Edible Apple

With Apple largely expected to revamp its MacBook Pro line in the coming months, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo writes for KGI Securities that Apple may also be phasing out its 17-inch model MacBook Pro due to weak sales.

Apple’s Mac business in 2Q12 will be boosted by several factors. Three of which are:

(1) Mountain Lion, which integrates iOS features with Mac OS, Apple TV’s interaction function, will be launched in June; (2) upgrading to Ivy Bridge; and (3) back-to-school demand. We forecast Apple will sell 5.32mn units of the Mac series (up 28.5% QoQ and 35.2% YoY) in 2Q12, making it the main growth driver.

We also predict Apple will roll out a fully new MacBook model in early 3Q12, boasting strong performance and easy carryability by combining the advantages of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

Since hitting the market a few years ago, the svelte MacBook Air quickly became one of Apple’s more popular models as consumers were quite interested  in the portability and thinness it offered compared to the bulkier MacBook Pro models with larger screens.

Kuo estimates that Apple, during the recent quarter, sold more 13-inch MacBook Pros than any other laptop model, and more than that, more than any other iMac model as well. All told, Kuo anticipates Mac sales to check in at 3.1 million units, which we should point out, is below the consensus on Wall Street.

via MacRumors