DigiTimes: Apple postponed production of "budget" MacBook
The long-awaited update of the MacBook Air is a little delayed. If you believe the rumors, Apple has postponed the beginning of production of an affordable laptop from the current quarter to the second half.
What is known?
According to the Taiwanese edition of DigiTimes, suppliers were informed about postponement of the terms without explanation. Probably, the delay is connected with the deficit of key components (processor or other chips). For Apple partners, this may be a problem, as the production capacity is idle now, and closer to the fall of the assembly of the iPhone, and the factories will again face a shortage of labor. We are waiting for new stories about the illegal work of Chinese students?
The successor to the MacBook Air will receive a slim body, a Retina display and a new Intel processor. Most likely, the new model will cost at the level of the current "air" laptop (from $ 1000 for the version with a drive for 128 GB) or slightly more expensive. The start of sales should be expected somewhere in the third quarter (July-September).
Sources DigiTimes add that Apple can reduce the price to $ 800-900 to combat the chrome book. Perhaps this will be a special offer for educational institutions, as in the case of the new iPad . Another potential competitor is Surface Laptop , whose price in the US starts at $ 700.