In June, a rumor surfaced about Apple’s plans to launch a more affordable MacBook, positioned below the MacBook Air. The budget Apple laptop is said to be powered by an Apple A18 Pro SoC, which is similar to the chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro (review), instead of a full-fledged M-series chip. This would eventually allow the company to reduce the price further. Now, we have a clearer idea of how this device would be priced.
A Chromebook and iPad Killer?
According to Taiwanese publication Digitimes, citing industry sources, this affordable MacBook will be priced starting at $599. This would be a few hundred dollars lower than the cheapest MacBook Air (review), which retails for $999.
With this cost, it seems Apple would be positioning the upcoming MacBook model to compete with Chromebooks and mid-tier Windows laptops. Even so, this would stand as a solid option for users seeking a tablet-like experience from an iPad with a keyboard setup.
It is even believed that the iPhone maker wants to sell a large number of the low-cost MacBook, making this an important product to watch out for.
Features of the Low-Cost MacBook
This brings us to the advantages of the affordable Apple MacBook. It is reported to share the ultra-thin and lightweight build of the MacBook Air, or possibly be even more compact because of less powerful components.
Apart from the choice of a mobile processor, there are likely more areas to be trimmed down to achieve the attractive pricing. Among those compromises are a smaller 12.9-inch Retina display and the absence of Thunderbolt specifications in the USB ports.
There’s no word on whether we will see a smaller or shorter battery life. However, the current Apple A-series processor has already proven to offer efficient power management in the iPhone 16 and iPad Mini 7 (review).
According to the same report, Apple is expected to begin production of the unnamed MacBook model later this year, with an eventual launch to follow soon, although there’s no definite timeline.
Do you think a budget MacBook would sell better than the MacBook Air? Would you spend your money on such an Apple device? We’d like to hear your thoughts.
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