Apple orders aluminum 13-inch MacBook shells, 3G iPhone chips

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Separate reports have revealed that Apple's next wave of products for 2008 is soon to enter various stages of production, with orders placed for aluminum shells for the company's next-generation 13-inch MacBooks and a manufacturer chosen for the iPhone's 3G chipset.



A worker at a Taiwanese case manufacturer posting to one of the Taiwan's largest technology forums claims (link withheld to protect identity) that his unnamed employer has just this week received orders to produce enclosures for new MacBook systems.



Having signed a non-disclosure agreement with Apple, the worker was hesitant to respond to questions on the matter from fellow members of the discussion forum, but did initially let slip that the order was for traditional aluminum-colored casings only.



The report appears to corroborate AppleInsider's source information on the subject, echoing assertions that white cases will disappear from the MacBook lineup, replaced instead by a silver, anodized aluminum enclosures reminiscent of those used in the MacBook Air and latest iMacs.



Few other details escaped along with the leak, though people familiar with Apple's plans have previously mentioned preserving the 13-inch screen and performing "trimming" around the borders of the next-gen notebooks, which should receive their makeover with their next update sometime in the second half of the year.



Meanwhile, DigiTimes cites Taiwan's Economic Daily News in reporting that United Microelectronics Corporation has been tapped as the manufacturer for the Infineon baseband processor for the 3G-capable iPhone.



The newspaper maintains that UMC will use a 65 nanometer plant to produce the chip, which (though mistakenly written as PMB878) is known to be the PMB8878 -- an integrated circuit which provides cellular data on HSDPA networks up to 7.2Mbps and is the source of the hidden SGOLD3 reference in the latest beta of Apple's iPhone 2.0 firmware.



Infineon's 2G, EDGE-only chipset for current iPhones is made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), according to the paper.



Neither EDN nor the factory worker have disclosed when the respective products are due to ship. Still, analysts tracking Infineon and other involved component makers have heard of spring production windows for iPhones, while numerous indicators have also suggest that MacBooks and MacBook Pros must wait until at least June, when Intel unveils Centrino 2 and vendors can begin using the next-generation mobile platform.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 149
    eduardoeduardo Posts: 181member
    Aluminum Macbooks? Umm, I still love my white Macbook but I can't wait to see the new notebooks! Hopefully they will sport an LED display.
  • Reply 2 of 149
    Quote:

    A worker at a Taiwanese case manufacturer posting to one of the Taiwan's largest technology forums claims (link withheld to protect identity)



    I hope this is a tongue-in-cheek rip of mainstream newspapers and their penchant for unnamed sources and the days of Deep Throat, because otherwise, WTF?
  • Reply 3 of 149
    ooooohhhhh goodie!!! :-D I cant wait! :-)
  • Reply 4 of 149
    sennensennen Posts: 1,472member
    AluMacBook sounds teh sexy!
  • Reply 5 of 149
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Aluminum Macbooks is an obvious next step, as is a revised MacBook Pro design with larger multi-touch trackpads for both machines. The thing I think Apple really need to do though, for more options and better sales to young and old alike is to do the aluminum, consumer Macbooks in 5 colors. Bring back the sexy please. Anodized, colored, aluminum, consumer Macbooks would be "killer"!



    They could do something rich and amazing!







    There's millions of colors and tones to choose from. They would likely go a little paler than this, but they could select 5 beauties.
  • Reply 6 of 149
    kreshkresh Posts: 379member
    How did AI get from



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    , but did initially let slip that the order was for traditional aluminum-colored casings only.



    to



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    replaced instead by a silver, anodized aluminum enclosures reminiscent of those used in the MacBook Air and latest iMacs.





    It sounds like the leaker is implying that the case is colored to simulate aluminum, like painted plastic or something. How cheap!
  • Reply 7 of 149
    Of course there's going to be a refresh. I just ordered my MacBook Pro. ConfirMEd!!!!!





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kresh View Post


    It sounds like the leaker is implying that the case is colored to simulate aluminum, like painted plastic or something. How cheap!



    I think it could be a reference to uncoloured, silver aluminum like the current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, rather than coloured, anodised aluminium like the iPod Nanos
  • Reply 8 of 149
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kresh View Post


    How did AI get from







    to









    It sounds like the leaker is implying that the case is colored to simulate aluminum, like painted plastic or something. How cheap!



    It doesn't sound like that at all. Anodized aluminum is exactly that, it's not plastic.



    But, if this is true, I wonder how it will impact the MBP sales. Unless their cases will undergo a drastic, easily noticed revision, these aluminum MB's will steal some sales.



    Quite a few people buy on looks, and if they can think these look like MP's, they will buy them instead.
  • Reply 9 of 149
    rogue68rogue68 Posts: 98member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    It doesn't sound like that at all. Anodized aluminum is exactly that, it's not plastic.



    But, if this is true, I wonder how it will impact the MBP sales. Unless their cases will undergo a drastic, easily noticed revision, these aluminum MB's will steal some sales.



    Quite a few people buy on looks, and if they can think these look like MP's, they will buy them instead.



    2 things:-



    1) Just because this is 13", doesn't mean it's for the MB. Could be MBP



    2) Could be that Apple will get rid of the visual distinction between MB and MBP completely and make the difference purely functional. That might mean making the MBP significantly more functional to appease bothered MBP users, but I don't think it'd be such a foolish decision.
  • Reply 10 of 149
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Perhaps to save costs, the outer shell will be aluminum, however, the inside (keyboard area, palm rests) will all be plastic, black or white.
  • Reply 11 of 149
    Myself and others are alergic to whatever Apple make their aluminium Macs from. If I even touch a MacBook Pro, (latest) iMac keyboard or the 12" PowerBook, my skin goes dry, cracks and begins to bleed within minutes. Have witnesses and photos to prove it. This does not happen when I touch any other aluminium object, such as a saucepan.



