With a price that only differs by $100 between a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and one without, Apple could soon phase out the lower resolution model. The move seems a logical choice for Apple after the company announced updates to its laptop lineup last year that included the end of non-Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro production.
Digitimes has supply chain sources that back up the notion. The move follows a trend that has seen Apple steadily trim back its MacBook offerings from a peak where the company offered as many as six different models simultaneously. Should the likely indeed happen and Apple discontinues the standard 13-inch MacBook Pro, the company would only offer four: two MacBook Air models and two MacBook Pro with Retina display models — pending the announcement of any new MacBook products.
The MacBook Pro with Retina display was introduced in late 2012, a year after Apple discontinued sakes o their popular non-pro MacBook computers. That device has since given way to the MacBook Air lineup, which has replaced the standard MacBook as Apple’s most affordable, entry-level model. As pricing has dropped on Retina display MacBook models, it no longer makes sense for Apple to continue offering two Pro variants for both 13-inch and 15-inch models.
Digitimes notes that Apple’s Mac sales fell 1 percent in 2013 to about 17 million, which means there is room to trim some fat from the program. Unfortunately for the 13-inch MacBook Pro, he is looking like the odd man out.
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TAGS: MacBook Pro
