Speculation continues that Apple will release a low cost MacBook later this year. Based on the A18 Pro processor, this would effectively be an iPad’s internals running in a laptop form factor. For Australians, it would seem that the $999 price will be the target.
Interestingly, Apple still has stock of the M1 MacBook Air that was first released almost five years ago. Big W sells the M1 MacBook Air for $999, suggesting there is a market for low-cost Apple laptops. Interestingly, Apple doesn’t offer the M1 MacBook Air from its own store – it looks to be a Big W exclusive in Australia. If Apple releases A18 Pro powered MacBook, it will likely pickup the entry level price that Big W enjoys.
1 – What will the new laptop be called?
Apple retired the MacBook name back in 2019. That laptop ran a lower cost and power Intel processor than the rest of the laptop range of the time. It also ditched most of its external ports and ran a 12-inch display. This was enough to differentiate it from the rest of the laptop range.
It would make sense for Apple to revive the MacBook name for this new laptop.
2 – Why offer a low-cost MacBook?
If we look at Apple’s product strategy, it tends to offer three products in each category, following a good, better, best model. If we look at the iPad, there’s the iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro. The iPhone has the iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.
It would make sense to adopt a similar strategy for its laptop range. And a sub $1000 price point would be very appealing to many potential buyers.
3 – Who is the MacBook for?
Not everyone needs a laptop that can run AI models or other power-hungry applications locally. The MacBook would make a good machine for students and people who need a machine for email, web browsing and basic productivity applications.
4 – What will the specs be?
Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the new MacBook will:
- Be powered by an A18 Pro processor
- Have a display that is about 13-inches
- Come in four different colours: silver, blue, pink, and yellow
We can also expect it to have at 8GB of memory as that is the minimum for using Apple Intelligence. However, Apple could skimp on that if it takes the same approach as the entry level iPad and choose not support Apple Intelligence so it is differentiated from the rest of the Apple laptop range.
Offering multiple colours harks back to the last time Apple offered the MacBook.
5 – When will we see the new MacBook?
Apple is yet to announce anything but Kuo, who has a solid reputation for predicting new Apple products based on what he sees from manufacturers in Asia, says it will enter mass production at the end 2025 or early 2026.
That suggests a release date by March 2026.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.