Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has provided recent insight into Apple’s much anticipated upcoming notebook line noting possible price reductions of up to 18 percent.
Following on the heels of the recently announced MacBook event set for October 14, Munster has issued an announcement to clients stating that the event will showcase a refreshed entry-level MacBook that will ring in between $899 and $999. The offering of a sub-$1000 notebook has been speculated as a primary catalyst for Apple’s future stability, as Munster believes that not only will the revamped MacBook be cheaper, but will also be superior to its predecessor. Additionally, yesterday TheInquisitr.com claimed to have sources (in retail) that have seen Apple’s upcoming pricing sheets, and the low-end Macbook was priced at $799.
“We expect the new MacBooks to be cheaper. However, it is likely that the new MacBooks will be a more premium product (with new aluminum casing and gesture-based touchpad),” he wrote. “In other words, we expect the new MacBooks to be a meaningful upgrade with an average selling price 9 percent to 18 percent lower [than today's models].”
Munster is also under the impression that a total redesign of both the 15″ and 17″ models of the MacBook Pro will begin at $1,899. The analyst does not believe that Apple will introduce the heavily rumored “touch screen Mac” at this event, however he does maintain that the Macbook Air might get “speedbumped.” “While we are confident that Apple will eventually bring its touchscreen technology from the iPhone to the Mac, we do not expect to see a touchscreen Mac this year,” he told clients.
