New Entry-Level Mac Notebook Expected to Adopt Retina Display, Likely Launch at WWDC in June

[deconstruct60]

Chromebooks are a threat to Windows, not Macs. Windows S is a failure that MS made it free to upgrade to real Windows. No other laptops using Windows S that I k ow of other than the Surface notebooks.

Errr. no. In markets where Chromebook uptick is high Mac laptops are being beaten.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/chromebooks-outsold-macs-for-the-first-time-in-the-us.1973484/

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/03/03/apple-losing-to-microsoft-google-us-classrooms/

Remember netbooks? People were demanding Apple to do netbooks. Apple didn’t budge, and the rest is history.

This has diddly squat to do with the "race to the bottom" netbooks. I mentioned explicitly $300-500 Chromebooks. Scrapping over the $180-250 fight between chromebooks and Windows S... that is purely addressed by the iPad by Apple. ( and yes rumors point to Apple lowering it under the $300 threshold too because it too is loosing ground. )

If we want to see cheaper laptops, what I expect is for Apple to introduce some sort of Ax powered “Mac”. Apple has been hanging the “outdated” MacBook Air at $999 for so long, showing they are not interested in playing race to the bottom for pricing.

This isn't about dirt cheap laptops. This is about a price point Apple had back in 2014-16 held with the MBA 11".

MBA 11" $899 -> $799 on edu discount. ( toward the end of the MBA 11" there non-edu regular sales into the $799 price zone and edu down below that)
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/16/macbook-air-edu-deals/

In 2017 they held the previous gen around for contract buying obligations the MBA 13" sank to $799
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/get-13-inch-macbook-air-799

If Apple is using extremely mature a-SI TFT, non-hiDPI panels and a more mature body design they could get the prices down into the $799 zone. Or at least the $899 zone. That isn't "new" territory. It is pricing territory they abandoned.
A MBA with a less expensive display to hit the lower price point. Instead of smaller ( 11 vs 13) it could just be "regular" versus "Retina" difference between two 13" models. The current MBS 13" that Apple sells right now is over priced.

 

[Smeaton1724]

My 2018 release predictions

Late April
Mac Mini/new ‘value’ Macbook

WWDC
Refreshed iMac/entry level iPad/ MacOS 12/ “one more thing” = Modular Mac Pro preview

‘iOS’ September Event
iOS12/ new iPhones/new FaceID ‘bezelesss’ iPad Pros

*Macbook pros silently spec bumped around WWDC

Not a bad shout. I would add in The X Plus in April and also a new Apple Watch design in September.

 

[theluggage]

oh how exciting! a NEW macbook with OLD hardware to justify a cheaper price. SIGN. ME. UP.

Yet for many, many users who want a laptop for general home/office use, that's exactly what is needed. The Air is a classic design with a good compromise between portability and versatility - it isn't broke and it doesn't need fixing. If they can fit a retina display without pushing the price up or messing up the battery life then all the better - but I note that all of their competitors offer standard res entry level models, even on "premium" ranges like the XPS13.

Unfortunately they'll probably "improve" the design.

 

[loby]

I’ve had my air for close to 8 years. I’d easily replace my current for a retina air!

A MacBook Air with a Retina display would be a surprise! A great finish to an excellent product. They can keep the MacBook Air as it is, update the display, CPU....(RAM...16 GB - shooting high)

A dream!

 

[xpxp2002]

I just wanna know how all this impacts the MacBook Pro. I’ve been waiting a few months now for an update. Looking for that 13” quad-core.

Buyers’ Guide even says “don’t buy” now. When are MBP Coffee Lake updates coming?! Better not make us wait until WWDC for everything this year.

 

[EvilEvil]

Remember when they should've f**king done this in like 2014.

Haha. Reminds me of how long it took them to get USB3 into their MBPs. Such a grueling wait.

 

[Wanted797]

I’m almost entirely sure these rumors are just of a new updated MacBook.

Not a ‘new entry level’ machine that MR are saying for clicks, or a new MacBook Air.
The air is gone, the MacBook will take its place and they’ll bring it in at a cheaper price (about time).

The line will be MacBook and MacBook Pro once again.


