Apple updated the MacBook Pro line less than two years ago, so we shouldn’t expect any design updates any time soon. But Apple’s design guru Jony Ive said recently that Apple is listening to feedback from its MacBook buyers, suggesting that Apple may “fix” some of the things users complain about.
While that may happen down the road, it looks like no significant MacBook Pro updates are planned for 2018, if a new report on Monday morning is to be believed.
Apple will likely release 2018 models with refreshed components, which is what Apple does at minimum every year. But Digitimes has learned that Apple has no plan for a major MacBook Pro upgrade this year, though its report neglected to reveal any details about the expected 2018 refresh.
Instead, the report notes that Apple has assigned more MacBook orders to Foxconn this year, although Quanta will still make most of 2018 MacBooks. For the past five years, the shipment ratio for Quanta and Foxconn was at around 8:2, and Quanta is likely to remain the largest MacBook laptop maker going forward.
However, Foxconn is apparently ready to offer Apple better prices. Apple plans to shift orders for models that are already in mass-production to Foxconn to save costs and reduce risk, the report says. That seems to suggest Quanta could manufacture newer MacBook models this year.
While Digitimes says that the MacBook Pro isn’t due for a major upgrade this year, it doesn’t mention the 12-inch MacBook or the MacBook Air. Apple isn’t likely to announce any laptop updates for at least a few months, and the report doesn’t offer any details about Apple’s MacBook refresh schedule for 2018.
