Apple planning for new MacBook Airs in July, A6 processor in 2012, and 15M iPhone 5s
Apple's component suppliers have begun taking the necessary steps to begin volume production of new MacBook Airs next month as rumors swirl over which firm will secure a deal to manufacture the company's next-generation mobile processor, dubbed the A6.
Thunderbolt MacBook Airs
Citing sources in Apple's upstream supply chain, DigiTimes reported Friday that component suppliers for the Mac maker will "will run in full gear" next month, preparing parts and components for the company's new generation of MacBook Airs due to launch this summer.
The report corroborates a July time-frame for the Thunderbolt-equipped notebooks first published by AppleInsider this month, citing its own sources. Those sources added that the new Airs have been cleared for production for some time, but that Apple management is unwilling to introduce any new Mac models to market until the company can image the computers with a finalized copy of Mac OS X Lion, similarly due next month.
Shipments of new MacBook Airs are expected to help push Apple's 2011 notebook production to a total of 15 million units, up from a previously estimated 13 million.
"Shipments of parts and components for MacBook lineups totaled an equivalent of 2.2-2.4 million MacBooks in June, and orders for July are likely to top 2.7-2.8 million units," DigiTimes wrote in its report, citing sources.
However, the same report somewhat dubiously suggests Apple will "take deliveries of over eight million MacBook Airs in the third quarter" of the year, which would represent a more than two-fold increase in quarterly notebook shipments for the Cupertino-based company before even its flagship MacBook Pro line was factored in.
Only twice has Apple surpassed the 4 million milestone for Macs shipped in a single calendar quarter, and in both cases by a small margin, making an estimate of eight million MacBook Airs in a single quarter seem far-fetched, and likely erroneous.
For its part, AppleInsider cited its own sources as saying Apple's initial production run of Thunderbolt MacBook Airs will come in around 400,000 units during their first month on the market, yielding an expected quarterly run rate of just north of 1 million units.
Apple's A6 processor
Meanwhile, a second report published by the Chinese-language Commercial Times on Friday offers the first hints towards a time-frame for Apple's third-generation mobile processor, dubbed the A6.
According to the report, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) "stands a good chance of winning orders" for the A6, which is scheduled to turn up in Apple's 6th-generation iPhone and 3rd-generation iPad sometime in 2012.
Such a move would signal a loss for Samsung Electronics, which Apple has partnered with for the production of the A4, which found its way in the iPhone 4, and A5, which made its debut inside the second-generation iPad and is expected to turn up in the iPhone 5 later this fall.
First month iPhone 5 production
If DigiTimes' sources are accurate, Apple will split an initial production run of iPhone 5s this fall between Foxconn and Pegatron Technology, who will reportedly combine to manufacture a total of 15 million units ahead of launch and through the handset's first 4 weeks on the market.
Thunderbolt MacBook Airs
Citing sources in Apple's upstream supply chain, DigiTimes reported Friday that component suppliers for the Mac maker will "will run in full gear" next month, preparing parts and components for the company's new generation of MacBook Airs due to launch this summer.
The report corroborates a July time-frame for the Thunderbolt-equipped notebooks first published by AppleInsider this month, citing its own sources. Those sources added that the new Airs have been cleared for production for some time, but that Apple management is unwilling to introduce any new Mac models to market until the company can image the computers with a finalized copy of Mac OS X Lion, similarly due next month.
Shipments of new MacBook Airs are expected to help push Apple's 2011 notebook production to a total of 15 million units, up from a previously estimated 13 million.
"Shipments of parts and components for MacBook lineups totaled an equivalent of 2.2-2.4 million MacBooks in June, and orders for July are likely to top 2.7-2.8 million units," DigiTimes wrote in its report, citing sources.
However, the same report somewhat dubiously suggests Apple will "take deliveries of over eight million MacBook Airs in the third quarter" of the year, which would represent a more than two-fold increase in quarterly notebook shipments for the Cupertino-based company before even its flagship MacBook Pro line was factored in.
