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

[lowkey]

The 13” Air didn’t seem much lighter than the 14”MBP to me. I used to have a 12” MB and that really was a lot lighter even than the Air.

The 13” Air is 350g less than the 14”MBP. I wouldn’t be surprised if the 15” Air isn’t far off the same weight of the 14”.

For comparison the 16” MBP is 550g more than the 14” for a 2” bigger screen with bigger battery.

 

[Mr. Dee]

True.

But the one thing that everyone in here is forgetting:

• iPhones 12 got 5 nm A14 in September 2020, followed by Macs getting M1 in November 2020.
• iPhones 13 got A15 in September 2021. (Some) Macs got M2 in June 2022 (M2 is at large just A15 with more cores, running at a higher clock speed)
• iPhones 14 got A16 in 2022. But (the A15/A16 based) M2 remains the newest Apple Silicon generation. High-end M2 Macs were introduced in 2023 (still same generation as A15/A16 though).

In short, Macs and other Apple Silicon products are always second in line to iPhones, and there's absolutely no chance Apple is ditching this strategy just to randomly blow us away with some cutting edge 15" MacBook Air dropping in Q3.

And why would Apple rush 3 nm in a product category with as small a market share as Macs?

Just to thwart a huge number of Q3-Q4 2023 M2 and M1 Mac sales and, even worse, steal most of the hype that iPhone 15 would have otherwise gotten as first 3 nm consumer product when it drops in September?

Apple will secure iPhone 15 sales by making it the first 3 nm smartphone. A17/M3 will then trickle down to other product categories on the following 2-4 years.

Most consumers who buy an iPhone don’t know or care about the lithography used in an iPhone’s SoC. They care that it has a bigger screen, better camera and it’s the latest iPhone.

A MacBook coming with M3 is not stealing thunder from anything. It’s generating sales in a slow quarter. M3 is better than M2 and it has a bigger screen. Consumers see those two things and it sells, along with possible new color ways.

 

[playtech1]

I think the thing that will make or break a 15" Air is the price and I would like to see it start at £1,350, i.e. a £100 premium for the larger screen over the M2 Air.

Unfortunately I fear it will start at £1,500 for an M2/8/256, which does not seem all that compelling to me given that the M2 Air already feels on the pricey side for such a low-spec package.

At £1,500 once you go to 16/512, you are looking at £1,900 assuming usual upgrade costs. That's a stone's throw from the current MBP 14 price of £2,149 and more than I paid for an M1 Pro MBP 14.

 

[Warped9]

I think the thing that will make or break a 15" Air is the price…

Yes. If it’s priced about the same as a 13in. MacBook Pro then the customer will have to choose between a 13 Pro or a 15 Air. Considering in many ways the 13 M2 Air makes the 13 Pro largely pointless this could eat even further into 13 Pro sales.

I’m wondering if Apple would ever consider juggling prices. The M1 Air continues to sell. Could Apple consider dropping its price maybe $200 and slotting the M2 Air into the M1’s place. Then have the 15 Air near the same price as the 13 Pro.

Or maybe just finally drop the M1 Air altogether and slot the 13 M2 Air into that entry level spot.

*Sigh*

 

[Frantisekj]

They'll update the 15" Air to M3 in the fall at the same time. This means if you buy an M2 15" Air, expect it to be "obsolete" in about 4-5 months.

That's why an M2 15" MBA is such a big disappointment.

I do not expect Apple will shoot its leg like that. They may update it in spring 2024 or with MPB.

 

[DavidSchaub]

Yes. If it’s priced about the same as a 13in. MacBook Pro then the customer will have to choose between a 13 Pro or a 15 Air. Considering in many ways the 13 M2 Air makes the 13 Pro largely pointless this could eat even further into 13 Pro sales.

I’m wondering if Apple would ever consider juggling prices. The M1 Air continues to sell. Could Apple consider dropping its price maybe $200 and slotting the M2 Air into the M1’s place. Then have the 15 Air near the same price as the 13 Pro.

