Walmart Begins Selling MacBook Air With M1 Chip for $699 in U.S.

[sracer]

I keep getting told you'll be able to get these for $699 at Walmart in perpetuity and probably on a sale there also, at some point

So...there's that

(if one actually believes that it's a long term play between Apple & Walmart and not just inventory clearing)

Some long-term deal between Apple and Walmart may very well be true. (I highly doubt it) I just know that Costco isn't getting any more of these. I suspect that Best Buy isn't either.

Apple contracts with vendors for them to produce x number of units. (guaranteed amounts in exchange for rockbottom costs) If consumer sales are less than projected, they need to find a way to sell the shortfall of units. So even though the M1 Macbook Air is discontinued, they may still be producing new units to fulfill those contracts... and subsequently move them out at clearance prices. How long this will go on depends upon how many units still need to be produced and sold. (If my hypothesis is correct)

If anyone is interested in one, today would be a good day to get one if they have a Costco nearby.

 

[turbineseaplane]

@sracer

What I see here is that Apple has a LOT of these discontinued units to move so they partnered with someone (Walmart) to facilitate offloading them.

The other big third party retailers with stock already on hand saw this and immediately undercut the price to try to get ahead of things and offload old inventory they are carrying ... and that keeps getting older

The longer they hold it, the more of a bath they would take

The real tell on this situation is what the other big retailers did and how quickly they did it.
They have very experienced Ops people and likely knew exactly how to read this right when it was announced.

If M1 MBA's are a going concern at $699, there was no need to instantly try to undercut that price and "get out".

Walmart most likely got a wholesale price on these that nobody else did, so it was time to cut bait for everyone else.

Good for buyers!
Go snatch 'em up if it's a product of interest!

I won't be surprised if some retailer hits the $599 price point on these before it's over

 

[jimmirehman]

Mine arrived from Walmart today! Solid deal, super fast shipping. Brand new factory sealed, machine is pristine.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Reading the Walmart press release again, I have no clue why anyone thinks this is some long term or ongoing partnership around the M1 MBA continuing to exist.

(I guess listening to Gruber, which is always a mistake)

There isn't one word or phrase or anything to indicate anything other than "we are selling M1 MBAs for right now"

Sure looks like "when they are gone, they will be gone from Walmart too"

They wouldn't even bother with a press release if they only planned on selling for a few weeks/months.

I'm certain the M1 will still be available at Walmart through EOY, possibly even into 2025.

 

[nylon]

Just thought I'd look for the best laptops available for ~$700 and came across: https://www.rtings.com/laptop/reviews/best/by-price/under-700

it's a sad list!

There are a lot of people that can't afford $1k laptop and are stuck with whatever junk one can get around the $700 price point.

There simply isn't a better all around laptop available at this price point than the M1 Air. It will bring a solid computing experience to a much wider audience.

I would be concerned with foreign scalpers buyers buying up significant stock and reselling abroad as an arbitrage opportunity. I hope Walmart has measures in place to prevent this from happening.

 

[Spock]

Ok, and I was just pointing out that I didn't think the quote accurately represented the situation as Apple and/or third party Apple retailers have been "being Walmart" and selling discounted Apple products for over 40 years. Things haven't really changed in that sense nor do I feel any of it is necessarily a reflection on Apple’s ability or lack of ability to innovate.

Walmart being an authorized Macintosh reseller directly associated with Apple is what he was talking about. Steve wanted Apple to be a luxury brand, a brand that you don't see at large retail store like Walmart. Apple would put in store re-sellers at very high standards, going as far as telling stores what tables to use to display products. This is why I doubt we will see brand new Mac models being sold along side HP Chromebooks in Walmart brick and mortar stores.

 

[sracer]

Walmart being an authorized Macintosh reseller directly associated with Apple is what he was talking about. Steve wanted Apple to be a luxury brand, a brand that you don't see at large retail store like Walmart. Apple would put in store re-sellers at very high standards, going as far as telling stores what tables to use to display products. This is why I doubt we will see brand new Mac models being sold along side HP Chromebooks in Walmart brick and mortar stores.

How does that narrative fit in with Walmart selling iPods, iPhones, Apple watches, and iPads in their brick and mortar stores for years?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'm certain the M1 will still be available at Walmart through EOY, possibly even into 2025.

