Will the new MacBook debut on September 12? That might be up to Intel
Rumored chip shortages could impact Apple’s next laptop
The tech world is abuzz about a brand new MacBook Air or a reimagining of Apple’s MacBook for 2018 ahead of the company’s annual iPhone event, when such products have been revealed in the past ... but you might not want to hold your breath for a debut on September 12.
DigiTimes, speaking to anonymous industry sources, reports that Intel’s newly-announced, 8th-generation Amber Lake and Whiskey Lake processors are experiencing “serious shortages and could relatively affect vendors’ sales.”
Considering how far back Intel must have begun work on these processors to have announced them just a week ago along with a spate of new laptops at IFA 2018, it’s more than likely that the aforementioned new MacBook will rely on one of the Amber Lake (i.e. new Core M and Y series) processors.
There have been no improvements to Intel’s M or Y series processors, which are used exclusively in Apple’s current 12-inch MacBook lineup, between when the most current MacBook released in 2017 and now. So, there’s little chance that Apple would release a new MacBook with the same processor as before.
If Intel truly is having trouble keeping up with demand for the chips, then that could leave Apple with fewer MacBook units than it would want to launch with. Therefore, it’s possible that September 12 will not be the day we see this long-rumored Apple laptop, but rather sometime in October or early November, as has been the case for past Mac hardware launches.
If you ask us, the more time that Apple has to keep that MacBook in the oven, the better – the competition is absolutely fierce out there these days.
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Via BGR
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Joe Osborne is the Senior Technology Editor at Insider Inc. His role is to leads the technology coverage team for the Business Insider Shopping team, facilitating expert reviews, comprehensive buying guides, snap deals news and more. Previously, Joe was TechRadar's US computing editor, leading reviews of everything from gaming PCs to internal components and accessories. In his spare time, Joe is a renowned Dungeons and Dragons dungeon master – and arguably the nicest man in tech.