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Entry level Apple MacBook launch rumoured for June

by Mark Tyson on 12 March 2018, 12:11

Tags: Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

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According to a report published today by DigiTimes, Apple is readying a new entry level MacBook laptop for release in June. Market intelligence reckons that the new MacBook will be priced in the same region as the existing MacBook Air or slightly higher.

The new MacBook design will be based around a 13.3-inch display panel, made by LG, with the same resolution as the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro at 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. Apparently Apple was casting its nets around for a cheaper panel but a potential source based in China wasn't up to scratch for the job.

Further details of the production schedule, via DigiTimes industry sources, are as follows:

  • LG Display starts mass production of display panels for the new laptop in April.
  • The new MacBook will enter mass production in May/June.
  • Quanta / Foxconn will make a split of the orders 70 / 30 respectively.
  • Apple aims to ship 6 million of these laptops during 2018

DigiTimes Research senior analyst Jim Hsiao expects shipments of the new MacBook to only reach about two thirds of Apple's expectations in 2018. His reasoning is that Apple is being overly optimistic of potential product demand at the expected US$999 street price.

Apple Crumbs

Perhaps when the new accessibly priced MacBook reaches the market in June it will sport one of Apple's new patented keyboard designs. The new design seeks to keep crumbs and dust out of Apple's laptop scissor switches. Such foreign matter can have highly undesirable effects on Apple keyboard mechanisms, as one might expect.

As Fudzilla reports, "the careful application of gaskets, brushes, wipers, or flaps that block gaps beneath keycaps," should keep crumbs at bay. Additionally a membrane layer might be deployed, and/or the scissor switch action could create a 'bellows' effect to blow contaminants away.



HEXUS Forums :: 8 Comments

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Current macbooks are ~£1.2k for a 12“ model, so this is probably going to be something dire like an atom processor if it's 13.3” for £1k. If it isn't atom powered, the chip choice could be very interesting - either they go with last gen intel (for £1k? must be joking!), or current intel (and give more power than most of their more expensive range, because quad core), or they go raven ridge (pipe dream, but it'd cause shockwaves)
They won't use Atoms but will use last gen processors or possibly low spec processors. I guess it will have soldered ram and no upgrades either. And it will also be £1k or thereabouts. read earlier, and as usual can't find it now that response has be appalling because Apple say they will sell 6 millions and analysts reckon they will be hard pushed to sell that many because of low specs
xlucine
current macbooks are ~£1.2k for a 12“ model, so this is probably going to be something dire like an atom processor if it's 13.3” for £1k. If it isn't atom powered, the chip choice could be very interesting - either they go with last gen intel (for £1k? Must be joking!), or current intel (and give more power than most of their more expensive range, because quad core), or they go raven ridge (pipe dream, but it'd cause shockwaves)

arm?
spacein_vader
arm?

A folding ipad would make even bigger waves, I'd quite like to see one now
A quick look sees that a new Celeron say an N4100 is a 4c-4t cpu at a cheap price. I'd go with that as the cpu of choice