Tech giant Apple might be releasing a 13.3-inch laptop along with the 11-inch OLED iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, according to a new report by analyst Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants and reported on by AppleInsider. Although he expects it to be a MacBook Air, Young said it could also be a MacBook Pro -- or something completely different.
Young also states that the OLED devices would use a technique called "tandem stack," which could decrease power consumption by up to 30%, increase brightness, and extend the display’s lifespan.
Analysis: Can you have too many MacBooks?
This isn’t the first rumor to emerge of a new Apple laptop after its WWDC 2022 event. There were also stirrings in the grapevine about a 15-inch MacBook Air and a 12-inch laptop coming sometime in 2023.
But this addition would mean that Apple is really stacking its deck, since we already have the MacBook Air (M2) and MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2) coming out, and many of the best MacBook models from the Intel-era are still available for purchase on many retail sites. And while it’s understandable that it would want to cover all its market bases, it risks oversaturating its own market and causing fatigue among its own fanbase with the sheer number of laptop choices alone.
There’s also the continued supply chain issues, which have been occurring due to COVID-related lockdowns and the global chip shortage. Any future issues could constraint Apple’s product releases, which have already been seeing shipping delays on its 14-inch and 16-inch machines, so introducing yet another MacBook into the mix might not be as available even for those who do want to buy it for a long time to come.