Only twice has Apple surpassed the 4 million milestone for Macs shipped in a single calendar quarter, and in both cases by a small margin, making an estimate of eight million MacBook Airs in a single quarter seem far-fetched, and likely erroneous.
For its part, AppleInsider cited its own sources as saying Apple's initial production run of Thunderbolt MacBook Airs will come in around 400,000 units during their first month on the market, yielding an expected quarterly run rate of just north of 1 million units.
Apple's A6 processor
Meanwhile, a second report published by the Chinese-language Commercial Times on Friday offers the first hints towards a time-frame for Apple's third-generation mobile processor, dubbed the A6.
According to the report, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) "stands a good chance of winning orders" for the A6, which is scheduled to turn up in Apple's 6th-generation iPhone and 3rd-generation iPad sometime in 2012.
Such a move would signal a loss for Samsung Electronics, which Apple has partnered with for the production of the A4, which found its way in the iPhone 4, and A5, which made its debut inside the second-generation iPad and is expected to turn up in the iPhone 5 later this fall.
First month iPhone 5 production
If DigiTimes' sources are accurate, Apple will split an initial production run of iPhone 5s this fall between Foxconn and Pegatron Technology, who will reportedly combine to manufacture a total of 15 million units ahead of launch and through the handset's first 4 weeks on the market.
Comments
Such a move would signal a loss for Samsung Electronics, which Apple has partnered with for the production of the A4, which found its way in the iPhone 4, and A5, which made its debut inside the second-generation iPad and is expected to turn up in the iPhone 5 later this fall.
Awwww.......couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of copycats! Buh bye, Samsung!
Did copying us make money for you? In the long run?
Har! Didn't think so...
Such a move would signal a loss for Samsung Electronics, which Apple has partnered with for the production of the A4, which found its way in the iPhone 4, and A5, which made its debut inside the second-generation iPad and is expected to turn up in the iPhone 5 later this fall.
Stick it to Samsung! Though wish they went to Intel for fabrication.
Next, replace the Samsung-sourced memory and flash chips with chips from other suppliers. Samsung is evil.
Stick it to Samsung! Though wish they went to Intel for fabrication.
Next, replace the Samsung-sourced memory and flash chips with chips from other suppliers. Samsung is evil.
Evil? Really? Apple will continue to do business with Samsung for the foreseeable future. They're a good company that make good products.
Stick it to Samsung! Though wish they went to Intel for fabrication.
Next, replace the Samsung-sourced memory and flash chips with chips from other suppliers. Samsung is evil.
Easier said than done.
In the mid- to long-term however, Apple needs to rid itself of "knock-off Nigel" parasitic vendor-manufacturers like Samsung.
According to the report, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) "stands a good chance of winning orders" for the A6, which is scheduled to turn up in Apple's 6th-generation iPhone and 3rd-generation iPad sometime in 2012.
Calm down people, read the paragraph again slowly, perhaps breathe into a paper bag. It doesn't say that Apple have abandoned Samsung, just that they're diversifying their processor production. It's entirely possible that Samsung are hitting supply limits, or Apple want a bit of pricing leverage over them, either way - Samsung will remain a substantial supplier.
Calm down people, read the paragraph again slowly, perhaps breathe into a paper bag. It doesn't say that Apple have abandoned Samsung, just that they're diversifying their processor production. It's entirely possible that Samsung are hitting supply limits, or Apple want a bit of pricing leverage over them, either way - Samsung will remain a substantial supplier.
I'm sure you're right. The processor is pretty much the only device in Apples mobile range that they don't have multiple supplier options for and they will have less price leverage as a result.
If you've got the volume, and you are a fabless chip company, you may as well use multiple suppliers.
