Apple's MacBook sales growth may outpace both iPhone and iPad this year

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited March 2018
Apple may be looking at a huge year for MacBooks, with growth having a chance to exceed that of every other Apple product line, including the iPhone and iPad.




KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo, working off of supply chain intel, predicted that year-over-year MacBook shipments will grow 13 percent to 16 percent in 2018, significantly ahead of projected growth for the iPhone (4-6 percent) and iPad (7-10 percent), according to a writeup of the analysis by StreetInsider.

MacBook shipments, Kuo said in the note, will grow between 60 percent and 80 percent in the second quarter over the same period last year, as new models ship, although 65 percent to 70 percent of the year's shipments will come in the second half of the year, as per the normal distribution of hardware sales, given Apple's historical release cycle.

Earlier this month, Kuo predicted that Apple will put out a lower-cost MacBook Air in the second quarter of 2018 -- which is likely what he is basing some of his predictions on.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 55
    It's a masterpiece of engineering and design! The best Apple laptop I've ever owned. Mainly, b/c it's lightweight. :)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 55
    Update the MacBook with a second port - any port!! - and I will buy a maxed-out one this year for sure. If not, I will wait patiently to see what's in store for 2019.
    dtb200watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 55
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    williamlondon
  • Reply 4 of 55
    KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo, working off of supply chain intel, predicted that year-over-year MacBook shipments will grow 13 percent to 16 percent in 2018, significantly ahead of projected growth for the iPhone (4-6 percent) and iPad (7-10 percent), according to a writeup of the analysis by StreetInsider.
    projected growth for the iPhone (4-6 percent) - Not sure from where these numbers are coming from. If holiday quarter did NOT see any growth, hard to imagine Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep quarters seeing growth in unit sale numbers.
  • Reply 5 of 55
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,391member
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    95% of people in the real world have zero problems with the keyboard, touchbar, "dongle-hell", etc. It's a small, viciously vocal group on the internet that sets this narrative, backed by the anti-Apple cottage industry that makes a killing from anti-Apple articles, Youtube videos, etc. The new MBPs are fantastic, forward looking machines, easily the best I've ever owned. Keyboard takes a bit of getting used to, but I can now type FASTER, with less effort, and more quietly- I'd never go back. Also, this "dongle-hell" is a hyper-sensationalized, hilariously overblown narrative. Most people will at MOST need a $10 usb-C to usb-A adapter. Funny how I see tons and tons of the new MB/MBPs out in the wild, and literally zero "dongles. 

    But either way, continue with the "new Apple hardware is a disaster" narrative. It's not like it's an original thought- it's lazy, and people like you have been claiming this for the past couple decades with every new Mac update. 
    roundaboutnowpscooter63wiseychiacaladanianMisterKitfastasleepStrangeDayswatto_cobradsd
  • Reply 6 of 55
    With all due respect to Steve Jobs, die, post-PC era!


    watto_cobraGeorgeBMac
  • Reply 7 of 55
    seanismorrisseanismorris Posts: 1,624member
    I’ll be looking at the MacBook Air when it gets the A series chip, and LTE.  At that point price/performance should be intriguing.  I’d like to make the purchase through T-Mobile.  The cost will be no more expensive than an IPad.  I bet with financing, a 100% more will be sold than current MacBooks.  The only reason (non business) users have Windows 10 machines is price.
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 8 of 55
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,136member
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    Stop making stuff up.  I owned those MacBooks, and I love the keyboard of my late-2017 MBP.  Keyboards were fine in all of those, including the new ones.

    I'm a developer, using the function keys often, and the Touch Bar does not get in the way.  

    Jeez... some people just have a chip on their shoulder.
    pscooter63chiaMisterKitStrangeDayswatto_cobradsdchasmRayz2016williamlondon
  • Reply 9 of 55
    urashidurashid Posts: 127member
    Update the MacBook with a second port - any port!! - and I will buy a maxed-out one this year for sure. If not, I will wait patiently to see what's in store for 2019.
    I hear ya!  But really, the Macbook is Apple's solution for iPad-Runs-MacOS-Apps.
    One data+charging port (along with the headphone port).  Charge overnight, use all day.  Keyboard included.
    chasmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 55
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,342member
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    You do realize they sell the MBP without the touchbar right? 