I'm not certain of anything, myself, but I'm pretty sure they'll be available there until Apple exhausts whatever run of M1 they care to

If M2 and M3 lines end up there I suspect it would be when they are also discontinued.

This partnership could be a long term dumping ground plan for Apple's discontinued models they still have stock of.

That long term plan I would totally buy into

 

[Spock]

How does that narrative fit in with Walmart selling iPods, iPhones, Apple watches, and iPads in their brick and mortar stores for years?

It fits with those being consumer devices. You don't see iPad Pro, or the higher end Apple Watch being sold at Walmart just like you don't see the Mac. Of course that may change as Apple continues to grow and continues to move away from the Jobs era of doing things, and I don't think that is a fully bad thing.

 

[webkit]

Walmart being an authorized Macintosh reseller directly associated with Apple is what he was talking about. Steve wanted Apple to be a luxury brand, a brand that you don't see at large retail store like Walmart. Apple would put in store re-sellers at very high standards, going as far as telling stores what tables to use to display products. This is why I doubt we will see brand new Mac models being sold along side HP Chromebooks in Walmart brick and mortar stores.

Apple products have been available at Walmart stores for many years. For example, Walmart was the fourth major U.S. retailer (behind Apple, AT&T and Best Buy) to start selling iPhones. Macintosh Performa computers were available at Walmart before that.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple products have been available at Walmart stores for many years. For example, Walmart was the fourth major U.S. retailer (behind Apple, AT&T and Best Buy) to start selling iPhones. Macintosh Performa computers were available at Walmart before that.

See the post directly above yours

 

[BeatCrazy]

I'm not certain of anything, myself, but I'm pretty sure they'll be available there until Apple exhausts whatever run of M1 they care to

I think that's a gap that needs to sink in for everyone. Apple doesn't just "make an extra 100K" M1 Airs sitting in inventory to ship to Walmart. There's nothing for Apple to 'exhaust'. They're making them for Walmart, to sell as new, for an indeterminate time.

 

[webkit]

See the post directly above yours

What about it? Part of his comment I had responded to was, "Steve wanted Apple to be a luxury brand, a brand that you don't see at large retail store like Walmart." Well, lower level or not, the products that are (or were) available at Walmart were still Apple brand products including Macintosh Performa, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Watch, etc.

 

[Spock]

Apple products have been available at Walmart stores for many years. For example, Walmart was the fourth major U.S. retailer (behind Apple, AT&T and Best Buy) to start selling iPhones. Macintosh Performa computers were available at Walmart before that.

Are you fully reading my posts, I feel like you are just skimming and then responding..

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think that's a gap that needs to sink in for everyone. Apple doesn't just "make an extra 100K" M1 Airs sitting in inventory to ship to Walmart. There's nothing for Apple to 'exhaust'. They're making them for Walmart, to sell as new, for an indeterminate time.

We don't really know if they are exhausting stock of already made/finished MBAs - or simply making more because they have excess stock of the components that are part of the M1 MBA line

The latter I think is as likely as anything

Either way - this is a model Apple discontinued, so they are exhausting a supply of "something" (maybe just wringing more juice from the already squeezed out lemon! -- Very Tim Cook) and I suspect this will be either a one off relationship with Walmart or perhaps it's a trial to see how it goes as a way to, as I suggested above, have a long term plan to dump old products (and old components) when they have extras and are done selling them first party.

This is a very different deal than all other 3rd party arrangements to this point, who've been selling the same products Apple is still selling themselves.

While we are selling old stuff at Walmart, how about bringing the iPhone 13 Mini lines back up and selling them there!
I'll happily pop in and buy one Tim

 

[sracer]

I think that's a gap that needs to sink in for everyone. Apple doesn't just "make an extra 100K" M1 Airs sitting in inventory to ship to Walmart. There's nothing for Apple to 'exhaust'. They're making them for Walmart, to sell as new, for an indeterminate time.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Apple may have contracted x number of units to be manufactured. If sales through conventional channels were less than expected, then Apple is in a position where they are contractually obligated to the original quantity... and looking at Walmart as a way to sell those remaining units.

