Mac upgrades, once a frequent ritual, are now few and far between. The Mac Pro, Apple’s flagship computer hasn’t been upgraded since 2013. The affordable Mac mini was last upgraded in 2014.
In October 2016, Apple rolled out the new MacBook Pro with louder speakers and slimmer design. It garnered mostly favorable reviews but many creative critics said it underperformed rival products.
People familiar with Apple’s inner workings reveal that Mac is getting far less attention as it used to get before. Though the Mac generates only 10% of Apple sales, it cannot alienate professional designers and business customers, who helped Apple revive in the late 1990s.
Apple still depends on Intel Corp., which still makes key chips for Macs. Apple’s innovation and product cycles are sometimes constrained by when Intel produces new chips.
In the run-up to the MacBook Pro’s planned debut this year, the new battery failed a key test. But instead of delaying the launch, Apple decided to revert to an older design. This change required roping in engineers from other teams to finish the job, which meant work on other Macs lagged.
One more indicator that Apple has prioritized the iPhone is that it re-organized its software engineering department so there’s no Mac dedicated OS team.
In recent years, Apple managers have become more likely to float 2 or more competing ideas, which puts extra load on them. In the past, managers pushed a more singular version.