Bah. I hate that the Apple execs want to wait to flash the MBA's with Lion because they're not sure how quickly people will upgrade to Lion, even though it's free. So now with the Air's shipping with Lion, their Lion install base numbers will be guaranteed to be larger. Damn them for delaying the release. I know numbers appeal to stockholders, I just want my MBA now!
Apple doesn't do things, at least directly, to appease shareholders. Most consumers are not aware that Lion is imminent, thus they would be pretty annoyed if they bought a computer then a month later had to upgrade the OS in order to benefit from iCloud, etc. Apple would rather just wait and sell a fully loaded, updated computer. If Apple listened to the cries of shareholders, they would have split their stock, paid a dividend, released Jobs' health records, etc, etc.
Bah. I hate that the Apple execs want to wait to flash the MBA's with Lion because they're not sure how quickly people will upgrade to Lion, even though it's free. So now with the Air's shipping with Lion, their Lion install base numbers will be guaranteed to be larger. Damn them for delaying the release. I know numbers appeal to stockholders, I just want my MBA now!
Wow, really?
Bah. I hate that the Apple execs want to wait to flash the MBA's with Lion because they're not sure how quickly people will upgrade to Lion, even though it's free. So now with the Air's shipping with Lion, their Lion install base numbers will be guaranteed to be larger. Damn them for delaying the release. I know numbers appeal to stockholders, I just want my MBA now!
So go get one. They're selling them right now.
iOS 6 in 18-24 months. Will be better than Android/WebOS/Windows
OS X 10.8 to be released in 18-24 months. Code name to be confirmed but initial sources say Big Cat
iPhone 6 on track for 2012 Q3/Q4. Will be faster, thinner, lighter and of course much cooler
Next years iMac/Macbook/Mac Pro refreshes to be faster than current models
2012 will be an insane year.
OS X 10.8 to be released in 18-24 months. Code name to be confirmed but initial sources say Big Cat
Everyone knows me as a pessimist about Apple stuff. Just throwing that out there.
I don't think that the quoted sentences can even be said to be confirmed anymore. 10.8 existing at all is debatable.
I can't wait to see how an A6 Air stacks up against a sandy-bridge Air.
2012 will be an insane year.
That actually isn't a mystery. The next revision of the ARM core is expected to perform at about the level of an Intel Core Duo processor. So in terms of stacking up against a Sandy Bridge, it doesn't. The two are in completely different ballparks.
Everyone knows me as a pessimist about Apple stuff. Just throwing that out there.
I don't think that the quoted sentences can even be said to be confirmed anymore. 10.8 existing at all is debatable.
Given my (obviously) limited participation on the forum here, I'm not really sure how to take that comment.
Apple will continue to do business with Samsung for the foreseeable future. They're a good company that make good products.
I agree with the first sentence, but not the second. Corporations are like wild animals, they are neither good nor bad. They have no conscience or morality in the same sense individual humans do. Like animals they operate primarily out of self-interest. If you feed them they take it, if you don't they may eat you.
Given my (obviously) limited participation on the forum here, I'm not really sure how to take that comment.
With a grain of salt, as you should be taking EVERY comment about future Apple products.
I take the pessimistic view so that I'm never disappointed when (read: since) Apple doesn't live up to rumors' expectations. If enough people read my posts and believe the same, they'll also not be disappointed (read: they won't whine endlessly about it once the actual product comes out).
That actually isn't a mystery. The next revision of the ARM core is expected to perform at about the level of an Intel Core Duo processor. So in terms of stacking up against a Sandy Bridge, it doesn't. The two are in completely different ballparks.
Thanks for your speculation, but I can't wait to see how an A6 Air really stacks up against a sandy-bridge Air.
Thanks for your speculation, but I can't wait to see how an A6 Air really stacks up against a sandy-bridge Air.
Why do you believe there will ever be a product under the Mac family name running an ARM processor?
Put another way, Apple putting iOS in a laptop form factor is as likely as Apple porting full OS X to ARM. Not happening.
If that happens... holy hell...