AppleInsider StaffMac NPD units were down 13 percent year-to-year in April, but Munster notes that it has been over a year since Apple's MacBook and iMac lines saw a "meaningful refresh" and sees sales rebounding following the release of new MacBooks and iMacs sometime before June. The MacBook Pro may be ripe for a major redesign as the most recent came four years ago in late 2008.
The initial numbers for April are similar to those of the previous quarter and appear to be soft, though in March actual Mac growth outpaced NPD's figures by 12 percent with a positive 7 percent year-to-year rate.
In March 2011, the yearly Mac refresh resulted in an acceleration of unit sales from the mid-teens to almost 50 percent year-over-year. Next generation MacBook Pros powered by Intel's new Ivy Bridge processors could see a rumored design overhaul which would combine the slim chassis of a MacBook Air with the power of a full-featured laptop.
It has also been speculated that the iMac will also receive minor design modifications while some reports suggest that Apple will offer a new anti-reflective display never before seen on a Mac desktop.
Munster agrees with Street consensus and estimates worldwide Mac sales to be up about 15 percent year-to-year in the quarter ending in June which amounts to 4.5 million units. PC sales will equate to approximately 15 percent of Apple's revenue for the quarter.
Looking ahead, Apple shares are expected to "react favorably" to the next-generation iPhone debut sometime in October. The new handset is seen to be the highlight product of the following two quarters and while the final design may not yet be decided, a third quarter launch is seen as likely.
As the impending iPhone readies for launch, purported device components like SIM card trays are beginning to leak from parts suppliers, the latest being a headphone jack, earpiece and Wi-Fi cable. A previous report saw a slightly modified home button that is supposedly destined for use in the next-gen handset.
Wesley Hilliard
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
Amber Neely
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14 Comments
Enough with the analysts already! These analyst stories are turning into the spam of Apple Insider...
In other news it's been confirmed that analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray spends his days reading tech forums to get info on the most likely Apple release dates.
Enough with the analysts already!
These analyst stories are turning into the spam of Apple Insider...
I know! I just want the next MacBook Pro out so I can get one already...
And while we're at it, let's start filtering all the Digitimes rubbish as well: http://techland.time.com/2012/05/14/digitimes-apple-rumors/2/ Kudos to '9 to 5 Mac' for having a little quality-control. From their site regarding the latest TV rumours: "Again, we did not run with the story, because we preferred to mock it instead via Twitter."
[quote name="SolipsismX" url="/t/150069/analyst-expects-macbook-refresh-by-june-next-gen-iphone-by-october#post_2109934"]In other news it's been confirmed that analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray spends his days reading tech forums to get info on the most likely Apple release dates.[/quote] So funny because it's so true. He knows nothing. Like the rest of us. Whatever the rumours, it is a sure thing that next generation MacBooks will be impressive. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas. Come on Santa launch this computers already.