Apple is not scheduled to launch any new MacBook models this year, which will only mean that the fourth quarter shipments for 2023 will drop significantly, according to an analyst’s estimates. Fortunately, the situation may improve going into 2024, as the company is expected to announce new versions bearing the M3 chipset, but how far will just a silicon upgrade improve the firm’s hardware business is anyone’s guess.
MacBook shipments may only reach 17 million units in 2023, fourth quarter to see a major 35 percent decline
A bleak picture has been painted by TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, with his Medium blog post headline stating that MacBook shipments will witness up to a 35 percent decline in the fourth quarter compared to the same period a year ago. The 15-inch version of the MacBook Air was supposed to prop up shipments, but even that release did not yield much success as shortly after the back-to-school period, a shipments forecast of 20 percent or more was adjusted.
Overall, MacBook shipments for this year are said to decline by 30 percent compared to 2022, with Apple only managing to get a traction of 17 million units in 2023. Fortunately, 2024 might have a more positive outlook for Apple, as M3 models of its MacBook family are said to launch, so those numbers could see an improvement next year. However, Kuo remains skeptical of this release, implying that just chipset upgrades are not sufficient to maintain a shipment boost.
Earlier, the analyst stated that M3 orders were cut by Apple due to lower demand for the iPad and Macs. Once more, Kuo notes that with the work-from-home trend diminishing and the waning of features like the Apple Silicon and mini-LED technology, it is becoming increasingly difficult to continue appeasing customers who want MacBooks. Another factor is that the higher-end models carry a premium price to the total, making the average selling price of these models significantly higher than your Windows notebook.
These factors might also be why Apple is taking its sweet time in preparing the new iMac Pro, as such a product will hardly sell, especially in a global inflation period, where consumers are prioritizing their monthly expenses rather than going through with a purchase like this. In addition to the company’s Macs, even the iPad lineup is said to see a shipments decline of 23 percent in the fourth quarter, so not a lot is going in Apple’s favor, at least for now.
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