    Your posts always seem to state unsubstantiated info, or you are trashing a product or service? You're the person that claimed airplay was so horribly bad that people have been infuriated with disconnects for years? Get your home network together or something else is causing you these issues; because I don't have those same things occure with ANY device. I don't think I am the only one..  My brother remotely connects to my mac at home and airplays movies from his ipad to a 3rd gen appletv regularly with zero issues. Every once in a while you need to restart a device, but it's hardly the frustrating mess you make it out to be. Back around ios 9 this was a different story, at least for me.

    You were also the person that told another member that we would need to wait on Apple home sharing support for homepod in order to play music from your iphone or ipad on homepod if you don't have iTunes match?  What are you talking about?

    Image result for westbrook bruh

    I even commented that I was able to play FLAC files from iCloud drive via airplay to my homepod with no problems. This has nothing to do with Match or Applemusic.

    Please stop this whole Apple bashing shtick, or bashing in the form of incorrect info..it's weak and kind of silly at this point. :|








    StrangeDayswatto_cobrachasmwilliamlondonjony0
  • Reply 11 of 55
    danvmdanvm Posts: 1,476member
    slurpy said:
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    95% of people in the real world have zero problems with the keyboard, touchbar, "dongle-hell", etc. It's a small, viciously vocal group on the internet that sets this narrative, backed by the anti-Apple cottage industry that makes a killing from anti-Apple articles, Youtube videos, etc. The new MBPs are fantastic, forward looking machines, easily the best I've ever owned. Keyboard takes a bit of getting used to, but I can now type FASTER, with less effort, and more quietly- I'd never go back. Also, this "dongle-hell" is a hyper-sensationalized, hilariously overblown narrative. Most people will at MOST need a $10 usb-C to usb-A adapter. Funny how I see tons and tons of the new MB/MBPs out in the wild, and literally zero "dongles. 

    But either way, continue with the "new Apple hardware is a disaster" narrative. It's not like it's an original thought- it's lazy, and people like you have been claiming this for the past couple decades with every new Mac update. 
    Personally I don't like the feedback in my MBP 2017.  In my line of work I have to work with different brand of notebooks, and Thinkpad's are still the best without question.  In quality, I have seen many posts of people with keyboards issues.  And many of those comments didn't came from anti-Apple people,

    https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/10/17/johnston-macbook-keyboard

    Again, Lenovo makes durable keyboards, and even they are spill resistant. 



    I don't understand the "getting used to".  Why do you need to get used to a good keyboard?  I didn't need to get used to Thinkpad keyboards or Apple trackpads.  They are good since the first day you work on them.  Maybe they aren't that good at all, and you just get used to it.


    irelandasdasdGeorgeBMacwilliamlondon
  • Reply 12 of 55
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,938member
    The key words are "lower cost, more-affordable MacBook". Apple can and must expand bottom base of users(casual,highschool,college,small businesses) with more affordable Macbook Pro, Macbook and Macbook Air so large that when they move up in there needs, they buy expensive MACs. Still stays with Apple products. It is all about keep growing Apple's echo-system and cross-products purchases.. For example, I like to see 13" Macbook Pro(8GB RAM,256SSD) without touch strip under $1299. Charge extra for upgrades.
  • Reply 13 of 55
    danvmdanvm Posts: 1,476member
    sflocal said:
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    Stop making stuff up.  I owned those MacBooks, and I love the keyboard of my late-2017 MBP.  Keyboards were fine in all of those, including the new ones.

    I'm a developer, using the function keys often, and the Touch Bar does not get in the way.  

