Apple is expected to ship around 15 million MacBook and MacBook Pro units in 2017, a 10 percent increase over last year.
Sales will be boosted by new models that could feature Intel’s next-generation Kaby Lake processors and significant RAM increases.
Last year’s big overhaul, which brought thinner and lighter designs and the exciting new Touch Bar, made the 2016 MacBook Pro Apple’s fastest-selling pro machine to date. With Mac sales falling quickly earlier in the year, it couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
This year’s MacBook Pro refresh could have an even greater impact, according to a report from China’s Economic Daily News. With around 15 million units expected to ship this year, both Apple and its manufacturing partners will benefit from the 10 percent rise.
An earlier report from reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple’s next-generation MacBook and MacBook Pros will feature Intel’s newer and more efficient Kaby Lake processors for better battery life.
The 12-inch MacBook is expected to come with up to 16GB of RAM — twice as much as the 8GB currently offered — while a new 15-inch MacBook Pro could offer up to 32GB, finally giving pro users the power they need for things like video editing on the go.
These improvements are likely to “trigger a replacement trend among existing MacBook users,” reports Digitimes, citing “market watchers.” The new machines are expected to arrive sometime during the second half of 2017.