I suspect that once that quantity is sold, Walmart will stop selling them. So why make an announcement in the first place? To draw the public's attention to the sale. We're all talking about it. And in some cases, like my own, I bought one (for $50 cheaper at Costco). Mission accomplished. 😅

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'd feel very differently about the Walmart thing if it was a model Apple also still sells

The whole "it's discontinued, but hey, we are still making them and selling them at Walmart!" (wink wink) thing is what's a straight tell that it's getting rid of stock of units/components, or as @sracer smartly points out ... existing manufacturing contracts Apple is obligated to fulfill.

 

[webkit]

Are you fully reading my posts, I feel like you are just skimming and then responding..

I fully read you posts. Are you fully reading mine? Again, if the goal was to have Apple be a "luxury" brand and protect it from the likes of Walmart, no Apple brand devices including lower end ones would/should be offered at Walmart but indeed several have been over the years. The MacBook Air is still an Apple brand device even though it’s not a MacBook Pro. The Apple Watch Series 9 is still an Apple brand device even though it’s not an Apple Watch Ultra. And so on.

 

[BeatCrazy]

We don't really know if they are exhausting stock of already made/finished MBAs - or simply making more because they have excess stock of the components that are part of the M1 MBA line

The latter I think is as likely as anything

Either way - this is a model Apple discontinued, so they are exhausting a supply of "something" (maybe just wringing more juice from the already squeezed out lemon! -- Very Tim Cook) and I suspect this will be either a one off relationship with Walmart or perhaps it's a trial to see how it goes as a way to, as I suggested above, have a long term plan to dump old products (and old components) when they have extras and are done selling them first party.

This is a very different deal than all other 3rd party arrangements to this point, who've been selling the same products Apple is still selling themselves.

While we are selling old stuff at Walmart, how about bringing the iPhone 13 Mini lines back up and selling them there!
I'll happily pop in and buy one Tim

It’s not discontinued and your whole theory will be blown out of the water in a few weeks when someone buys a M1 Air from Walmart with Sonoma 14.4.x or newer.

Apple’s manufacturing and supply chain is much tighter than you guys realize. Think about what happens when the new iPhones are announced. Within days , you can rarely find a new-in-box Pro model from any authorized repeller. Because those are truly discontinued and Apple has turned off the production spigot.

 

[chucker23n1]

I fully read you posts. Are you fully reading mine? Again, if the goal was to have Apple be a "luxury" brand and protect it from the likes of Walmart, no Apple brand devices including lower end ones would/should be offered at Walmart but indeed several have been over the years. The MacBook Air is still an Apple brand device even though it’s not a MacBook Pro. The Apple Watch Series 9 is still an Apple brand device even though it’s not an Apple Watch Ultra. And so on.

Apple isn't a "luxury" brand, but they don't span the entire spectrum either. They don't sell a $99 tablet or phone, a $399 laptop, a $40 fitness tracker. Heck, they don't sell a sub-$3,499 VR headset.

It’s not discontinued

Source?

 

[BeatCrazy]

Source?

Walmart Brings the Popular MacBook Air With the M1 Chip to Its Shelves

BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 15, 2024 — Walmart will begin selling MacBook Air with the M1 chip – continuing to deliver premium quality and unmatched affordability for customers. MacBook Air features amazing performance and a long battery life in its thin and light design.

corporate.walmart.com

You don't write press releases with Apple to sell something that can no longer be produced. It's probably even something that could get investigated but the FTC, considering the scale of both Apple and Walmart.

I can tell you this with confidence, as I work directly with Apple in my professional career, and due to many conversations I've had with legal colleagues on similar topics. You cannot announce/advertise something (at this scale) that's discontinued/limited quantities unless you have a legal disclaimer of "while supplies last", or similar.

Either you can agree that Apple will still produce the M1 Air, specifically for a Walmart distribution channel, or that they keep 100K units at $500 wholesale cost each (estimated) sitting in a China warehouse. To expect Apple to 'accidentally" or overestimate $50M of production is not grounded in production reality.

 

[Spock]

I fully read you posts. Are you fully reading mine? Again, if the goal was to have Apple be a "luxury" brand and protect it from the likes of Walmart, no Apple brand devices including lower end ones would/should be offered at Walmart but indeed several have been over the years. The MacBook Air is still an Apple brand device even though it’s not a MacBook Pro. The Apple Watch Series 9 is still an Apple brand device even though it’s not an Apple Watch Ultra. And so on.

