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Apple’s serious miscalculation with the 15-inch MacBook Air

Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air placed on a desk.
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Did Apple overestimate demand for a larger MacBook Air? A recent report suggests Apple reduced orders from its supply chain, indicating sales of the largest budget MacBook fell short of expectations.

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According to DigiTimes, which specializes in supply chain news, 15-inch MacBook Air sales seem to be off to a bad start. People with knowledge of the matter are reported to say that Apple cut the shipment volume by half in July 2022.

Since Apple introduced the MacBook Air as a remarkably lightweight laptop, launching a large and relatively heavy version could prove to be a mistake. It’s only been a month, and the notebook market has slowed recently as a whole, so sales of Apple’s newest Mac, the 15-inch MacBook Air could pick up in the coming months.

Weight and cost could be a concern. The 15-inch MacBook Air weighs more than the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, which includes a fan to unlock greater performance. Both models sell for $1,299. The 15-inch MacBook Air costs $300 more than the entry-level 13.6-inch MacBook Air.

Apple MacBook Pro With Ventura Wallpaper and M2 Pro rendering
Apple / Apple

Making customers choose between performance and screen size could play a role in slower 15-inch MacBook Air sales. The 13.3-inch MacBook Pro’s specifications are nearly identical, but it has a battery life advantage, providing up to two more hours, includes a faster 67W charger, and weighs less.

The M2 chip update of the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro came in June 2022, and it does lack some of the 2023 MacBook Air’s features, such as thin bezels, six-speaker sound, improved Bluetooth 5.3, and a higher-resolution 1080p webcam in a notch.

All in all, it could be argued that choosing a MacBook in 2023 has become overly complicated. Confusing shoppers is a bad idea, but Apple has a chance to clear this up soon, as a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 processor could arrive earlier than expected.

Alan Truly
Alan Truly is a Writer at Digital Trends, covering computers, laptops, hardware, software, and accessories that stand out as…
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