According to a new report that surfaced just a day before Apple's WWDC 2022 event, we may have a locked amount of shipments for the highly anticipated MacBook Air 2022 update.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known and accurate analyst on Twitter, said in a new status update that the 2022 MacBook Air should see a shipment quantity of "6-7 million units if Quanta's capacity in Shanghai can return to the level prior to closing. before 3Q22.”
(2/2) The forecast for new MBA shipments in the second half of 2022 is 6-7 million units if Quanta Shanghai's capacity can return to pre-closing level before the third quarter of 2022. Delivery of the new MBA by two EMS (Quanta the first and Foxconn the second) should be better than the existing MacBook Pro 14"/16" (shipped only by Quanta). June 5, 2022
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The tweet went on to explain that the delivery system for the new MacBook Air should be an improvement over the current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models because two companies are running it. The first is Quanta and the second is Foxconn, compared to the current Pro laptops that only Quanta ships.
The main reason for these shipment delays is massive supply constraints, which are related to the current COVID-19 related lockdowns in China. These supply constraints have already cost Apple €6 billion in the last two quarters, and that amount could reach €8 billion.
The reopening of factories in Shanghai is key to the results of Apple and many other tech companies as we head into what should have been a good year for tech buying.
A combination of supply constraints that are driving up inflation around the world and worsening consumer confidence in the economy in many places makes it less likely that otherwise financially secure customers will seek to make large investments in technology.
If Apple's MacBook Air refresh doesn't spark interest at this launch, 7 million units shipped could be an optimistic estimate from Apple, and an estimate that could lead to a glut of MacBook Airs that fewer people are looking to buy right now. After all, units shipped are not the same as units sold.