At its WWDC 2023 event, Apple saw fit to announce the new 15-inch MacBook Air alongside the new Vision Pro headset. The new MacBook Air featured the same design as that of the 13.6-inch MacBook Air but came in an enlarged form factor. While the machine was pretty well received by the tech community, 15-inch M2 MacBook Air shipments were reported to be 50 percent less than it was expected last month. There might be several reasons why the bigger MacBook Air is not selling well, and one of the reasons could be the overall decline in the global notebook market.
15-Inch MacBook Air shipments drop 50 percent in July due to the global decline in the notebook market
The larger 15-inch MacBook Air comes with a bigger 15.3-inch display packed in a similar enclosure to the 13.6-inch variant. Before the machine was announced, there did not exist a comparatively cheaper MacBook with a 15-inch display. To be fair, the device is priced only a little higher than the 13.6-inch variant, which is something that should have boosted the demand for the 15-inch model.
According to leaker Riceball on Twitter, the 15-inch MacBook Air shipments for July were down by 50 percent less than expected. The user suggests that the reason for the slump is the decline in the global notebook market due to poor sales. However, Apple has always stood above the market trend when it comes to dropping sales. The company's iPhone lineup is a prime example of the scenario.
Another reason could be the $1,299 price tag of the 15-inch MacBook Air. The 13-inch model is currently available at $1,099, which is $200 less than the bigger version. While the price is marginally higher compared to Windows laptops, users can opt for a higher-end machine with better performance. If Apple had updated the 15-inch MacBook Air with an M3 chip based on TSMC's 3nm process, the dynamics could have been different.
Other than this, the reason why the shipments of the 15-inch MacBook Air are low is due to the lack of innovation and exclusive features. As we have mentioned earlier, the larger MacBook Air essentially features the same design as the smaller version. Since the design, performance, and battery life is the same, users could potentially opt for a smaller version as it features a lower price.
Take note that the shipment declined by 50 percent for July, and conditions could improve for Apple when it releases the M3 MacBook Air models later this year. We have also recently covered that due to less demand for the machine, the company is forced to reduce production. If you are interested, you can get your hands on the new MacBook Air from Apple's online store as well as the Apple Stores.
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