Apple's First in-House SoC for Macs Projected to Propel Yearly MacBook Shipment to 17.1 Million Units in 2021, Says TrendForce

Owing to the rise of the stay-at-home economy brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, yearly Apple MacBook shipment for 2020 is expected to reach 15.5 million units, a 23.1% increase YoY, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. Thanks to the November 11 release of the new Mac models and the Apple Silicon M1 processor, MacBook shipment is expected to set a record high in 2021 by reaching 17.1 million units and potentially growing by more than 10% YoY.

Although retail price remains the same across newly released and preexisting 13.3-inch MacBook models, the new Apple Silicon M1 processors, based on ARM architecture, that are now replacing the Intel x86 CPUs found in older MacBooks represent a significant decrease in power consumption, thereby extending the new MacBook’s battery life. At the same time, the M1 processor is designed to have its various capabilities work in tandem with macOS Big Sur, in turn creating a synergistic effect between different products in the Apple ecosystem and delivering faster processing power and a better experience for the end user.

At the moment, 13.3-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are the only products equipped with M1. The Apple Silicon M series processors are expected to see integration in 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros starting next year. As Apple integrates the Apple Silicon M series of processors across various product ranges, and the processor’s performance improves, consumer demand for MacBooks is expected to remain strong in the future.

TrendForce indicates that, based on the forecasted 1.9% YoY growth in global notebook computer shipment for 2021, Apple’s market performance is outstanding in comparison. Not only will the company benefit from its in-house processor and increase its MacBook shipment next year, but Apple is also projected to increase its share in the global notebook market from 8% in 2020 to 8.7% in 2021.