They wouldn't have to cut anything if they're ok with a lower margin on the current base air
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Apple Launching Budget MacBook in 2026
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It certainly can't run macOS.
iPad Air 13 (256GB) with a Magic Keyboard comes to over $1,200. With iPad, you're paying for touch and the form factor. A lot of people just want a basic computer.
This low-cost MacBook is basically the Mac mini of notebooks.
This is an astute point. In addition to a cheap MacBook, Apple also needs a killer app that benefits from faster single core performance. Otherwise, people will start keeping their Macs for 15 years let alone 8-10 as is currently the case. Fortunately, such a killer app exists — a native Apple Intelligence AI text chatbot that stores all chats in iCloud.
And the iPad Air with Magic Keyboard currently weighs a bit more than the base 13-inch MBA.
"I'm going to get really upset, if more people can afford getting a Mac laptop." Just say what you mean, next time.
Would make no sense. 16GB RAM is the baseline across all Macs due to Apple Intelligence
It might actually be running iPadOS if it’s the a18 - but in a clamshell.
iPadOS could now handle that form factor.
I’m wondering if this is education only.
Apple used to make iMacs that were education only of course - and I think it even made a MacBook that was education only.
If this is to combat Chromebooks in schools etc, then making a low cost Mac that (maybe) uses iPadOS and maybe just uses the same usb / charger as an iPhone & is cheap - well that makes sense.
Then regular people still have to buy the mba for a ‘cheap’ Apple laptop.
Guess we’ll find out next year.
Please have a plastic shell. Tired of cold/aching wrists from metal.
Let's look at Apple's least expensive portable computers.
Right now, 11" iPad Air, M3 processor is $600; 13" is $800. Both with 128 GB Flash storage. Magic Keyboard for the 11" is another $260, $320 for the 13". So $860 for an 11" Air plus keyboard, and $1120 for 13". M3 in iPad Air has 4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores, 8 GB RAM.
MacBook Air M4 13" is $1000, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB Flash, 4 performance and 6 efficiency cores. So it's less than the 13" iPad Air + Magic Keyboard combination by $120.
A18 Pro chip (in iPhone 16 Pro) has 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, and 8 GB RAM.
Plain 11" iPad plus Folio Keyboard is $350 + $250, 128 GB storage A16 chip with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, 6 GB RAM. As a single unit, a budget Apple iBook could hit the $550 or even $500 price point, but it wouldn't be a Mac.
I don't know that MacOS runs well with only 8 GB RAM these days. Apple dropped the last 8 GB Macs in 2024, and made 16 GB the base. I think Apple would have to go with a minimum of 16 GB RAM to still call it a Mac. If they call it something else, then they might sell something with only 8 or 12 GB RAM.
I could see a low-end Mac with an A18 Pro chip, with RAM increased to 16 GB, less-expensive 13" screen, cut the ports down to MagSafe and 1 USB-C, 1080P camera, Apple keeping their margins and pricing this at $800? Or go for market share and price it at $700?
I don't think they'll dive down into the $200 4GB/64GB 720P display price range, and they sure won't call it a Mac, because it couldn't run any Mac apps.
Right now, 11" iPad Air, M3 processor is $600; 13" is $800. Both with 128 GB Flash storage. Magic Keyboard for the 11" is another $260, $320 for the 13". So $860 for an 11" Air plus keyboard, and $1120 for 13". M3 in iPad Air has 4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores, 8 GB RAM.
MacBook Air M4 13" is $1000, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB Flash, 4 performance and 6 efficiency cores. So it's less than the 13" iPad Air + Magic Keyboard combination by $120.
A18 Pro chip (in iPhone 16 Pro) has 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, and 8 GB RAM.
Plain 11" iPad plus Folio Keyboard is $350 + $250, 128 GB storage A16 chip with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, 6 GB RAM. As a single unit, a budget Apple iBook could hit the $550 or even $500 price point, but it wouldn't be a Mac.
I don't know that MacOS runs well with only 8 GB RAM these days. Apple dropped the last 8 GB Macs in 2024, and made 16 GB the base. I think Apple would have to go with a minimum of 16 GB RAM to still call it a Mac. If they call it something else, then they might sell something with only 8 or 12 GB RAM.
I could see a low-end Mac with an A18 Pro chip, with RAM increased to 16 GB, less-expensive 13" screen, cut the ports down to MagSafe and 1 USB-C, 1080P camera, Apple keeping their margins and pricing this at $800? Or go for market share and price it at $700?
I don't think they'll dive down into the $200 4GB/64GB 720P display price range, and they sure won't call it a Mac, because it couldn't run any Mac apps.
I have to run the 13" MacBook Air screen at 1280 X 800 so I can actually read text so there is one cost savings.
USB 3 is fast enough, few thunderbolt things exist outside the Pro realms, there is another cost savings.
Is it an updated model though? I wonder how the two would compare head to head. The M1 is still no slouch.
This is a revealing statement that I have seen from a few others.
In the USA, I read a new product article or rumor about Apple and immediately assume it is for the US market.
But what if this product is not for the US market? What if this is Apple's Walmart CheapBook for world markets that do not have Walmart - The Home Of Every Day Low Prices?