*I god dam hope I am right.

 

[-BigMac-]

Not a bad shout. I would add in The X Plus in April and also a new Apple Watch design in September.

Thanks lol
The X Plus? Any rumor signaling this?

 

[jaredm1]

The pro moniker is frankly laughable at the moment.

Totally agree. Apple were so desperate to make it ‘thinner’ they compromised on:

• Extensibility
• Battery life
• Better core hardware (32Gb RAM)
• Unique Selling Points (aka MagSafe)
• Price competitiveness

Honestly the level of blindness required to make so many compromises and still have the nerve to call it ‘Pro’ makes me really sad.

THIS is the beginnings of the era of the out-of-touch-Apple.

 

[michaelsviews]

So I have a 2013 MBA

The keyboard issues with the MBP make those effectively a no go for me (unless you wanna budget in AppleCare it's basically a must for the machine).
The 12" MacBook would be my pick, but Intel Core M makes it roughly on par with my MBA geek bench scores so no upgrade there. Also, 1 USB C port, not even Thunderbolt 3. Plus because no fan my MBA can probably run circles around the core M processor after an hour of heavy load.

There is just no upgrade path for me at the moment.

Maybe my next MacBook will be an Air (again)

MBA w/Retina will I still get that great battery life? will it have that new and cheesy clickety keyboard? Gosh I hope not on the keyboard.

 

[Reason077]

$799-899 Macbook [ old MBA 13" moved down. Purts upgraded to TBv3 (Type-C) ]
$999 Macbook [ old MBP 13" fcn key model with screen downgraded with this digitimes story ]
$1299 Macbook Air [ current Macbook made slightly bigger (thicker and depth) so can fit in a TBv3 socket infrastructure and clean up keyboard travel a bit. ]
$1299 MacBook Pro 13" [ new MBP fcn key model reworked for 4 TBv3 ports. ]
$1699 Macbook Pro 13" touch bar [ start to walk back the touch bar premium ]
$1999 Macbook Pro 15" [ still plugging hole with older model with USB Type A ports and HDMI ] ***
$2199 MacBook Pro 15" [ again walk back the touch bar premium. Scale back the track pad a bit ]

*5* separate 13" models? Really?

There was a time when Steve Jobs would have instantly killed the idea of such a complicated and confusing product strategy. Let's hope Apple haven't gone THAT insane...

 

[rforno]

Let me guess: They'll take their remaining inventory of current MB shells with their borked/crumb-averse keyboards and throw them into this 'budget' laptop, remove every port possible so users are forced to use iCloud for all I/O, jack the price up by $200, and call it 'entry level.' #courage

I just bought a 2017 MBA to replace my 2012 one, and for my mobile computing needs, it's perfect compliment to my tricked-out iMacs at home and work. Make this new laptop as convenient (*cough* MagSafe) and I'll give it a consider.....

 

[Falhófnir]

*5* separate 13" models? Really?

There was a time when Steve Jobs would have instantly killed the idea of such a complicated and confusing product strategy. Let's hope Apple haven't gone THAT insane...

That's beginning to sound like what's going to happen, this new 13" MacBook takes the $999 price point, the air gets discounted by a couple of hundred (presumably to try and reach the mac mini user base who just want a cheap mac?)

I'd much rather see them offer a cheaper 15" model, not everybody needs H series/ dGPU configurations starting at nearly 2.5k :/

 

[Zarniwoop]

One way to achieve a lower price point would be a custom AMD Raven Ridge APU with T2 embedded on SoC. Low power Intel's have and will have a lousy iGPU that is not sufficient for a retina display. Raven Ridge APU would be a good option for the next Mac mini as well.

I'm sure that whenever Apple releases a Mac with ARM CPU, it wont be a cheap model. Apple wants to have a premium feel for it's first Mac's with ARM. So, Macbook would be the introduction model, if ever, for ARM Mac.

 

[Smeaton1724]

Thanks lol
The X Plus? Any rumor signaling this?

I saw some manufacturing images on twitter a few weeks back. I'm guessing that Apple will want to keep buzz for the X design/notch throughout the year with the X Plus early on in the year, then maybe iPad Pro's with the notch in September/October.