    Appalled by the MacBook Air, I bought an EEE PC to work alongside my (plastic) MacBook, as I really wanted a compact, lightweight portable and the air just does not cut it for many reasons, mainly associated with size (too much space wasted around edges of screen / keyboard), fact it was aluminium - and way overpriced.



    If Apple can ensure the case of this new 13" machine is coated with something to prevent alergies, then I'll be their first customer as my MacBook is getting old and the EEE PC while ideal for taking notes, checking email, is not a Mac.



    What say you Apple and forums peeps?
  • Reply 12 of 149
    kreshkresh Posts: 379member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    It doesn't sound like that at all. Anodized aluminum is exactly that, it's not plastic.



    As much as I want and hope that the new MacBook is aluminum, and anodized with several colors, the leaker did not say anodized aluminum.



    The quote was "traditional aluminum-colored casings only". What is the traditional case for the MacBook? Plastic of course, and term aluminum colored does not equate to anodized colors.



    I'll rephrase what I said, it seems like the leaker is implying a traditional plastic MacBook case that is aluminum colored.
  • Reply 13 of 149
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Clearly these people don't take their secrecy agreement seriously, so who's to say they take the rest of their contract seriously? F*ck 'em. Take the business elsewhere.
  • Reply 14 of 149
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rogue68 View Post


    2 things:-



    1) Just because this is 13", doesn't mean it's for the MB. Could be MBP



    2) Could be that Apple will get rid of the visual distinction between MB and MBP completely and make the difference purely functional. That might mean making the MBP significantly more functional to appease bothered MBP users, but I don't think it'd be such a foolish decision.



    The whole point to this story, and all the speculation here, even before this story, is that this IS a MB case. If it were a MBP case, there would be little story at all.



    The thing is that most pro users will buy on features, functionality, and power. Most others will buy on price and looks.



    I've known quite a few people over the years who didn't need a Powerbook (in the older days), or a MBP, but bought one because of the prestige.



    The same thing for PowerMacs, or now, Mac Pro's.



    But if the cheaper line looks close enough so that most people can't easily see the difference, those people will opt for the cheaper machine, because they don't need the pro machine.
  • Reply 15 of 149
    tomskitomski Posts: 1member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Pros must wait until at least June, when Intel unveils Centrino 2 and vendors can begin using the next-generation mobile platform.



    So what is this Centrino 2 all about? How much of an performance increase can we expect?
  • Reply 16 of 149
    bageljoeybageljoey Posts: 2,004member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kresh View Post




    It sounds like the leaker is implying that the case is colored to simulate aluminum, like painted plastic or something. How cheap!



    I took it a totally different way. I saw it as agreeing with the consensus that plastic was being phased out and the MB cases would indeed be aluminum, but that they would not be tinted or colored (or whatevver you do to get those bright colors like in Ireland's picture) as many people have speculated or hoped.



    The article first mentioned that they would be aluminum cases and later that they would (only) be aluminum-colored--i.e. not other colors like red or blue...
  • Reply 17 of 149
    jiffy isn't going to stop making peanutbutter because people are allergic to peanuts.
  • Reply 18 of 149
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wonderkid View Post


    Myself and others are alergic to whatever Apple make their aluminium Macs from. If I even touch a MacBook Pro, (latest) iMac keyboard or the 12" PowerBook, my skin goes dry, cracks and begins to bleed within minutes. Have witnesses and photos to prove it. This does not happen when I touch any other aluminium object, such as a saucepan.



    Appalled by the MacBook Air, I bought an EEE PC to work alongside my (plastic) MacBook, as I really wanted a compact, lightweight portable and the air just does not cut it for many reasons, mainly associated with size (too much space wasted around edges of screen / keyboard), fact it was aluminium - and way overpriced.



    If Apple can ensure the case of this new 13" machine is coated with something to prevent alergies, then I'll be their first customer as my MacBook is getting old and the EEE PC while ideal for taking notes, checking email, is not a Mac.



    What say you Apple and forums peeps?



    I've never heard of anyone being allergic to anodized aluminum, and I've done a lot of work with it, even having designed, and built one anodizer, for my own shop at home. It doesn't matter who makes the stuff, it's all the same. The only, unlikely possibility is that the sealer for the pores is nickel acetate, and is dangerous in use. But, there should be no residue in the finished product.
  • Reply 19 of 149
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kresh View Post


    As much as I want and hope that the new MacBook is aluminum, and anodized with several colors, the leaker did not say anodized aluminum.



    The quote was "traditional aluminum-colored casings only". What is the traditional case for the MacBook? Plastic of course, and term aluminum colored does not equate to anodized colors.



    I'll rephrase what I said, it seems like the leaker is implying a traditional plastic MacBook case that is aluminum colored.



    Well, actually, we don't really know. I reread the article, and it did say aluminum colored casings. I don't know if that's a quote, or just a paraphrase.



    If anyone here can read Chinese, and can get to that site, we would all be much obliged.
  • Reply 20 of 149
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    Clearly these people don't take their secrecy agreement seriously, so who's to say they take the rest of their contract seriously? F*ck 'em. Take the business elsewhere.







    Quite a curious thing to post on a site devoted to "insider" information!









    .
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