According to a DigiTimes report, Apple plans to tighten its grip on the supply chains of new MacBook models through direct pricing negotiations with third-party suppliers of non-key parts such as screws, metallic parts and plastics parts needed for the production of key components by contracted suppliers.
The goal? To “significantly squeeze” profit margins of contracted supply partners, the article says, quoting unnamed “industry sources.” DigiTimes says the move would erase the 10-15% profits from the purchases of materials.
The general consensus is that we won’t see any new MacBooks debuting at today’s Apple Worldwide Developer Conference keynote. If we don’t, the Sellers Research Group (that’s me) anticipates them arriving in July or August.
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