14 DAY TRIAL // KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting a modest MacBook refresh that is likely to occur at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10.
Kuo has released a research note regarding Apple’s potential roadmap for 2013.
“Contrary to our previous projection, we now think Apple will continue to make the MacBook Pro alongside the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro because the 13” MacBook Pro remains the most popular product in the MacBook line,” he outlines.
Kuo’s research indicated to KGI Securities that Apple’s non-Retina Macs are still hot in emerging markets where a broadband connection is considered a luxury, while optical media is still widely used.
The analyst specifically wrote, “…there is still demand in emerging markets, where Internet penetration isn’t advanced, for optical disk drives.”
According to Kuo’s note, cited by MacRumors, Apple will upgrade its entire MacBook line at WWDC, and the systems will start shipping soon thereafter.
He specifically noted that he doesn’t believe Apple will make a Retina MacBook Air, citing display bottlenecks as well as potential issues in putting the high-density displays in the chassis of Apple’s ultra-thin notebooks.
Kuo’s research note seems to corroborate claims from DigiTimes’ supply chain sources last week, who said Apple was preparing Haswell-based models for unveiling.
According to the April 25 report, “Apple's MacBook shipments in the second quarter are expected to grow 10% sequentially as the company has almost finished digesting its excess inventory and should start placing new orders in mid-May.”
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference begins on June 10 and lasts for four days. Tickets to the event sold out in under two minutes, according to various reports.
At WWDC, the company will also unveil new versions of iOS and OS X.