Or maybe just finally drop the M1 Air altogether and slot the 13 M2 Air into that entry level spot.

Apple drops prices pretty rarely, I assume the MBA is forever going to be at this new $1200 price, which is why Apple had to keep the old M1 MBA around. I will not be surprised if the M3 MBA comes, replacing the M2 MBA's price point, and Apple *still* keep selling the M1 MBA as the cheap model.

Nobody should buy the 13" MBP, and hopefully Apple is just using it as a means if clearing parts & manufacturing contracts.

I would expect the 15" Air will be around $1400, and @playtech1's numbers work out pretty much like I would expect. Just below the 14" MBP and with healthy margins for Apple.

 

[Spike1999]

Que the ytubers telling us why to buy it now etc and then 1 month later why they are returning it🤔. It's Like a vicious circle of same review template they all share.

It's the same ones that keep doing unboxing videos so boring now.

 

[Student of Life]

Most consumers who buy an iPhone don’t know or care about the lithography used in an iPhone’s SoC. They care that it has a bigger screen, better camera and it’s the latest iPhone.

A MacBook coming with M3 is not stealing thunder from anything. It’s generating sales in a slow quarter. M3 is better than M2 and it has a bigger screen. Consumers see those two things and it sells, along with possible new color ways.

If we are being honest most consumers will buy the air just for the bigger screen size. Apple can put an M1 chip in it and it would still sell.

It does seem like we have a small niche of people who want/hope apple to put an M3 chip so they can somehow think they are getting an amazing deal, a pro machine in an air price. Come on guys this is Apple we are talking about.

 

[Student of Life]

Apple drops prices pretty rarely, I assume the MBA is forever going to be at this new $1200 price, which is why Apple had to keep the old M1 MBA around. I will not be surprised if the M3 MBA comes, replacing the M2 MBA's price point, and Apple *still* keep selling the M1 MBA as the cheap model.

Nobody should buy the 13" MBP, and hopefully Apple is just using it as a means if clearing parts & manufacturing contracts.

I would expect the 15" Air will be around $1400, and @playtech1's numbers work out pretty much like I would expect. Just below the 14" MBP and with healthy margins for Apple.

That doesnt seem realistic if one is being honest. The 14 MBP price is $2000. A more realistic number would be 1799, that way it's in striking distance of the pro base price. If someone wants the bigger screen they pay the 1799 price, if someone wants the pro they get the pro. Thats how Apple typically operates.

 

[anshuvorty]

Seems to me that the 15-inch MBA can easily start at $1399 or $1499:

 

[compwiz1202]

If we are being honest most consumers will buy the air just for the bigger screen size. Apple can put an M1 chip in it and it would still sell.

It does seem like we have a small niche of people who want/hope apple to put an M3 chip so they can somehow think they are getting an amazing deal, a pro machine in an air price. Come on guys this is Apple we are talking about.

I would gladly take M1 if it lowered the price.

 

[CalMin]

The problem with that is that the M1/2 only have two display controllers built in. The display controller is separate from the GPU and they take up significantly more space than CPU cores. There just isn't room in the SOC for an additional display controller in this generation of chips. Perhaps with the higher density of 3nm SOCs they might be able to add another display controller but it's probably not high on the product demand queue as most customers don't even have one external display, let alone two.

Thanks for the explanation (I have never understood this limitation of the M1 and M2 chips.)

It's what I was afraid of. I have a 14" M1Pro that I'm really happy with, as well as an M2 MacBook Air that has really surprised me in terms of its sheer horsepower. The M2 is more than adequate for most of my daily work so a thin and light portable that supported 2x external displays would be a perfect machine for me. It looks like I might not get my wish.

Two external displays is a luxury that I have gotten used to with my workflow which involves too many open windows and lots of document comparisons.

 

[DavidSchaub]

Two external displays is a luxury that I have gotten used to with my workflow which involves too many open windows and lots of document comparisons.

Four to Six externals displays is a luxury.

Two external displays should be table stakes.

