Apple is reportedly going to launch cheaper MacBook models this coming holiday season, as implied by frequent Apple partner Quanta, which claims it'll see shipments of around 10 million units in the December quarter with Apple's help.

While it didn't specifically mention Apple is going to release a new model, current speculation suggests that the Cupertino brand is indeed preparing lower-cost updates to the standard 12-inch MacBook or 13-inch MacBook Air, with a release allegedly planned later this year.

Apple Preparing New MacBook Upgrades, Implies Quanta

The report about Quanta comes from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, which has a mixed track record when it comes to news about Apple products. It's more reliable on news about the Taiwanese electronics industry, as AppleInsider notes. That being said, many of Apple's partner manufacturers operate in Taiwan, such as its main assembly partner, Foxconn.

Qunta says it'll manage to hit the 10 million shipments mark thanks to "orders for Apple's new inexpensive notebooks." It's not exactly clear what "inexpensive" means. The MacBook Air starts at $999, while the cheapest MacBook costs $300 more than that.

MacBook And MacBook Air Upgrades To Be Released This Year?

Apple recently updated the MacBook Pro line, but has yet to unveil the much-awaited upgrades to the above-mentioned MacBook models. In particular, the MacBook Air hasn't seen a significant design upgrade in years. It doesn't even have a Retina Display. The MacBook Air is definitely due for an upgrade, as is the standard 12-inch MacBook, which Apple introduced several years ago.

If Apple does plan on unveiling new MacBook upgrades, the perfect time for that would be during its annual hardware event in September. The focus on that event would probably be the new iPhones, however. Reports says Apple plans on introducing three new models — two premium ones with OLED displays, and one entry-level model with an LCD, but all will come with the signature notch and Face ID. An upgraded iPad Pro is also rumored to be part of Apple's new products, one with slimmer bezels and Face ID.

If not, then Apple could release them unceremoniously, which it has done before, anyway. The company has previously released MacBook upgrades without announcing them publicly, although it's hard to imagine that it'll release a radically redesigned MacBook Air without much fanfare. It's much more likely to release an upgraded 12-inch MacBook without saying anything. Time, of course, will tell.

Thoughts about the rumored MacBook upgrades this year? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!