Apple prepares thinner laptops with Intel chips

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is preparing a new lineup of thinner MacBook laptops running on more powerful chips made by Intel Corp. (INTC), people with knowledge of the plans said.

The MacBook Pro machines, to be unveiled at Apple's annual developers conference starting June 11, also will feature high- definition screens like those on the iPhone and iPad, as well as flash memory to cut startup times and extend battery life, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven't been made public.

Apple's Mac sales are growing faster than the personal- computer market, benefiting from the popularity of its mobile devices. Since 2007, when the iPhone was introduced, Apple's Mac sales have more than doubled, reaching $21.8 billion last year. As Apple's share has grown, competitors such as Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ), Dell Inc. (DELL) and Samsung Electronics Co. have followed suit in making thinner, aluminum laptops that start up more quickly, Kazinform has learnt from Bloomberg.

Apple's new laptops will run on Intel's new processors, code-named Ivy Bridge, and will have a slimmed-down body design from the current 0.95-inch thickness, the people said.

Bill Evans, a spokesman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, declined to comment, while Chuck Mulloy, a spokesman for Intel, referred questions to Apple.

Apple shares fell 1.5 percent yesterday to $558.22 at the close in New York. The stock has risen 38 percent this year.