Apple's 2016 MacBook refresh inching closer as Best Buy discontinues 12" MacBook, Airs go on sale
The wheels seem to be in motion for Apple to begin updating its MacBook offerings during the second quarter of 2016, with resellers holding firesales on all 2015 MacBook Airs while Best Buy has halted sales of current-generation 12" MacBooks completely.
Following a five-week sale, Apple authorized reseller Best Buy has stopped selling Apple's current 12 inch MacBook, according to people familiar with the matter. They say that each of the 2015 models are currently listed as "Discontinued" in the reseller's ordering system.
A quick check of AppleInsider's Mac Price Guide seems to corroborate this information. Every model is listed as "sold out" and Best Buy's product pages for these items each read: "This item is no longer available."
Historically, Best Buy has only used this wording when a current generation product has been discontinued, either permanently or in preparation for a refresh. A similar trend can be seen over at MacMall, where only 4 of 12 models remain available. The remainder do not have ETAs.
Meanwhile, both B&H Photo and Best Buy have knocked practically all of its 2015 MacBook Air inventory down to the lowest prices ever seen with models starting at just $749.00. B&H began the process late last week and Best Buy picked up the effort in earnest on Sunday, slashing prices across its 2015 MacBook inventory.
Information suggests that Apple is most likely to continue rolling out modest performance upgrades (or "speed bumps") to its existing 11- and 13-inch MacBook Air designs in the short term, before eventually fading the product line out in favor of sleeker, more cutting-edge MacBook models that will eventually come in display sizes greater than 12 inches.
In terms of where Apple may take the existing 12" MacBook, recent rumors have pegged a model with a slightly different hinge design for the back half of 2016, suggesting any earlier refresh would largely consists of performance and spec increases to the existing design. While garnering praise for a stunning, lightweight design, the existing 12" MacBooks have been a pin-cushion for critics of its wimpy 1.1GHz Core M microprocessor and sub-par 480p FaceTime camera.
While some -- or all -- of these refreshes could materialize quietly in the weeks ahead, Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference could serve as an alternative platform for the company to kick off its 2016 Mac product introductions. Apple has historically held that conference in early June but held off on formally announcing the conference dates until just a few weeks prior.
Following a five-week sale, Apple authorized reseller Best Buy has stopped selling Apple's current 12 inch MacBook, according to people familiar with the matter. They say that each of the 2015 models are currently listed as "Discontinued" in the reseller's ordering system.
A quick check of AppleInsider's Mac Price Guide seems to corroborate this information. Every model is listed as "sold out" and Best Buy's product pages for these items each read: "This item is no longer available."
Historically, Best Buy has only used this wording when a current generation product has been discontinued, either permanently or in preparation for a refresh. A similar trend can be seen over at MacMall, where only 4 of 12 models remain available. The remainder do not have ETAs.
Meanwhile, both B&H Photo and Best Buy have knocked practically all of its 2015 MacBook Air inventory down to the lowest prices ever seen with models starting at just $749.00. B&H began the process late last week and Best Buy picked up the effort in earnest on Sunday, slashing prices across its 2015 MacBook inventory.
Information suggests that Apple is most likely to continue rolling out modest performance upgrades (or "speed bumps") to its existing 11- and 13-inch MacBook Air designs in the short term, before eventually fading the product line out in favor of sleeker, more cutting-edge MacBook models that will eventually come in display sizes greater than 12 inches.
In terms of where Apple may take the existing 12" MacBook, recent rumors have pegged a model with a slightly different hinge design for the back half of 2016, suggesting any earlier refresh would largely consists of performance and spec increases to the existing design. While garnering praise for a stunning, lightweight design, the existing 12" MacBooks have been a pin-cushion for critics of its wimpy 1.1GHz Core M microprocessor and sub-par 480p FaceTime camera.
While some -- or all -- of these refreshes could materialize quietly in the weeks ahead, Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference could serve as an alternative platform for the company to kick off its 2016 Mac product introductions. Apple has historically held that conference in early June but held off on formally announcing the conference dates until just a few weeks prior.
Comments
Frankly Apples screw up here is like Mac Book Air all over again. Same mistakes, let's hope that they can address this quicker than they did with the Air. One big problem though is that Intel has hit the wall and we aren't going to see the rapid process shrinks we use to see. So it might take Mac Book much longer to become viable.
The MacBook is like a prototype of what's to come with that line. The pricing is also a joke.
How many windows boxes are supporting thunderbolt 3?
I'm not sure I'd call it a screw up, but it certainly is MacBook Air all over again. A product that is unlike anything else on the market, that no one can really say is a success or failure out of the gate, that costs way more than any rational human being should spend for what it offers in specs.
Apple, for all their maturity in the computer market, has no qualms about price gouging on a brand new product like this for its first year or so. They count on the newness factor, and the uniqueness factor, being what sells the product. No one in their right mind is buying a 12" laptop with a baby processor for $1300+. But plenty may buy a MacBook, because it is new and different.
That wears off though, eventually they have to come back to reality, and make it into a compelling product line.
More and more, mostly ultra-thin notebooks like the HP Spectre and Dell XPS 13.
2005 - nothing
2006 - Mac pro & Time Machine
2007 - Nothing
2008 - iPhone 3G
2009 - 13in MacBook Pro, 15in and 17in MacBook Pros refreshed. iPhone 3GS announced
2010 - iPhone 4 announced
2011 - Nothing
2012 - mba & mbp, mbpr
2013 - new Mac Pro, mba
2014 - Nothing
2015 - Nothing
It's the cube and original MBA sales disasters all wrapped up together. With a more acute problem as the competition has very similar product at a sellable price. I suspect best buy is discontinuing it because they got sick of it cluttering up their shelves.
The real upgrade comes after September of this year, assuming the next iPhone removes the 3.5mm headphone jack. Then we'll get a mid-cycle product refresh like the iPad 4 which replaced the 30-pin dock connector with a Lightning port. Only this time, the rMB will have the 3.5mm jack replaced by the Lightning 2 port.
The big change won't come until at least next Spring, if not later.
Since Intel is failing, I really don't expect to see any compelling upgrades. The iPad Pro line stands a better chance of compelling upgrades than the MacBook line.