Some people have criticized various design choices Apple made with its brand new MacBook Pro, but the company already announced record preorders for the brand new laptop. Phil Schiller addressed some of the MacBook Pro concerns in an interview last week, and said that the cheaper model is already a success. That’s in spite of criticism, or of the fact that it lacks the exciting Touch Bar found on the more expensive models supposed to launch in the coming weeks.
Further reinforcing Schiller’s remarks is a report from Asia that says Apple is increasing component orders for the entire Christmas quarter. According to Digitimes, Apple is optimistic about sales in the fourth quarter, and strong shipments are expected to last through the end of the year.
DON’T MISS: What happens if today’s Presidential election ends in a tie?
Sources from the supply chain also noted that MacBook shipments in 2017 should remain at the same level as in 2016. Apple should sell more than 15 million MacBooks in total this year, according to unnamed market watchers.
Apparently, Apple wasn’t aggressive with initial MacBook Pro orders. Furthermore, Apple apparently delayed the MacBook Pro’s launch by a quarter after encountering poor yield rates for certain components, including hinges, battery, and keyboard. Apple became more aggressive after the MacBook Pro’s launch in October, the report notes.
A second story from Digitimes further reveals that Apple had some Touch Bar manufacturing issues. The company turned to Wistron to place additional Touch Bar orders, as the original Singapore-based supplier had problems producing the keyboard.
