MacBook Supplier Ramping Up Production as 15-Inch MacBook Air Rumored to Launch at WWDC

Apple supplier Quanta Computer is likely gearing up for new MacBooks, according to research shared by investment firm Morgan Stanley.

In a research note on Friday, obtained by MacRumors, Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring said Quanta Computer guided for high single-digit percentage growth in the number of notebooks it assembles in the second quarter of 2023, compared to the first quarter. Woodring believes this increase is driven in part by new MacBooks.

In his newsletter last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple would unveil the long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air at WWDC next month:

As part of watchOS 10, the company is planning to bring back widgets and make them a central part of the interface. This new strategy will debut at WWDC in June, alongside the unveiling of iOS 17, macOS 14, the 15-inch MacBook Air, and, of course, the much-anticipated mixed-reality headset.

The first-generation 15-inch MacBook Air will be powered by the M2 chip, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. No external design changes have been rumored for the laptop beyond the larger display size.

The latest 13-inch MacBook Air debuted at WWDC last year and features the M2 chip, a 1080p camera, a MagSafe 3 charging port, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and a Force Touch trackpad. Pricing starts at $1,199, and color options include Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver.

It's unclear if any other MacBooks will be unveiled next month, as new 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models with the M3 chip are not expected to launch until later this year or next year, and the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro were updated with the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips just three months ago.

WWDC begins with Apple's keynote on June 5 and runs through June 9.