A sketchy report dating back to July of last year suggested that we’d see a new range of MacBook Air colors this year. This was given new life a month later when it was backed by Ming-Chi Kuo.
The pastel colors offered by the new iMac rekindled excitement about the idea, and many of us could see the merits in Apple offering same color choice for the MacBook Air. But Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently warned not to get too excited …
Background
Reports that Apple was planning to offer a redesigned MacBook Air in a range of colors did make sense to me.
This could do a lot to persuade existing MacBook Air owners to upgrade. For the first time since the Air was launched, they can get a completely new look. Not just space gray or gold, but some totally new pastel shades.
Many will upgrade because they love one of the new colors, while the cool kids will do so to be seen to be using the latest model rather than an older one.
Between the fantastic battery life of M1 (and M2) chips, and the new design, the new machines are going to fly off the shelves.
But there’s an additional factor, which I think could also boost Apple’s bottom line: those white bezels.
Many don’t care. White or black, it’s all the same to them. But there’s a significant minority of people who do care, either because they find white bezels distracting, or simply because they don’t like the aesthetics. Some of those people will be willing to pay the premium for a base-model MacBook Pro even if they don’t need the additional power. More money in Apple’s coffers.
Parker Ortolani agreed, and showed us how lovely they could look (for those who don’t mind the bezels).
MacBook Air colors hopes later curtailed
However, Gurman poured cold water on these hopes on Friday, when he suggested that we may see only one true new color.
The journalist expects that Apple will keep the same colors as the current generation MacBook Air, which comes in silver, space gray, and gold. However, the new gold will be more like “champagne,” while there’s also the possibility of a new blue model – but nothing beyond that.
But this could easily be supply-chain related
However, the idea of MacBook Airs in a wider range of colors doesn’t make any less sense now than it did when it was first rumored last summer. There could be one very good reason for Apple not to launch a full range of colors now: supply-chain challenges.
The global chip shortage was already making it impossible for Apple to meet demand for a range of products. But COVID-19 lockdowns in China massively increased supply-chain problems.
Apple had already warned that both iPad and Mac production would be hit, and things only got worse from there. A check last month found just three Mac models available for immediate shipping.
The Mac Studio and Studio Display were understandably hit hard, thanks to a combination of demand for the new devices and supply-chain challenges. This saw shipping times slipping to two months within hours of the first pre-orders.
High-end MacBook Pro orders were also hit by lockdowns in China, with some customers being told they will have to wait up to five months for delivery. Unrest at a MacBook Pro plant means that this situation could easily get worse.
The more model variations you have, the more opportunities there are for both supply-chain hiccups.
Additionally, the more colors Apple offers, the more guesses it has to make about the likely popularity of each. If it guesses wrong, it could easily end up with warehouses full of yellow models while it is unable to keep up with demand for blue ones. That’s not a massive problem in normal times, but when every Mac off the production line counts, it could be a big problem today.
We may see additional MacBook Air colors later
I can definitely see logic in Apple limiting the launch colors, even if it plans to offer more later. There is, of course, precedent for this.
If I’m right, the big questions are:
- Will Apple today reveal plans for further colors to come?
- How long will we have to wait for more colors?
If Apple does reveal that new colors will follow, that could hamper launch sales, which it would normally be reluctant to do. But perhaps with the supply problems the company is facing right now, it might actually appreciate some breathing space?
The downside of not letting us know new colors are on the way is the risk of annoying people down the line. If you really want a green one, but buy a blue one because that’s the closest you can get, you’re going to be pretty annoyed if a green model launches three months later.
As for how long we have to wait, if the decision is indeed supply-chain related, that’s anyone’s guess right now. But if you really want a color that isn’t announced today, and you are a patient person, then it may be worth waiting a while.
What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments.
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