Thursday Apple Rumors: Apple May Launch Updated MacBook Airs Next Week

by Christopher Freeburn | April 24, 2014 10:38 am

Here are your Apple rumors[1] and AAPL news items for today:

[2]Upcoming: According to a report on a French-Language website, Apple (AAPL[3]) is preparing to debut refreshed MacBook Air models[4], MacRumors notes. Sources tell MacGeneration that Apple will introduce updated versions of its current 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air computers as soon as next week. MacBook Air models haven’t seen an update since June 2013. Many observers had expected Apple to update its MacBook line during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in early June. Other recent rumors suggest that Apple is planning to unveil an all-new, super-slim 12-inch MacBook Air some time later this year. If Apple does launch refreshed 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models next week, the machines are likely to see only modest upgrades, possibly including new Intel (INTC[5]) processors.

New Hire: During a conference call on Wednesday to discuss Apple’s fiscal second-quarter earnings report, CEO Tim Cook announced that former Burberry (BBRYF[6]) CEO Angela Ahrendts will join the iPhone-maker sooner than some had expected[7], 9to5Mac notes. Ahrendts announced that she was leaving the British apparel-maker in October to become part of Apple’s management. However, she remained with Burberry for a number of months in order to oversee the transition in executive leadership. Earlier this month, a report in a British newspaper suggested that Ahrendts might remain at Burberry until June in order to become eligible for bonuses and to complete other projects. Cook said that Ahrendts will become a senior vice president at Apple next week. At Apple, Ahrendts will head the company’s retail sales unit, responsible for both digital and Apple Store sales. In early April, Ahrendts, an American, was named an honorary Dame of the British Empire.

Draw: Though iPad sales were lower than expected during the first quarter, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that more than two-thirds of people who registered an iPad during the last six months[8] were new iPad owners, AppleInsider notes. The comments came during the Apple quarterly earnings conference call. Apple says it sold 16.3 million iPads during the fiscal second quarter, well below most analysts’ forecasts of about 19 million iPad sales. Cook said that iPad sales during the quarter were at “the high end of the company’s expectations.” By contrast, more than half of the people who registered iPhones over the last six months were new iPhone owners. Cook noted that attracting new customers is a boon for Apple “especially considering the strong halo effect seen over and over again in our history.” He added that Apple customers show great brand loyalty, purchasing “multiple Apple products over time.”

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors[9] stories.

Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2014/04/thursday-apple-rumors-apple-may-launch-updated-macbook-airs-next-week/

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