15-Inch MacBook Air Demand Reportedly 'Weaker Than Expected' So Far

Initial customer demand for the new 15-inch MacBook Air has been "weaker than expected," according to a DigiTimes report citing sources within Apple's supply chain. The report claims that 15-inch MacBook Air shipment volume in July has been 50% less than originally estimated amid a broader downturn in the notebook market.

MacBook Air 15 Inch Feature Blue
As a result of this "poor start," the report claims that some Apple suppliers have requested a reduction in 15-inch MacBook Air shipments.

Launched at WWDC last month, the 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,299 and has the same design and M2 chip as the 13-inch model, but with a larger display and two extra speakers. It is the first time that Apple has offered a 15-inch display for the MacBook Air, which was previously only available in 13-inch and discontinued 11-inch size options.

It's unclear if 15-inch MacBook Air demand has met Apple's own internal expectations so far. Apple is set to report its third quarter earnings results on August 3, and it may share some comments about the laptop then. Other new Macs launched during the quarter included spec-bumped Mac Studio and Mac Pro models.

The report claims that the MacBook supply chain can look forward to the "upcoming announcement" of a new MacBook Pro, without providing any additional details. The publication previously claimed that Apple plans to release a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip later this year. The M3 chip is widely expected to be fabricated with TSMC's 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements compared to the 5nm-based M2 chip in the existing 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

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Top Rated Comments

a m u n Avatar
13 months ago
That’s because when you configure it to a decent setup, it ends up costing nearly as much as a last-generation 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Score: 70 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4odomi Avatar
13 months ago
The main issue is the base configuration, No one in their right mind will be purchasing 8gb 256gb any more, I'm just a normal user and 256gb is too small for me, I can live with 8gb at the moment, however even I know I need 16gb for future proofing. At £1700 for that config, it's just not good value, compared to 14" Pro.
The next issue is the M2 chip, basically it's just an over clocked M1 with the addition of a media engine, (most buyers of this machine aren't creators), so most buyers like me are waiting for the M3 chip. Consumers these days are too smart to fall for the usual hype.
The final issue is; once you get past the bigger screen, it's compromised at every level compared to the Pro's... Screen, speakers, Pro Motion, Camera, IO's.
Like I said, I'm just a normal user not a pro and the only upgrade I'm considering is the M3 14" or 16" pro.
Once you you get to 16gb & 512gb the 15" is just not value for money.
I said from day one, it was not as good as the hype and these sales figures don't surprise me.
Score: 69 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surfzen21 Avatar
13 months ago
Give us that M3 chip and demand will go up.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
13 months ago
This info is from DigiTimes, so I expect an article directly contradicting it within the week.
Score: 57 Votes (Like | Disagree)
markfc Avatar
13 months ago
Crazy expensive for what it is. Was going to replace my Mid 2015 15" MacBook Pro till I found out it can only handle 1 external display. ?
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrat93 Avatar
13 months ago
I bet sales would be higher if they didn’t nearly double the price for $200-worth of memory/storage upgrades.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)