The Mac is not a cheap Acer or HP, the typical machines that Walmart sells in store. Anytime you see the Mac in a large retail chain, they are set up on nice tables, like Best Buy or Microcenter mostly away from PC brands. They almost have a store within a store feeling to them. This is something that Apple enforces and unless Walmart plans on embracing it, I do not think that we will see the newest MacBooks in a brick and mortar Walmart. And yes, Apple did sell the Performa at Walmart, I mentioned that in one of my posts. Steve Jobs stopped the Performa all together when he came back. Apple as a whole may not be a luxury brand but at the higher prices that Apple charges for the Mac, the Mac is a luxury device. Just like the AVP, iPad Pro or the Apple Watch Ultra or even the stainless Apple Watch options.

 

[chucker23n1]

Walmart Brings the Popular MacBook Air With the M1 Chip to Its Shelves

BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 15, 2024 — Walmart will begin selling MacBook Air with the M1 chip – continuing to deliver premium quality and unmatched affordability for customers. MacBook Air features amazing performance and a long battery life in its thin and light design.

corporate.walmart.com

You don't write press releases with Apple

It's not with Apple, though. Only Walmart is cited at the bottom.

Literally the only Apple mention is in a quote by a Walmart person, saying "we’re excited to work with Apple to do just that", which can mean just about anything. For example: "we bought a lot of their old stock and got a good deal".

Whereas, "it's not discontinued" is a whole other layer. It implies that they're continuing to produce new stock. Is that possible? Sure. Do you have a source? You don ot.

to sell something that can no longer be produced. It's probably even something that could get investigated but the FTC, considering the scale of both Apple and Walmart.

Investigated on what?

I can tell you this with confidence, as I work directly with Apple in my professional career, and due to many conversations I've had with legal colleagues on similar topics. You cannot announce/advertise something (at this scale) that's discontinued/limited quantities unless you have a legal disclaimer of "while supplies last", or similar.

"While supplies last" is a disclaimer for when you have potentially very low amounts of stock, and are essentially doing a fire sale. If they have several months' worth of stock, I don't see the legal issue.

Either you can agree that Apple will still produce the M1 Air, specifically for a Walmart distribution channel,

That's possible, but I kind of don't see why they would do that, other than as an experiment.

or that they keep 100K units at $500 wholesale cost each (estimated) sitting in a China warehouse.

That would be my guess.

That's also a lot more like how it works for iPhones. The oldest iPhone Apple will sell you is the 13 for $599, but third-party retailers will still sell you new 12s and 11s, as Apple still has stock. That doesn't make it a "while supplies last" deal. This isn't perishable food.

 

[BeatCrazy]

It's not with Apple, though. Only Walmart is cited at the bottom.

No one releases a press release mentioning selling Apple products without Apple's direct involvement and approval.

Whereas, "it's not discontinued" is a whole other layer. It implies that they're continuing to produce new stock. Is that possible? Sure. Do you have a source? You don ot.

When the first person verifies they bought an Air from Walmart with macOS 14.4.1 or newer, will you acknowledge that they're not selling old stock?

 

[webkit]

The Mac is not a cheap Acer or HP, the typical machines that Walmart sells in store. Anytime you see the Mac in a large retail chain, they are set up on nice tables, like Best Buy or Microcenter mostly away from PC brands. They almost have a store within a store feeling to them. This is something that Apple enforces and unless Walmart plans on embracing it, I do not think that we will see the newest MacBooks in a brick and mortar Walmart. And yes, Apple did sell the Performa at Walmart, I mentioned that in one of my posts. Steve Jobs stopped the Performa all together when he came back. Apple as a whole may not be a luxury brand but at the higher prices that Apple charges for the Mac, the Mac is a luxury device. Just like the AVP, iPad Pro or the Apple Watch Ultra or even the stainless Apple Watch options.

Once again, if "Steve wanted Apple to be a luxury brand, a brand that you don't see at large retail store like Walmart" (what you had posted earlier) then Apple brand devices including Macintosh computers, iPhones, iPads, iPods, Apple Watches, etc. would/should not have been sold at Walmart stores but they have been for many years both during and after the Jobs era.

And going back to the original part of this discussion, Apple products have been regularly discounted by third party retailers going back decades, also during and after the Jobs era.