Shipments of Apple MacBooks have slumped 40% this year according to IDC data, now Apple is having a crack at fixing their PC problems with the launch of their its first large-screen MacBook Air and new versions of the Mac Studio and Mac Pro.
According to International Data Corporation (IDC), shipments of Macs, including the MacBook Air M2, MacBook Pro 14, Mac mini, and more, took a nosedive in Q1 2023 vs the same quarter in the previous year.
Apple was not alone, global shipments plummeted to 56.9 million, nearly a 30% drop year-over-year.
Apple who took the biggest hit out of the top OEMs, including Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Asus is now punting on their new offering to fix the problem.
The larger MacBook Air, announced overnight at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference, has a 15.3-inch screen, compared with a 13-inch display on most MacBook Air models.
The 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 processor gets a new starting price of A$1,799 which is A$100 cheaper than the prior model.
The company is also bringing its in-house chips to the Mac Pro desktop system.
The current version of the device still runs an Intel processor making it a holdout in Apple’s switch to homegrown processors.
The new Mac Pro, which will arrive next week, will complete the company’s switch away from Intel.
- The 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 is available to order today on apple.com/au/store and in the Apple Store app.
It will begin arriving to customers, and in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorised Resellers, beginning Tuesday, 13 June.
- The 15-inch MacBook Air with M2, available in midnight, starlight, silver, and space grey, starts atA$2,199 and A$1,999 for education.
- The 13-inch MacBook Air with M2, available in midnight, starlight, silver, and space grey, now starts at A$1,799 and A$1,649 for education.
- The 13-inch MacBook Air with M1, available in gold, silver, and space grey, remains in the line-up, starting at A$1,499 A$1,349 for education.
The company also introduced a second-generation version of its Mac Studio desktop for creative professionals and software developers. The new models look similar to last year’s version — small desktop computers with ports and no built-in displays — but add two new chips: the M2 Max and the M2 Ultra. The latter processor is the most powerful chip created for a personal computer, Apple said.
Apple’s switch to homegrown processors is credited with helping its computers last longer and perform better under heavy workloads the Company claims.
The latest Macs also boost battery life and can run iPhone apps.
Prior to their latest announcements Apple hasn’t launched a major new Mac since last year’s MacBook Air. Apple said that they have further upgrades in the works.
It’s working on an M3 chip, along with updates to the 13-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the iMac, Bloomberg has reported.