 

[DavidSchaub]

That doesnt seem realistic if one is being honest. The 14 MBP price is $2000. A more realistic number would be 1799, that way it's in striking distance of the pro base price. If someone wants the bigger screen they pay the 1799 price, if someone wants the pro they get the pro. Thats how Apple typically operates.

Even Apple recognizes that $1800 for a 8G/256G M2 fanless laptop would be ridiculous?

The MacBookPro price difference from 14" to 16" is only $200, why would the MBA size difference be much bigger than that?

 

[Student of Life]

Even Apple recognizes that $1800 for a 8G/256G M2 fanless laptop would be ridiculous?

The MacBookPro price difference from 14" to 16" is only $200, why would the MBA size difference be much bigger than that?

Where are you getting those numbers? Just look at the Apple web page, the cheapest 14 MBP starts 1999.99, the cheapest 16 MBP starts at 2499.99. The price difference is 500 dollars not 200 dollar unfortunately. Just going by those number one would be looking at a 8/256 model costing 1699.99.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

oh geez. definitely think at 15" is due. but... same exact CPU that was released a while ago? seems like time for a modest bump. though apple has its CPU roadmap delays

 

[DavidSchaub]

Where are you getting those numbers? Just look at the Apple web page, the cheapest 14 MBP starts 1999.99, the cheapest 16 MBP starts at 2499.99. The price difference is 500 dollars not 200 dollar unfortunately. Just going by those number one would be looking at a 8/256 model costing 1699.99.

That's easy.

The cheapest 14 MBP has a binned down CPU, which costs $300 to get it equivalently spec'd to the base 16" MBP... and once you've have them otherwise equivalent, the price difference is $200.

 

[uffenman]

Apple supplier Quanta Computer is likely gearing up for new MacBooks, according to research shared by investment firm Morgan Stanley.

In a research note on Friday, obtained by MacRumors, Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring said Quanta Computer guided for high single-digit percentage growth in the number of notebooks it assembles in the second quarter of 2023, compared to the first quarter. Woodring believes this increase is driven in part by new MacBooks.

In his newsletter last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple would unveil the long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air at WWDC next month:The first-generation 15-inch MacBook Air will be powered by the M2 chip, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. No external design changes have been rumored for the laptop beyond the larger display size.

The latest 13-inch MacBook Air debuted at WWDC last year and features the M2 chip, a 1080p camera, a MagSafe 3 charging port, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and a Force Touch trackpad. Pricing starts at $1,199, and color options include Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver.

It's unclear if any other MacBooks will be unveiled next month, as new 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models with the M3 chip are not expected to launch until later this year or next year, and the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro were updated with the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips just three months ago.

WWDC begins with Apple's keynote on June 5 and runs through June 9.

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

If you'll carefully notice, the naming convention has disappeared from all new M2 MacBooks (Airs & Pros); meaning the words under the screen "MacBook Air" is no longer being printed/etched on the computer. My speculation here is that the to be released 15" MacBook Air will not be called the MacBook Air, but rather it will be called the MacBook, and at some point the 13" MacBook Air will be renamed as a MacBook. With the new M3 chips, if they are truly 30% more efficient, then they won't need such beefy batteries thus a new line of "MacBook Air" laptops will be released (probably something like 12" and 14" form factors weighing around the 2 lb mark) for those (like me, who are still using a 12" MacBook) who travel and/or just want a lighter laptop and this will restore justice to the "Air" naming convention. My guess is this would all start to happen in 2024; as the factory expansions in China, India, and Vietnam all must be operating in order to accommodate increased output and additional product lines. I don't think they have the manufacturing capacity right now and this is also dependent on M3 chip supply. The last thing Apple needs is the struggle to meet demand again. I can bet my bottom dollar they are starting production of iPhone 15 one to two months earlier this year to avoid the problems they had last year. This is an exciting time at Apple as they will be expanding the whole Mac product line over the next two years. Historically, the quarterly revenue for the Mac line has always been in the 10 digit club, but that will change quickly (already did last year for one quarter) and always be over 10 billion dollars per quarter. There is enormous room for growth in the PC world and MacOS with new sexy laptops is part of the equation.

