The much-anticipated 15-inch MacBook Air is reportedly set for an official announcement at WWDC next month. Ahead of that, a new report from DigiTimes highlights that Apple suppliers are in full swing preparing for the launch and have already stockpiled the new machine.

The 15-inch MacBook Air is almost here

Today’s report corroborates what we’ve heard from previous reports, including ones from Bloomberg, in saying that the 15-inch MacBook Air will be officially unveiled at WWDC next month.

As you’d expect, the report adds that Apple suppliers have “already begun stocking up” on the 15-inch MacBook Air to fulfill the initial wave of demand.

Even though the 15-inch MacBook Air will mark the first big-screen MacBook Air in Apple’s history, the company is apparently not confident in initial shipments. “Pull-in momentum has not been as strong compared with previous new products,” DigiTimes reports citing anonymous industry sources.

The report predicts that MacBook shipments for Q2 will come in at around 5.19 million units, which is “up from 4.1 million in the first quarter” for a “sequential increase of 26.6%.”

MacBook shipments are expected to recover in the second half of the year. “Apple is expected to launch new MacBooks in the second half that are rumored to be equipped with 3nm chips, which could stimulate buying momentum,” the report explains.

As usual, however, Apple is expected to still end the year better off than its competitors. “Sources pointed out that non-Apple products have seen an even greater decline than Apple in 2023, indicating that Apple’s market share is growing,” the report says.

In terms of the broader market, DigiTimes says that around 30% of all laptop shipments from Taiwanese manufacturers are of 15-inch screen sizes. In the past, this market has been dominated by Windows machines powered by Intel chipsets, but Apple now has the opportunity to “seize marketshare” from those companies with the 15-inch MacBook Air.

Source - 9to5Mac