Apple sub-notebook to retail for $1500, 3G iPhone by June - report
In a just-aired broadcast on CNBC, the network's Jim Goldman reported that a source close to Apple's manufacturing facilities has confirmed that the company will launch its much rumored sub-notebook at Macworld in January and that it will also have a 3G iPhone on store shelves by June at the latest.
Goldman's report on the new sub-notebook, which cited unnamed sources who have supposedly seen the product, mentioned several details first reported by AppleInsider over the past 12 months.
Among them are reports that the device will be 50 percent thinner than the company's existing MacBook Pro, employ NAND flash memory in place of a traditional hard disk drive, and that it will definitively arrive at Macworld.
Although Goldman did not specifically make mention of a manufacturing ramp, captions on CNBC accompanying his commentary suggested that production of the notebook had already begun. In addition, he did contribute one piece of new information, namely that the device is expected to be priced aggressively at approximately $1500. (It should be noted that Goldman referred to the device as sporting a 12-inch screen, but AppleInsider maintains that it will include a 13.3-inch display).
In his report, Goldman also added that Apple's iPod Touch is selling "far better than expected" during the current holiday shopping season, compelling one of the company's Asian manufacturing partners to increase production of the touch-screen-based media player to 5.1 million units for the current quarter.
Finally, Goldman said that while industry watchers have been expecting Apple to introduce a 3G capable iPhone by late 2008, his sources are suggesting that the device will be on store shelves by late May or early June at the latest.
A summary of Goldman's data points follows:
New 3G iPhone by late May, early June 2008.iPod Touch is selling better than expected this holiday season, with one of Apple's manufacturers increasing production to about 5.1 million units this quarter.New sub-notebook MacBook Pro.New sub-notebook 50 percent thinner.New sub-notebook employs flash memory instead of hard drive.New sub-notebook to retail for $1500.Apple declined CNBC's request for comment on the rumors.
A capture of the broadcast is available here.
Goldman's report on the new sub-notebook, which cited unnamed sources who have supposedly seen the product, mentioned several details first reported by AppleInsider over the past 12 months.
Among them are reports that the device will be 50 percent thinner than the company's existing MacBook Pro, employ NAND flash memory in place of a traditional hard disk drive, and that it will definitively arrive at Macworld.
Although Goldman did not specifically make mention of a manufacturing ramp, captions on CNBC accompanying his commentary suggested that production of the notebook had already begun. In addition, he did contribute one piece of new information, namely that the device is expected to be priced aggressively at approximately $1500. (It should be noted that Goldman referred to the device as sporting a 12-inch screen, but AppleInsider maintains that it will include a 13.3-inch display).
In his report, Goldman also added that Apple's iPod Touch is selling "far better than expected" during the current holiday shopping season, compelling one of the company's Asian manufacturing partners to increase production of the touch-screen-based media player to 5.1 million units for the current quarter.
Finally, Goldman said that while industry watchers have been expecting Apple to introduce a 3G capable iPhone by late 2008, his sources are suggesting that the device will be on store shelves by late May or early June at the latest.
A summary of Goldman's data points follows:
New 3G iPhone by late May, early June 2008.iPod Touch is selling better than expected this holiday season, with one of Apple's manufacturers increasing production to about 5.1 million units this quarter.New sub-notebook MacBook Pro.New sub-notebook 50 percent thinner.New sub-notebook employs flash memory instead of hard drive.New sub-notebook to retail for $1500.Apple declined CNBC's request for comment on the rumors.
A capture of the broadcast is available here.
Comments
-Clive
In his report, Goldman also added that Apple's iPod Touch is selling "far better than expected" during the current holiday shopping season, compelling one of the company's Asian manufacturing partners to increase production of the touch-screen-based media player to 5.1 million units for the current quarter.
Since the Munster reports Touches selling at 10%+ of iPod sales, if Apple sells 4mil+ Touches, 25 mil iPod sales this quarter seems conservative. I still think 30-35 mil iPods this quarter.
But 13.3", if sufficiently thin, would meet my needs.
I kind of hope it's more than $1500 just because I want all kinds of pro features packed in, like a real GPU and lit keys
If we can be certain of anything the sub-notebook will not have a dedicated GPU.
The lack of a dedicated GPU in a Macbook Pro seems to go against the whole point of buying a Pro, does it not? Aside from cosmetic differences and an express card slot, there is little difference between the Pro and the Macbook except a dedicated GPU.
Oh, surely there will be some kind of surprise.
Less than 13" would be awesome. So would an external optical drive to save space when you don't need it. So would a combination of a magnetic HD plus a fast/low-power flash unit.
But 13.3", if sufficiently thin, would meet my needs.
I kind of hope it's more than $1500 just because I want all kinds of pro features packed in, like a real GPU and lit keys
If it's only $1500, then it's just a better MacBook in a much slimmer form. I'm just hoping battery life doesn't suffer due to a slimmer profile (and thus, less space for the battery).
If it's only $1500, then it's just a better MacBook in a much slimmer form. I'm just hoping battery life doesn't suffer due to a slimmer profile (and thus, less space for the battery).
The battery-sucking hard drive will be gone. And it will use a LED-backlit display which is also easier on the battery.
Other than a "Wow, I wan't wait to see it!" factor I can't get excited over this. I need as much hard drive space possible.
Then you obviously don't need an ultraportable.
So add $$ to the cost to buy an external device.
Though it seems like a lot of people install from a server these days.
If it's just half-inch, that means the SuperDrive has been jettisoned, right?
I hope so.
Nagromme, you can kiss any kind of GPU goodbye with a 50% thinner form factor.
And...? Not everyone needs a discrete GPU.
The battery-sucking hard drive will be gone. And it will use a LED-backlit display which is also easier on the battery.
I think you've fallen for faulty conventional wisdom. Hard drives take very little power, accounting for like 5% of a typical notebook's power consumption. Even if you take away the hard drive, you still have the remaining 95% to contend with. CPU and screen are much greater factors.
If it's only $1500, then it's just a better MacBook in a much slimmer form. I'm just hoping battery life doesn't suffer due to a slimmer profile (and thus, less space for the battery).
It would need a lot less battery if it uses the U or L series Intel chips. The U series is rated for a third the power consumption but can still clock about half that of the T series. The L series consumes half the power of the T series but clocks at 2/3rds that of the T series. That allows for generally longer run times and for smaller batteries.
But.. an SD card slot seems like such an un-Apple solution.