hand that feeds them. Why, then, would Apple ever make 16GB/512GB the base model in the Air line (my question, not directed at your comment)?

 

[sza]

60Hz display?

 

[75Batt]

If its M2 in my opinion it is more about Apple removing inventory for what for me was a disappointing M2, mainly because the M1 iMac in particular was a decent little computer for non business use.

Indeed it brings home what I believe is a problem at Apple, where its no longer consumer led, but marketing lead(excuse pun) by virtue of Tim Cook, but where the wheels do seem to be slipping off that approach.

Need to get back to more innovation, better base specifications even with unified memory 8Gb these days is too low, as is the idea of stepping back with regards to certain SSD implementations.

Perhaps its time for Apple to split into two companies: Apple iPhone, Apple Computer/tablet as everything seems to revolve about chips for the iPhone then working out an implementation for the other devices based on that, so on the computer side its no longer consumer led, but iPhone led

It’s never been more customer led. Economic conditions are challenging and PC market is contracting, so the customer demand is not there. It makes absolutely no sense to release this Air with an M3 in the peak of that when the new form factor alone will drive any demand it can get.

 

[Student of Life]

If it has support for at least TWO EXTERNAL DISPLAYS I’ll be all over it.

Alas I’m sure to be disappointed.

It’s an Air not a Pro, not to mention you can get 3rd party adaptors to work around the two display limitation but at a cost. I think this will be priced around 1799 in a 8/256 configuration. It will sell because of its size but if people want performance the Pro make more sense and will be very competitive price wise.

 

[75Batt]

If this releases with M2, that Mac sales revenue will not suddenly improve.

It won’t improve in the short term regardless. It’s macroeconomic factors hitting PC market hard.

 

[MistrSynistr]

this is gonna bomb. I’m telling ya. The price will be too high to justify the screen and internals. It will get into heavy territory to be an air size and defeat that purpose too.

 

[KaiFiMacFan]

60Hz display?

Yes. If the non-Pro phones are still stuck on 60Hz, it will be a while before any kind of “ProMotion” comes to entry-level devices. I think we will see it in the phones before we see it in the MBAs.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Cant you Just buy a Thunderbolt monitor?

Best of both worlds I find

I need the power, since I am now dabbling with VMs again and with official Windows support, this is incentivizing me to get a powerful desktop. I already have three 24 inch monitors at home, one on used. I can see those three monitors hooked up to a Studio. But that's likely not gonna be until M5.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

this is gonna bomb. I’m telling ya. The price will be too high to justify the screen and internals. It will get into heavy territory to be an air size and defeat that purpose too.

I agree. With the existing MBA 13 M2, if you add 16GB and 512GB you're already at $1699. I imagine the 15" will be more. You can already get an M2-based MBP 14 with better hardware all around for the same price. So now, they are out of bargain territory and solely in "gotta have thin and light" market.

 

[Student of Life]

this is gonna bomb. I’m telling ya. The price will be too high to justify the screen and internals. It will get into heavy territory to be an air size and defeat that purpose too.

The complete opposite. This will sell because of its size. It will be 15 inches and thin. If you are looking at it from an internal perspective you are not the demographic for the Air and would be better suited with a MacBook Pro.

Last year we had a thread where you compared the new 13.3 air vs the 14 pro with equal specs and a difference of around 100 dollars and you had a huge crowd not care about the 120hz display, the more ports etc, the bigger screen size, they where just so happy it was thin and where happy with the m2 chip. History tends to repeat itself.

 

[KaiFiMacFan]

I don’t think it will bomb, but I’m a little concerned as to how it will fare. It seems the 14 Plus didn’t sell as well as expected. Even though “big entry-level” is actually the category I’m most interested in, I’m not sure how popular it is in the market.

 

[Realityck]

As much as this is topic is debated back and forth, this is still a rumor, always has been since January 2021 when Mark Gurman first started to talk about it. Apple has not acknowledged anything concerning this topic. 16 days to go.

 

[DavidSchaub]

This with the M3 and the best battery life in a macbook would be hard to resist. 16 GB RAM in the base model would be like a cool glass of iced freshly pressed Apple juice on a hot summer day.

More likely 12GB of RAM, and probably shipping near the end of 2024; but otherwise, it is certainly plausible?

 

[jimbobb24]

Apples roll out of these chips is so clumsy and dictated by the primacy of the phone chip (where the money is). The normal chip method of most powerful first has advantages for binning but also from a sales point so it’s clear what the best chips are. Now it’s not always clear if I should be thinking next gen (M2) or M1 upscaled model and what their tradeoffs are.

 

[KevinVonJames]

No M2 Pro Chip option ?

 

[KevinVonJames]

How would something like this be for photoshop? After a lot of thought, I’m thinking maybe a laptop is the way to go, I want an iPad but want a pro, but for those prices I feel like I might as well get a laptop and have macOS instead of just basically a big iPhone. The 15” screen sounds about the right size, now if only they’d make one in black, with a glowing apple logo.

Definitely buy a macbook air with M chip over an iPad lol.

iPad is just a bonus luxury device for those heavily in on apple ecosystem, or if you have a specific usecase like putting it on workout equipment or something.

macOS with M-chip is amazing for all around productivity

 

[Dave245]

Definitely buy a macbook air with M chip over an iPad lol.

iPad is just a bonus luxury device for those heavily in on apple ecosystem, or if you have a specific usecase like putting it on workout equipment or something.

macOS with M-chip is amazing for all around productivity

It’s also great if you want to draw and use the Apple Pencil. There are things the iPad can do that the laptop can’t and vis versa.