In the US, I can't see Apple ending the sale of the M1 CheapBook at Walmart. And I can't see them adding another CheapBook in the USA alongside what Walmart gets. (side note: I have no science or evidence to back this up, but based on the likes and comments Apple's M1 Air gets on Walmart's website, one could assume Walmart does brisk business with these. I have checked at my local Marty-Mart a few times and these cheap M1's are always sold out. So Apple must be doing well enough to keep the factory pumping them out. Thus Apple could assume similar success in global markets.)
So, what if Apple creates one global CheapBook offering based on their Walmart Learnings? What if they update it a bit from the current M1 Air product that WalMart gets? Then what if they offer that updated product via WalMart in the USA, and through non-Walmart outlets globally?
Yes - I started off positing that this may not be for the US, then I ended saying that it could be. Sorry.
Finally, Apple has been doing their M1 Air Cheapbook throughput at Walmart for some years now. They have sold well. There has been no harm to Apple (the company or the brand). There has been no harm to MacBook (the brand). I have seen no indication that Apple sales and profits have been harmed by people buying the WalMart M1 Cheapbook over a new iPad or a new MacBook Air. It's pure profit and customer acquisition / conquest of people who might normally have purchased other entry-products from Google, MSFT, Asus, whatever. Not just notebook customers. These M1 Air CheapBook customers - I speculate maybe 20-30% have probably decided to add an iPhone SE or E... or an iPad mini to their collection of Apple tech after they have had the M1 for 12-18 months. So again, no brand harm with this. It is extending the product ladder down a bit to gain new/more customer acquisitions and conquests in general... that ultimately results in volume growth of other new Apple products sold per person / per household.
It's all good math and good business.
It's all good.
They might neuter it to 6GB of memory with 128GB of storage. The CPU chip will be a neutered chip to which might only have economy cores x4 and x0 performance cores. It might be like the second coming of the Mac Mini Core Solo for 2006, but with a dull LCD glued on.
Not really - well, not with the MacBook line up at least. Apple used to offer a 'cheaper' MacBook many moons ago, alongside the Air and MacBook Pro. If this rumour is true and comes to fruition, it would just be a return to having have entry, ultra portable, and pro models. It works for iPad pretty well.
They didn't quite get it right with iPhone, with the Air totally at the wrong price point in the line-up. But they'll fix that no doubt over the next few years.
The M1 is a fine chip, but it is also made with an obsolete process. An A18 Pro or A19 Pro would match the performance and allow the use of the current production lines. It would simply be more high-end phone chips from the manufacturing point of view.
If you want to go low cost then you reuse as much as possible that you are already making. Economies of scale are your friend. So put a phone chip into an existing case with an existing screen and other parts.
Higher resolution screen at 120 Hz, M5, Thunderbolt, more RAM and storage, would be the case to upgrade to a MacBook Air.
If I got my wish it would have an A19 Pro 12/512, three USB 3 ports all with power delivery, two on left, one on the right next to the headphone jack. A 1280 by 800 screen @ 60 Hz would be fine and use the M1 MacBook Air case and battery.
Oh, while I'm dreaming make the AI an Optional install
at least on machines with less than 16 GB. Just admit on-machine AI won't work right on less than 16 GB.
This is going to be an extinction level event for the iPad magic keyboard.
And for those worried about cannibalization and not-as-great experiences... the $599 M1 Air is out there. It's fine for a lot of people. No contrived drawbacks. The sky hasn't fallen and the world kept turning.
If this matches the M1 Air capabilities with a modern design (full height function keys and not wedge shaped), and a newer microarchitecture for longer Mac OS support, and it's available more widely than Walmart, it'll be a home run. Go browse the laptop aisle at Best Buy one day, the M1 Air destroys any $599-and-below Windows laptops.
And for those worried about cannibalization and not-as-great experiences... the $599 M1 Air is out there. It's fine for a lot of people. No contrived drawbacks. The sky hasn't fallen and the world kept turning.
If this matches the M1 Air capabilities with a modern design (full height function keys and not wedge shaped), and a newer microarchitecture for longer Mac OS support, and it's available more widely than Walmart, it'll be a home run. Go browse the laptop aisle at Best Buy one day, the M1 Air destroys any $599-and-below Windows laptops.
A lower priced lap top in what ever form would expose the conquest entry level buyers to the one thing that has been enhancing Apples bottom line....Services.
I believe continuing to grow the services income plus the introducing the rest of the Apple ecosystem like HomePods, the new Apple TV and smart home could be part of the overall strategy.
A modern version of the 12" rMB would be personally very hard for me to pass up so we shall see.
I believe continuing to grow the services income plus the introducing the rest of the Apple ecosystem like HomePods, the new Apple TV and smart home could be part of the overall strategy.
A modern version of the 12" rMB would be personally very hard for me to pass up so we shall see.
Actually if revamping ipados is hard, why not just use a hinge similar to Lenovo Yoga a few years back so that the macbook can be folded backward, and people can use it like a tab, just without touch functions?
I think there are still people out there who enjoy using downsized apps instead of full version. I for one, will ditch ipads if this comes out, the only drawback is whether A18pro is significantly better than my M1 Air to justify the "upgrade"