Apple Inc is to release a new low-cost 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 is to look similar to the current MacBook Air, but would include thinner bezels around the screen.
The display, which is to remain about 13 inches, is to be a higher-resolution “Retina” version that Apple uses on other products, the people said on condition of anonymity.
The MacBook Air, which costs US$1,000, remains Apple’s only laptop without a high-resolution screen. It was last updated with a faster processor option last year, but has not 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 US$1,300 starting price put it out of reach for some people.
The new MacBook Air would be geared toward users looking for a cheaper Apple computer and schools that often buy laptops in bulk.
When Apple releases new Macs in the fall, 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 past fiscal year, ahead of the iPad.
However, some loyal users have complained that recent updates have not 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 of this year, the company said it sold 3.7 million Macs, the fewest in a quarter since 2010.
Apple lags behind other companies in the education market.
Chromebooks, cheaper laptops running Google’s Chrome operating system, accounted for 60 percent of devices shipped to K-12 US education institutions in the final quarter of last year, according to Futuresource Consulting Ltd.
“HP and Lenovo (聯想) have released products priced similarly to the MacBook Air, gaining share, and in order to remain competitive in that price point, we think a form-factor change is necessary,” Cross Research analyst Shannon Cross said.
“It should help them rebound some of their Mac sales, as things have been getting a bit long on the tooth in terms of their Mac line,” she said.
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