15.4 inch MacBooks in 2007?

Digitimes - citing Chinese-language newspaper Commercial Times, - reports that Apple is working on a 15 inch for its entry-level MacBook laptops. Shipments of this new form-factor, similar to the MacBook Pro's line-up are said to be in schedule for May 2007.

Vincent Chen, an analyst at Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia (CLSA), was quoted by a Chinese-language Commercial Times report last week as saying Foxconn will start volume shipments of one new MacBook model to Apple by year-end, while Asustek will see its notebook orders from Apple cut by one-third in 2007.

The notebooks will not be produced by Asustek but by FoxConn Electronics. Asustek is currently the only supplier for the 13.3 inch MacBooks at a production rate of over 200 000 units a month.

The MacBook line-up has seen extremely good reception since it was released, more than six months ago. Apple sold over 800 000 laptops during Q3 and nearly 1 million laptops during Q4, thanks to the release of the iBook's successor.

Digitimes has not been very reliable in the past but has been firmly insisting on the release of Apple entry-level laptops with 15 inch form factor for a long time ago.