Windows Laptop Makers 'Worried' About New MacBook Air Impacting Sales

The upcoming launch of Apple's redesigned MacBook Air with the M2 chip has some Windows laptop manufacturers "worried" that sales of Intel-based laptops will be negatively affected, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes.

intel go pc justin long
"A Wintel brand vendor pointed out that at a price point of US$1,000-$1,500, the MacBook Air will crowd out other high-end notebooks," the report claims, with "Wintel" referring to Windows laptops powered by Intel processors. The report added that "upgrades to the M2 processor, camera lens, and casing put the slight price increase of the new MacBook Air within an acceptable range for consumers."

Windows laptop makers are also concerned about weakening consumer sentiment driven by inflation and economic downturn, the report claims.

Pricing for the new MacBook Air starts at $1,199 in the United States, with the M2 chip offering up to 18% faster CPU performance and up to 35% faster graphics performance compared to the already impressive M1 chip in the previous model. Apple says the new MacBook Air will be available in July, with an order date expected to be announced soon.

In 2020, Apple announced that the Mac lineup would be transitioning from Intel processors to its own custom-designed silicon chips, with Apple promising industry-leading performance per watt. The transition is now nearly complete, with the only remaining Intel-based Macs sold being a higher-end Mac mini configuration and the Mac Pro tower, both of which are expected to be updated with Apple silicon chips later this year.

Apple silicon has been game changing for the Mac lineup. In 2020, benchmarks revealed that the $999 MacBook Air with an M1 chip outperformed a $2,999 maxed-out Intel-based 16-inch MacBook Pro. Likewise, the M2 chip is faster than the 8‑core Intel Xeon W processor in the base model Mac Pro tower, which starts at $5,999.

Last year, Intel ran ads promoting Windows PCs over Macs, and it even recruited former "I'm a Mac" actor Justin Long for the campaign. Meanwhile, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said his company would "fight hard" to "win back" Apple's business.

Tag: Intel

Popular Stories

Nineth iOS 19 Feature

iOS 19 Beta is a Month Away With These New Features for Your iPhone

Thursday May 8, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is just one month away, and there are already many new features and changes that are expected with it. Apple should seed the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Apple's Foldable iPhone Display Tech May Set New Industry Standard

Thursday May 8, 2025 3:29 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will feature a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product, claims a source with links to Apple's supply chain. According to the account yeux1122 on the Korean Naver blog, the foldable iPhone will use a custom display process for which Apple will hold branding trademark rights, and that meets Apple's stringent ...
siri glow

iPhone Users Now Able to Submit Claims in $95 Million Siri Spying Lawsuit

Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:40 am PDT by
If you owned a Siri-compatible device and had an accidental Siri activation between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024, you could be eligible for a payment from Apple as part of a class action lawsuit settlement. Apple in January agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit involving Siri spying accusations, and a website to distribute the funds has now been set up and...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

Tuesday May 6, 2025 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week. With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
airpods pro purple

Apple's Camera Equipped AirPods and Apple Watch Could Launch as Soon as 2027

Thursday May 8, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
Apple is working on versions of the AirPods and Apple Watch that incorporate a camera, and the devices could be ready to launch sometime around 2027, reports Bloomberg. Apple has developed a chip codenamed "Nevis" that will be used for its camera-equipped Apple Watch, while a chip codenamed "Glennie" will be incorporated into the AirPods. Apple is aiming to have the chips ready "by around...
fortnite apple featured

Epic Games Submits Fortnite to U.S. App Store

Friday May 9, 2025 9:57 am PDT by
As promised, Epic Games today submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and if approved by Apple, it will mark the first time that the Fortnite app has been available in the United States since 2020. Fortnite will include options to purchase in-app currency from the web rather than through in-app purchase, which is what got the game banned to begin with. This time, though, Apple has been...

Top Rated Comments

ChromeCloud Avatar
37 months ago
I guess it's time for the EU to regulate the market and force Apple to give their processors and license macOS to every other PC brand so that they can keep up. /sarcasm
Score: 77 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razor_Crest Avatar
37 months ago
I felt a great disturbance in the force, as if millions of consumers suddenly cried out in happiness, and then left Intel. I fear something amazing has happened.
Score: 75 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamw Avatar
37 months ago
They should all be worried about Apple. Hopefully the MacBook Air with M2 chip will not have same SSD reduced speed "feature" which Max Tech discovered the base model 13" MacBook Pro M2 has. Apple needs good press for all M2 Mac models, and Apple should not provide a reason for the tech press to bad mouth them, by using a downgraded, slower SSD chip design in their base M2 models.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
37 months ago
They should be worried. I haven't seen real innovation on the Windows laptop side in a while. A lot of new laptops are still shipping with low-DPI screens and CPUs that require loud fans to cool them when you do pretty much anything.

Apple Silicon Macbooks are absolutely ground-breaking. I really hope they end up kicking the rest of the industry into innovating again.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eagle_Eye Avatar
37 months ago
And they all should blame Intel for lack of innovation and optimization. If Intel acted earlier, this worrying wouldn't be necessary.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iBreatheApple Avatar
37 months ago
What’s different now than the past 10 years that makes them worry more?
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)