Apple to release low-cost laptop, Mac Mini

APPLE will release a new lowcost laptop and a professional-focused upgrade to the Mac Mini desktop later this year, ending a drought of Mac computers that has limited sales of the company’s longest-running line of devices, according to people familiar with the plans.

The new laptop will look similar to the current MacBook Air, but will include thinner bezels around the screen. The display, which will remain about 13 inches, will be a higher-resolution “Retina” version that Apple uses on other products, the people said. They asked not to be identified discussing products still in development. Apple spokesperson Bill Evans declined to comment.

The current MacBook Air, which costs $1 000 (R14 400), remains Apple’s only laptop without a high-resolution screen. The MacBook Air was last updated with a faster processor option last year, but hasn’t seen a major overhaul in several years. The 12-inch MacBook launched in 2015 was seen as a replacement to the MacBook Air, but its $1 300 starting price put it out of reach for some consumers. The new MacBook Air will be geared toward consumers looking for a cheaper Apple computer, but also schools that often buy laptops in bulk.

Planning

When Apple releases new Macs in the US autumn, it often does so in October, following the launch of new iPhones. The company is planning to debut three new iPhones, Apple Watches with larger screens, and new iPad Pros later this year, other people familiar with the plans said.

The Mac has been a steady seller, representing more than 11 percent of Apple sales in the last fiscal year, ahead of the iPad.

However, some loyal users have complained that recent updates haven’t met their professional needs.

Apple has sought to address this by releasing a high-end iMac Pro and a new MacBook Pro with an updated keyboard and faster processor options.

Still, in the fiscal third quarter this year, the company said it sold 3.7 million Macs, the fewest in a quarter since 2010. And Apple lags other companies in the education market.

“HP and Lenovo have released products priced similarly to the MacBook Air, gaining share,” Shannon Cross, an analyst at Cross Research, said. “It should help them rebound some of their Mac sales. Things have been getting a bit long in the tooth as they’ve clearly been very focused on the iPhone.” – Bloomberg