O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: notebook

  • Rumor: Apple adds Wingtech Technology to next-gen MacBook Air suppliers, brings company back into the fold

    Rumor: Apple adds Wingtech Technology to next-gen MacBook Air suppliers, brings company back into the fold

    Apple has reportedly added a third contract manufacturer to help produce its MacBook notebook that will handle assembly orders for the upcoming M2-based MacBook Air.

    China-based Wingtech Technology, which was previously on the outs with Apple, has won the contract for the upcoming ultralight notebook. The company joins Quanta Computer and Foxconn in what is now a trio of firms in Apple’s MacBook supply chain. 

    Wingtech had been in the doghouse with Apple due to manufacturing poor quality products. Per Chinese media reports in May, Wingtech was delisted by Apple from its front-facing camera module supply chain because of the flawed output, a rumor the supplier has dismissed.

    The upcoming MacBook Air will feature an M2 chip, a redesigned unibody enclosure, a brighter display with a notch, new color options like Starlight and Midnight, MagSafe charging, a 1080p camera, and more.

    Apple’s next-gen MacBook Air will debut sometime in July, though no specific date has been provided by the company. Pricing will begin at $1,199 in the United States, and the previous-generation ‌MacBook Air‌ with the M1 chip will remain available for $999.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and DigiTimes

  • Apple offers bonus trade-in credit until May 31st

    Apple offers bonus trade-in credit until May 31st

    Only one week after lowering its estimated trade-in values for many of its products, Apple has launched a bonus program until of the month. Until May 31st, the company is offering a bit more for its devices to make up for some of the shortfall.

    The offer is valid in the U.S., U.K, Germany, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, India, and France until May 31.

    Users trading in devices in the U.K. can receive up to 50 pounds more for specific iPhone and Pad models, and up to 30 pounds for Mac and Apple Watch devices. In the U.S., the bonuses are up to $50 for iPhones and iPads. Apple Watch trade-ins get an additional $40, and that Mac is worth an extra $10.

    Upon trade-in, the bonus trade-in credit is automatically applied to Apple’s offer. As such, the estimated trade-in value for an iPhone 12 Pro Max goes up to $700, while the estimate goes up to $350 for an iPhone 12 mini. Certain iPads could be worth up to $695 via the trade-in credit, including the bonus.

    All of this is also dependent on the condition of the advice in question. The offer is available at many Apple Store retail locations and users can also do it all online, mailing their device using a prepaid trade-in kit Apple sends along to them. With that route, users will either get the trade-in credit as a reduction in your monthly installment (if they pay with Apple Card), or it will be refunded to their original payment method if you they for the new device in full.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer and Apple

  • High-end MacBook Pro, other Apple products see shipping delays following most recent COVID-19 lockdown in China

    High-end MacBook Pro, other Apple products see shipping delays following most recent COVID-19 lockdown in China

    It’s two steps forward and one step back with the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The most recent lockdown in China has already begun impacting the production, shipping, and availability of some Apple products, including the higher-end MacBook Pro. Other devices, such as the third-generation iPhone SE, seem unaffected, albeit this may be due to lackluster demand for the handset.

    At least three key Chinese suppliers are affected by the current lockdown and noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo offered the following report as to how this is affecting Apple:

    “The delivery status of the new iPhone SE made exclusively by Pegatron remains “in stock” on Apple’s online stores in many countries after the China lockdown, implying that the current inventories can still meet lackluster demand. Conversely, the delivery time of high-end MacBook Pros (Quanta as the sole supplier) that have been in good demand since launch has roughly increased by 3-5 weeks after the China lockdown.”

    Earlier Wednesday, it was noted that some base-model iPad Air models had delivery dates estimated for longer, although it doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.

    If you’ve seen shipping or estimated receiving delays on your end, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via 9to5Mac and @mingchikuo

  • macOS Monterey 12.3 update reportedly bricking the Macs of some users with replacement logic boards

    macOS Monterey 12.3 update reportedly bricking the Macs of some users with replacement logic boards

    This is why they release firmware updates.

    A number of users have reported that Apple’s new macOS Monterey 12.3 update is bricking some Macs that have had their logic boards replaced.

    The macOS Monterey 12.3 update, released on Monday, is reportedly causing problems for users attempting to update from macOS 12.2.1 or earlier. According to support forum posts, users are seeing errors, endless restart loops, and possible bricking of their devices.

    Reports indicate that only Mac devices with a replacement logic board are affected by the issue.

    Reports have indicated that in addition to bricking some Macs, an affected Mac could also reboot without the update being successfully installed. In these cases, users report seeing an “iBoot Panic” message.”

    Users can reportedly fix the issue by attaching a second Mac to the affected Mac, booting into DFU mode, and reviving it manually.

    Other users have reported successfully installing macOS Monterey 12.3 via a second Mac by replacing the IPSW files of the Mac with a replacement logic board.

    In other cases, users who have taken their Macs to Apple for service say that technicians simply replaced the logic board on their devices again. Unfortunately, the second repair apparently doesn’t do anything to mitigate the problem.

    Apple has yet to officially acknowledge the issue.

    On Tuesday, reports surfaced of macOS Monterey 12.3 causing performance or speed issues for users that rely on PCI-E external GPUs.

    If you’ve encountered any issues with your Mac since the macOS Monterey 12.3 update, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via AppleInsider and support.apple.com

  • Apple beginning to catch up with order backlog for 2021 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro notebooks

    Apple beginning to catch up with order backlog for 2021 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro notebooks

    It’s been a long slog, complete with a pandemic and global supply chain issues, but Apple is now reported to be catching up to demand for its 2021 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, complete with wait times in lower-end configurations substantially improving over the last month in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

    The back log, which had customers facing delays of several weeks before they were estimated to receive either model notebook, has been cleared through, and customers can get their hands on either model in their baseline configurations in two weeks or less.

    Estimated deliveries for both with the M1 Pro chip are now just five to seven days or up to at least two weeks at the time of writing. However, the supply improvement stops short with only the ‌M1 Pro‌ chip, as M1 Max configurations of both sizes remain limited, with estimates indicating orders won’t arrive until at least early April.

    If you’ve found yourself in a position where you have a substantial wait for your 2021 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro notebook, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors