Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., during an event at Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Wednesday that shipments for the company’s MacBook computers will decline around 30% year over year, to 17 million units, during 2023.
He said demand for the new 15-inch MacBook Air has slipped “significantly” in the wake of the back-to-school shopping period, and that MacBook shipments during Apple’s fourth quarter will be lower than they have been in years past. Apple’s fourth quarter has historically been important for the company as consumers purchase devices as part of their holiday shopping.
Shares of Apple were down less than 1% in premarket trading Wednesday.
Kuo said MacBook shipments are down in part because of declining demand from customers who work from home, as well as the “waning consumer appeal” of Apple’s mini-LED and silicon. He said shipments of the 15-inch MacBook Air are projected to be down more than 20% this year.
He added the company will not release any new products during the fourth quarter, which will allow it to “clear inventory and reformulate new product and marketing strategies” for next year.
Apple did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
