Apple's decision to discontinue production of MacBook Air is another setback for the problem-ridden tech company. The past few months have not been favorable to Apple with issues coming one after another. Early this month, the Cupertino-company announced that it will cut production of iPhone 7 due to lagging sales. This week, it admitted that the iPhone 6s battery problem is worse than initially thought.
The company's move not to manufacture the MacBook Air in 2017 was due to poor sales in 2016. Industry observers believe that MacBook Air's losses may have been caused by the iPad Pro which is well received by the public. The tablet is a highly sophisticated device tailored for productivity.
The disappointing market performance of the MacBook Air can also be faulted to Apple's dilution of the MacBook brand. The company introduced too many variants, with some ending up as redundant offerings.
Adding more problems to the MacBook brand is the convolution of the iPad brand. Apple's products have overlapped each other, thus confusing consumers. Its overcrowded product portfolio is an antithesis to Steve Jobs' simplicity and minimalist ethos.
As one Forbes magazine reader pointed out, Apple is yet to cater to lower-end markets with much success. As such, it seems the company plans to just sell older equipment instead of specifically creating lower end variants for a wider audience.
The success of the iPad Pro will cast more shadow on the MacBook Air. Apple is expected to release the iPad Pro 2 soon. The device is speculated to have much faster processor and keyboard and mouse compatibility - features that the MacBook Air have.
If the iPad Pro 2 will receive more love from consumers, the MacBook Air will be gone sooner. The iPad Pro 2 has the potential to be a device for work and productivity. This is such a huge threat to the MacBook Air.
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