Apple’s “Scary Fast” launch event on October 30 took everyone by surprise for taking place earlier than usual. The announcement put a spotlight on new MacBook Pro models powered by M3 chips, and a new report says the launch may have been rushed to cover for poor MacBook sales.
Apple’s Q3 2023 MacBooks sales took a hit, which might have forced a rushed announcement. According to data sourced from Gartner, Apple’s shipments for Mac devices dipped by an alarming 24.2% compared to the same period last year.
As a result, Apple’s share in the PC market also slumped by 11.7%, putting it down to single digits at 9.7%. This makes it clear that Apple users have stopped upgrading their laptops regularly. Not to mention, global inflation is also at play here, hindering customers’ ability to purchase newer MacBooks.
Furthermore, the M2 SoC, despite being a clear upgrade over the M1 lineup, just wasn’t enough for people to warrant an upgrade. The chipset failed to deliver notable upgrades both in terms of power efficiency and performance.
Now Apple is hoping that the new M3 chip along with a new Space Black color, a 120Hz ProMotion mini-LED panel, and design improvements are enough to attract buyers. The new MacBook Pro lineup comes in 14″ and 16″ sizes, both of which offer M3 chips. The smaller laptop features the standard M3 and M3 Pro SoC, while the bigger variant comes with M3 Pro and M3 Max options. Compared to the M2, only the M3 Max offers the biggest upgrade over its predecessor.
The M3 chips are also present in the new 24″ iMac. All of these devices are set to reach customers next week.