    Jeez... some people just have a chip on their shoulder.
    Maybe the keyboard is fine for you, but I haven't seen such a negative feedback from Macbooks / MacBook Pro's keyboards before.  I never heard people criticizing Apple trackpads, since they are excellent, but the experience with keyboards wasn't that positive.  I don't like the tactile feedback in my MBP 2017.  Like I posted before, IMO, Thinkpads are the best.  
    irelandwilliamlondon
  • Reply 14 of 55
    danvmdanvm Posts: 1,476member
    jcs2305 said:
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    You do realize they sell the MBP without the touchbar right? 

    Yes, there are MBP 13" without touchbar, but the MBP 15" has no option without touchbar. 
    avon b7irelandcanukstormwilliamlondon
  • Reply 15 of 55
    irelandireland Posts: 17,800member
    I’ll be looking at the MacBook Air when it gets the A series chip, and LTE.  At that point price/performance should be intriguing.  I’d like to make the purchase through T-Mobile.  The cost will be no more expensive than an IPad.  I bet with financing, a 100% more will be sold than current MacBooks.  The only reason (non business) users have Windows 10 machines is price.
    LTE? Not happening.
  • Reply 16 of 55
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,391member
    danvm said:
    slurpy said:
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    95% of people in the real world have zero problems with the keyboard, touchbar, "dongle-hell", etc. It's a small, viciously vocal group on the internet that sets this narrative, backed by the anti-Apple cottage industry that makes a killing from anti-Apple articles, Youtube videos, etc. The new MBPs are fantastic, forward looking machines, easily the best I've ever owned. Keyboard takes a bit of getting used to, but I can now type FASTER, with less effort, and more quietly- I'd never go back. Also, this "dongle-hell" is a hyper-sensationalized, hilariously overblown narrative. Most people will at MOST need a $10 usb-C to usb-A adapter. Funny how I see tons and tons of the new MB/MBPs out in the wild, and literally zero "dongles. 

    But either way, continue with the "new Apple hardware is a disaster" narrative. It's not like it's an original thought- it's lazy, and people like you have been claiming this for the past couple decades with every new Mac update. 

    I don't understand the "getting used to".  Why do you need to get used to a good keyboard?  I didn't need to get used to Thinkpad keyboards or Apple trackpads.  They are good since the first day you work on them.  Maybe they aren't that good at all, and you just get used to it.



    What an absolutely ridiculous, short-sighted mentality. So, nothing can ever change, because we should never have to adapt or adjust to anything? I guess Apple should have NEVER introduced a touchscreen keyboard on the iPhone (or a million other things) as that required adjustment, and are therefore "not good"? I guess you missed the very next time of my post, where I claimed that I can now type FASTER on the new keyboard than I ever could on previous keyboards? That's the good kind of adjustment- short term pain (ie. getting used to it) for long term gain. I don't miss a single aspect of the older keyboards. The new ones are superior, even if slightly different. God help us if Apple ever adopted your "its good enough and works fine" mentality instead of constantly rethinking and questioning everything. SO many Apple products and features have been initially met with "WTF is this", to "this should be the new standard" and the entire industry eventually adopting the change. 
    edited March 2018 StrangeDayswatto_cobrawilliamlondon
  • Reply 17 of 55
    wiseywisey Posts: 31member
    If you need to write, seriously write, you must have a Mac.  On a Mac, you can run multiple programs on multiple windows, deploy multiple screens, print to wired or wireless printers, use a variety of bibliographic programs, and use any font to your heart’s content.  More and more college students are using the Mac.  It is stable, runs fast, and does everything that a student does.  Apple did not refresh or lower the MacBook prices.  So, one should expect a jump in MacBook sales in 2018. How much of a jump, I don’t know.  It depends on the price and features.  However, the increased sales should be substantial.  An increase of 16% YOY would not be surprising since MacBook sales were languishing in 2017.  








    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 55
    irelandireland Posts: 17,800member
    danvm said:
    slurpy said:
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    95% of people in the real world have zero problems with the keyboard, touchbar, "dongle-hell", etc. It's a small, viciously vocal group on the internet that sets this narrative, backed by the anti-Apple cottage industry that makes a killing from anti-Apple articles, Youtube videos, etc. The new MBPs are fantastic, forward looking machines, easily the best I've ever owned. Keyboard takes a bit of getting used to, but I can now type FASTER, with less effort, and more quietly- I'd never go back. Also, this "dongle-hell" is a hyper-sensationalized, hilariously overblown narrative. Most people will at MOST need a $10 usb-C to usb-A adapter. Funny how I see tons and tons of the new MB/MBPs out in the wild, and literally zero "dongles. 

