Apple is less than a week for its almost-traditional October launch event (and bullying the competition out of the way). The focus may be on the iPad and iPad Pro tablets, but new information confirms that something new is coming to the mac and MacBook families.
Four new model numbers have shown up in official regulatory filings made by Apple with the Eurasian Economic Commission.
Three numbers (A1993, A2115, and A2116) follow the naming schemes of the Mac line up, and sit alongside five updated Mac models which will now ship with macOS 10.14. The fourth number (A1932) sits next to five MacBook machines also with the latest macOS 10.14 software.
There have been a number of indications that Apple is working on another MacBook for the 2018 portfolio, even if Tim Cook and his team appear reluctant to push the deskbound system, instead it continues to place the focus on the iPad tablets (as an aside, if this is a combined iPad/Mac event I’m watching carefully to see how much time is given to the two pillars and how blurred the edges between ‘computing’ and ‘tableting’ will be).
Nevertheless the rumors and indications that a new MacBook is coming have persisted throughout 2018. As has the question of where this is going to sit in the portfolio. There’s no need for it at the high-end - the MacBook Pro has that comfortably covered. The mid-ranged MacBook sits nicely below the Pro machines. For me the only real place for a new MacBook is in the same space as the MacBook Air, as the $999 entry-level macOS machine.
While it may have been revolutionary when it was launched, the ultra thin and fashion aware laptop market is now awash with models from every manufacturer. The MacBook Air no longer stands out apart from the price point and the ‘on-ramp’ to this quiet neighbourhood of AppleVille.
All I hope is that Apple has made an effort and has thought through what a new MacBook actually needs to become a distinctive product in the market place. Show us that Apple can still think different and deliver.
What I worry is that we get a new MacBook Air (assuming that it keeps the ‘Air’ moniker) introduced in five minutes that simply updates the specification numbers to come close to the competition that leans on price as its only advantage, and then we get an hour about the new iPad and iPad Pro machines.
Now read more about Apple favouring iOS tablets over macOS laptops…
