The rumor mill is now pointing towards new MacBooks and AirPods which will launch later this year.
Per Taiwanese website Economic Daily News, Apple suppliers are reportedly hurrying to increase capacity in preparation for the release of new MacBooks and AirPods in the second half of this year. Shipment momentum is expected to be “significantly stronger” from the third quarter of the year at the earliest, improving order fulfillment.
Supplier Shin Zu Shing produces bearings for Apple’s MacBooks, AirPods charging cases, and AirPods Max headbands, and is currently believed to be cooperating with Apple to supply bearings for new MacBook and AirPods products. The company is said to be struggling to meet demand, and has begun hiring additional manpower to expand production capacity.
The report didn’t specifically state which MacBooks and AirPods are expected to be released, but it’s thought that this could refer to a redesigned MacBook Pro notebook with Apple Silicon processors and third-generation AirPods.
Both upgraded devices were rumored to launch earlier this year but have yet to emerge. Other reports have explained this confusion around Apple rescheduling mass-production from May to June to the second half of the year amid shortages and technical issues.
The updated MacBooks are expected to push MacBook shipments to 23 million units for 2021, an annual increase of 15 percent. AirPod shipments are expected to decrease around 25 to 30 percent in the first half of 2021, the launch of an updated model may boost annual sales by 10 to 15 percent in the second half of 2021.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors and Economic Daily News