    But either way, continue with the "new Apple hardware is a disaster" narrative. It's not like it's an original thought- it's lazy, and people like you have been claiming this for the past couple decades with every new Mac update. 
    Personally I don't like the feedback in my MBP 2017.  In my line of work I have to work with different brand of notebooks, and Thinkpad's are still the best without question.  In quality, I have seen many posts of people with keyboards issues.  And many of those comments didn't came from anti-Apple people,

    https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/10/17/johnston-macbook-keyboard

    Again, Lenovo makes durable keyboards, and even they are spill resistant. 



    I don't understand the "getting used to".  Why do you need to get used to a good keyboard?  I didn't need to get used to Thinkpad keyboards or Apple trackpads.  They are good since the first day you work on them.  Maybe they aren't that good at all, and you just get used to it.
    Thanks for supplying that Gruber link. I’ve a MBA as my notebook and now feel more glad about it. That video on the Thinkpad’s spill protection is amazing. Apple should be all over this. Let my niece use my MBA but had to threaten to kill her if she spilt and liquid on the keyboard. Spill protection for notebook keyboards seems like a no-brainer in 2018.
    edited March 2018 canukstormwilliamlondon
  • Reply 19 of 55
    slurpy said:
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    95% of people in the real world have zero problems with the keyboard, touchbar, "dongle-hell", etc. It's a small, viciously vocal group on the internet that sets this narrative, backed by the anti-Apple cottage industry that makes a killing from anti-Apple articles, Youtube videos, etc. The new MBPs are fantastic, forward looking machines, easily the best I've ever owned. Keyboard takes a bit of getting used to, but I can now type FASTER, with less effort, and more quietly- I'd never go back. Also, this "dongle-hell" is a hyper-sensationalized, hilariously overblown narrative. Most people will at MOST need a $10 usb-C to usb-A adapter. Funny how I see tons and tons of the new MB/MBPs out in the wild, and literally zero "dongles. 

    But either way, continue with the "new Apple hardware is a disaster" narrative. It's not like it's an original thought- it's lazy, and people like you have been claiming this for the past couple decades with every new Mac update. 
    Spot on! I have that $6 usb-C to usb-A adapter for my 2017 MacBook (It's about 1" long). I've used it once when my work wifi went down and I had to print a document.

    That's it. I like the previous poster's comment, "charge at night, and use all day!" That's my MacBook experience, too! :)

    edited March 2018 StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 55
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,764member
    slurpy said:
    That's quite a bold statement given it's going to take something major for the 2015 MBP and even more for the 2012 Air users to upgrade given how bad the problems with the keyboards are, and waste of money touch bar, and dongle hell, and and and...
    Also, this "dongle-hell" is a hyper-sensationalized, hilariously overblown narrative. Most people will at MOST need a $10 usb-C to usb-A adapter. Funny how I see tons and tons of the new MB/MBPs out in the wild, and literally zero "dongles.
    Exactly.  I'd challenge anyone to name 3 commonly used peripherals which don't have good wireless versions (or alternatives) available.  The only one I can think of offhand is mass storage devices, and even then, the average person is moving to cloud storage because they're not really using all that much extra storage and the hassle of carrying and potentially breaking/losing a flash or external drive just isn't worth it.

    The fact is, some people just want to keep doing things the same way they've always done them for whatever reason.  Or they're in a niche usage scenario and believe the rest of the world is the same as they are.  I mean, I'd love Apple to include pro audio input/outputs on the MBP too, but I understand that the rest of the world doesn't want to pay extra and have a heavier machine for things they'll never use.  So I suck it up and buy an adapter for my niche.
    edited March 2018 StrangeDayswatto_cobra
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