Apple is reportedly reviving two of its forgotten products
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| © Provided by Quartz |
By Mike Murphy, Quartz
Apple appears to be dipping back into its greatest hits collection.
[post_ads]Bloomberg reported on August 20 that Apple will revive its Mac Mini desktop computer, and release a redesigned version of its MacBook Air laptop later this year. Apple’s computer sales have been surprisingly durable over the last few years, regaining the mantle as the company’s second-largest hardware division in 2016—behind the iPhone—and generating over $25 billion in the last four quarters alone.
The Mac Mini, a favorite for consumers looking to turn their TVs into streaming devices in the pre-smart-TV days, has not been updated at all in the last four years, and hasn’t had a design refresh in about eight years. The Mini is Apple’s cheapest desktop, starting at about $500 (though it doesn’t come with a monitor, keyboard, or mouse). This year’s model, Bloomberg reports, will be marketed to more “pro” users—the audience Apple targets with its Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, and iMac Pro devices—and will likely be more powerful, which could increase the price.
Apple appears to be dipping back into its greatest hits collection.
[post_ads]Bloomberg reported on August 20 that Apple will revive its Mac Mini desktop computer, and release a redesigned version of its MacBook Air laptop later this year. Apple’s computer sales have been surprisingly durable over the last few years, regaining the mantle as the company’s second-largest hardware division in 2016—behind the iPhone—and generating over $25 billion in the last four quarters alone.
The Mac Mini, a favorite for consumers looking to turn their TVs into streaming devices in the pre-smart-TV days, has not been updated at all in the last four years, and hasn’t had a design refresh in about eight years. The Mini is Apple’s cheapest desktop, starting at about $500 (though it doesn’t come with a monitor, keyboard, or mouse). This year’s model, Bloomberg reports, will be marketed to more “pro” users—the audience Apple targets with its Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, and iMac Pro devices—and will likely be more powerful, which could increase the price.
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| © Provided by Quartz |
Apple will also be revamping its MacBook Air, which has seen minor speed increases, but no real changes to its design in its 10-year history. The new version will apparently have a wider HD screen with less material around the edges, aligning it more closely in design to Apple’s other laptops. The Air has been the company’s cheapest laptop, starting at $1,000, for years, but the introduction of the more powerful MacBook model in 2015, which only costs $300 more, likely undercut sales of the Air. Apple wasn’t immediately available to comment on the report.
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The electronics giant will potentially unveil the new devices at its now-annual September event where it announces its newest iPhones, Bloomberg suggested. Although invites don’t appear to have gone out yet, it seems likely that the event will take place around Sept. 12.
No word on whether we’ll ever see another amazing iBook, though.
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The electronics giant will potentially unveil the new devices at its now-annual September event where it announces its newest iPhones, Bloomberg suggested. Although invites don’t appear to have gone out yet, it seems likely that the event will take place around Sept. 12.
No word on whether we’ll ever see another amazing iBook, though.
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