Apple may already be receiving shipments of the upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro.
A new report from DigiTimes claims Apple has begun receiving volume shipments of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro in the current fourth quarter, although this has yet to be confirmed by any other supply chain reports.
According to DigiTimes:
Apple and Microsoft are both expected to perform strongly in the fourth quarter. Apple’s new 16-inch ultra-thin-bezel MacBook Pro is expected to begin volume shipments in the fourth quarter, while Microsoft’s new third-generation Surface Laptop will boost sharply the brand vendor’s shipments sequentially in the fourth quarter.
Because of Apple’s new MacBook Pro, Quanta Computer, the key supplier of the machine, is expected to see rising share of Taiwan’s shipments in the fourth quarter, while Wistron and Pegatron will also see their shares grow thanks to Dell and Microsoft ramping up orders.
Why Apple would hold off on releasing the new MacBook Pro if it’s already been manufactured and arriving in its warehouses is still unknown, though it could also simply want to ensure that it has enough units stockpiled before it announces its availability in order to avoid a supply shortage.
The report doesn’t offer any additional insight into a purported release for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Whilst the device’s existence seems to be a certainty given leaks found within macOS Catalina, a release date remains unknown.
It’s also possible the MacBook’s unveiling is delayed next year so Apple has the chance to accumulate a significant number of units ahead of the U.S. government’s proposed 15 percent import tariff on Chinese goods.