 

[darngooddesign]

I think the thing that will make or break a 15" Air is the price and I would like to see it start at £1,350, i.e. a £100 premium for the larger screen over the M2 Air.

The cost is easy to predict. It will carry the same, or slightly less, premium that the 16” MBP does over the same spec 14” MBP.

 

[darngooddesign]

If you'll carefully notice, the naming convention has disappeared from all new M2 MacBooks (Airs & Pros); meaning the words under the screen "MacBook Air" is no longer being printed/etched on the computer.

The MBPs say so in large debossed letters on their bottom, I thought it was part of the new design language so I was surprised the M2 Air didn’t as well.

 

[Anglagard]

Consumers need to stop worrying about having the latest and the fastest and more about preserving what is adequate. Consumerism is out of control.

 

[uffenman]

The MBPs say so in large debossed letters on their bottom, I thought it was part of the new design language so I was surprised the M2 Air didn’t as well.

View attachment 2205992

I did not notice that! This might make my case even more valid!

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Most consumers who buy an iPhone don’t know or care about the lithography used in an iPhone’s SoC. They care that it has a bigger screen, better camera and it’s the latest iPhone.

A MacBook coming with M3 is not stealing thunder from anything. It’s generating sales in a slow quarter. M3 is better than M2 and it has a bigger screen. Consumers see those two things and it sells, along with possible new color ways.

No.

Go back and check which iPhone chip launched when and what chips Macs got after that. It's a fact that iPhone always leads the jump to a new chip generation, not a discussion.

This has been Apple's business strategy every since iPhone took off.

But also consider Apple's total revenue throughout the years:

What's the headline? iPhone is Apple's most important product by far. Macs are far behind. It's not even a competition.

Additionally, the second largest chunk of Apple's revenue is "Services", aka all the billions of apps and inn-app purchases that all the hundreds of millions (billions?) of iPhone owners make every day using iPhones.

Macs don't hold enough shares of the desktop/laptop market(s) nor generate enough revenue (indirectly) in the Services category to be Apple's first priority.

iPhones do, however, and that's why Apple has consistently put most of its efforts and capital towards ensuring that every iPhone launch is a resounding success.

3nm comes to iPhone first.

 

[uffenman]

No.

Go back and check which iPhone chip launched when and what chips Macs got after that. It's a fact that iPhone always leads the jump to a new chip generation, not a discussion.

This has been Apple's business strategy every since iPhone took off.

But also consider Apple's total revenue throughout the years:

View attachment 2206027
What's the headline? iPhone is Apple's most important product by far. Macs are far behind. It's not even a competition.

Additionally, the second largest chunk of Apple's revenue is "Services", aka all the billions of apps and inn-app purchases that all the hundreds of millions (billions?) of iPhone owners make every day using iPhones.

Macs don't hold enough shares of the desktop/laptop market(s) nor generate enough revenue (indirectly) in the Services category to be Apple's first priority.

iPhones do, however, and that's why Apple has consistently put most of its efforts and capital towards ensuring that every iPhone launch is a resounding success.

3nm comes to iPhone first.

spot on. good observation. The expansion of the Mac product line will increase with the M3 in 2024 and probably not a minute before that. I tend to think the reason they discontinued the WiFi product lines (Airport Base & Express) was that it takes up too much retail space compared to the dollar per sq. inch of what an iPhone box brings in. It's staggering how much the iPhone brings in per sq. inch!

 

[Tagbert]

Only think I’d be running at the same time is maybe Safari, I don’t do much else with my current Mac, and I use a Sony A7iii so not the highest resolution images.

Then you should be able to do pretty much anything you want, particularly if you are just doing cropping and color correction of photos. If you are doing graphic design with Photoshop it might not be as fast as doing it with more RAM but still doable. It depends on how much you value speed over cost.