 

[Dave245]

I think this will be a "new" 13" MacBook, the Air won't have retina display Apple would put the price up not make it cheaper if that was the case. I think the following will happen.

13" MacBook with price around the same as the current 12" MacBook
12" MacBook Price drop to that of the Air currently - $999
MacBook Air drops in price to around $899

WWDC announcement makes sense after last year, i think we will see the new MacBooks and possibly the new iPad Pro's i don't think it will be as busy as last years tho, even Apple themselves admitted it was cramped.

 

[tubular]

Mac mini please.

 

[McTool]

Air is dead

Stop confusing the Internet with MacBook Air rumors!

Apple products are being slowly streamlined:

Mac - Mac Pro
MacBook - MacBook Pro
iPhone - iPhone Pro
iPad - iPad Pro

Thus thus far I haven't seen an iPhone Pro. Will never happen. It's ridiculous

 

[manhattanboy]

Yet for many, many users who want a laptop for general home/office use, that's exactly what is needed. The Air is a classic design with a good compromise between portability and versatility - it isn't broke and it doesn't need fixing.

Unfortunately they'll probably "improve" the design.

Where were you when they were making the decision about the headphone jack?! The if it isn't broke don't fix it mentality has not been one of Apple's stong suits recently... Magsafe, headphone jack, USB ports, keyboards, and touch ID to name a few.

 

[citysnaps]

oh how exciting! a NEW macbook with OLD hardware to justify a cheaper price. SIGN. ME. UP.

No worries, mate...

You'll still be able to purchase a faster/better MBP at Apple's regular prices.

Some, though, may only have a thousand dollars to spend, and not need the latest/fastest. But still want a capable lightweight laptop with a nice display to do basic stuff like web browsing, email, messaging, word processing, simple spreadsheets, etc. And not give two trucks if it doesn't have the latest and fastest i7 cpu.

Apple will sell a lot of these. Smart move, if true.

 

[timber]

Ming Chi Kuo’s sources are from the supply chain side. There is no way he has any intel on what the final product will cost.

He certainly hasn't got any intel on final pricing but he probably has excellent intel on the BoM, on the new MB and on older ones, so he can easily map all of Apple's historical profit margins.
So he can probably make an excellent guess on final pricing.

 

[Jesse Waugh]

Lmao!

Like it was actually making Apple money, or did you forget that it’s dismal sales after 2yrs wasn’t doing anything helpful for Apple. Also consider what it would be like carrying around that beast today.

You're one of those "money = everything" people. QUALITY built Apple. Not pandering to money men like they're doing now. And it wasn't dismal sales - it was a niche product produced by a major corporation for its most important customers - professionals. That's what it was "doing helpful" for Apple - keeping it relevant. Without professionals you end up with a world like we have now - Emojiland. Furthermore: If you can't carry around a 17" laptop, then maybe hit the gym.

 

[Dave245]

No worries, mate...

You'll still be able to purchase a faster/better MBP at Apple's regular prices.

Some, though, may only have a thousand dollars to spend, and not need the latest/fastest. But still want a capable lightweight laptop with a nice display to do basic stuff like web browsing, email, messaging, word processing, simple spreadsheets, etc. And not give two trucks if it doesn't have the latest and fastest i7 cpu.

Apple will sell a lot of these. Smart move.

If Apple puts a retina display in the Air i think they will sell a lot of them, the Air is popular. If Apple either put a retina display in the 13" Air OR introduced a 13" version of the MacBook i would buy either one of those, personally the only reason i haven't already brought a MacBook is because the screen seems to small.

 

[jclardy]

So, $999 low powered 13" likely with 1 or 2 usb-c ports...or $1299 for a low powered 12" with 1 usb-c port...hmm.

 

[Dave245]

So, $999 low powered 13" likely with 1 or 2 usb-c ports...or $1299 for a low powered 12" with 1 usb-c port...hmm.

But if it has a retina display people who use the Air have been calling for that for a long time, those who use the Air don't always want the maximum power, a lot of people are not bothered about specs your average university student isn't bothered by those things. The Air is popular this is Apple's chance to make it even more so while also eating up more market share and selling more Mac's.