Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

[Downundermac]

12” MBE I’m thinking with same ram as the base MBA for Mac OS and AI. There needs to be a selling point to differentiate the 13” MBA, so a basic, smaller retina screen and slightly less battery life, maybe plastic body on alu chassis… Told my youngest daughter she can have a new MBA for high school next year, but thinking about it a bit more I can see an affordable MBE selling well for all sorts of people esp if they offer SSD and cloud storage.

 

[rumplestiltskin]

...and it will have a butterfly keyboard to really differentiate it from the otherwise "real" Macs.😆

 

[Sami13496]

I always buy the cheapest MacBook (in current situation that would be Air), because all I do on my computer is pay bills, browse the web, and watch movies. If this existed, it would be the obvious choice for me. Until now, I’ve had to pay the price of a MacBook Air. But hey, just wait until current MacBook users (especially Pro users) start complaining that this machine is missing everything the Pro models have, because they need those features, and apparently there shouldn’t be options on the market for people who don’t. 😄

 

[Warped9]

But hey, just wait until current MacBook users (especially Pro users) start complaining that this machine is missing everything the Pro models have… 😄

They definitely will.

 

[The Game 161]

curious when this really does launch

 

[throAU]

It won’t be gimped. The original 12in MacBook was a compromised concept when the tech wasn’t yet ready. Now the the tech exists and it needn’t be compromised.

Except in the used market Apple doesn’t have a quality laptop under $1000 or $799 US. Now they will. It doesn’t have be on par with current M4-M5 MacBook Air performance when equivalent M1-M3 performance will already embarrass mainstream Windows machines.

I really feel the 12" macbook and the other machines of the time were designed by Apple based on future promises from intel in terms of thermal envelope/performance/power that never materialised.

I suspect apple were expecting M class performance based on sales projectsions from intel and... didn't get that.

 

[seek3r]

I really feel the 12" macbook and the other machines of the time were designed by Apple based on future promises from intel in terms of thermal envelope/performance/power that never materialised.

I suspect apple were expecting M class performance based on sales projectsions from intel and... didn't get that.

Another possibility is they designed it with Apple Silicon in mind but it wasnt ready yet

 

[Fredmonkey]

writing this on still my m7 12-inch MacBook (2016).
still waiting for a good computer to replace it.
MBP = too thick and heavy
MBA = still 60hz, storage upgrade is extortionate, design not as pretty as the sleek 12-inch.
MacBook budget = we will see. still probably not good enough, but could be a temporary machine for a few years for basic office works and YouTube watching.

same here, with a basic 2015 12". Waiting to see the lowcost MB's size and weight, as I didn't like the MBA M1, compared to the Macbook Retina.

But I feel that the future low cost won't be better than a second hand MB Retina 2017, except for the processor.

 

[topocalypse]

same here, with a basic 2015 12". Waiting to see the lowcost MB's size and weight, as I didn't like the MBA M1, compared to the Macbook Retina.

But I feel that the future low cost won't be better than a second hand MB Retina 2017, except for the processor.

i think overall, if you like the tapered design, m1 air would probably still be the best bet overall.

but still man, i just don't wanna buy a 60hz 256gb machine in 2026 no matter the value.

 

[Vincent Hanna]

Posted this in the Arm Macs forum, but thought it should be here too:

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Hi all. Long-time reader, first-time poster.

In my view, people are completely misjudging the pricing of this new base MacBook because they are misjudging the reason for it existing in the first place. It's not a rebirth of the super thin and small 12" MacBook. It is not a $599 Chromebook killer with cut down specs to hit that super low price point. No, the new entry level A18 MacBook is designed to do two things, and two things only:

1. Lower the entry-level retail price for a Mac laptop from $999 to $799.

2. Allow the MacBook Air lowest configuration price TO GO UP to $1199.

Even with RAM prices rising, I don't believe that Apple will ever release another Mac with only 8GB of RAM. Apple Intelligence is simply too important to both their long-term tech strategy and their short-term Wall Street messaging. Every Mac has to be marketable as "the best computer for AI".

Apple's pricing tiers for laptops are very well thought out, always leading the buyer up the chain in $200 increments, so this new MacBook can only start at $799 with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB drive. That means a version with a 512GB drive has to cost $999. Apple won't let pricing overlap with the MacBook Air line, so Apple's easy way out is to simply no longer offer the $999 MacBook Air with only 256GB of storage. Anyone who can live with that small a drive can also live with a smaller screen and an A18 chip. The MacBook Air now starts at $1199 with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB drive. This is NOT a price increase, it's the same model with the same specs and price as before.

All of this assumes the same day, side-by-side launch of the new A18 MacBook with the spec-bumped M5 MacBook Airs. It's the perfect time to align the pricing tiers to accommodate BOTH the lowering of the laptop entry price AND effectively moving the MacBook Air upmarket, despite no real increase in cost. Overall it looks like this:

12.9” A18 Pro MacBook (SE) 16/256 $799
12.8” A18 Pro MacBook (SE) 16/512 $999
13.6” M5 MacBook Air 16/512 $1199

 

[Warped9]

I seriously doubt the MacBook Air 13 is going up in price. But I agree this new MacBook is not a rebirth if the old 12in. and it’s not going to be competing with low-cost Chromebooks no matter what many are saying.

 

[Vincent Hanna]

But the MacBook Air is NOT going up in price. That's the beauty of it. Apple is charging the exact same $1199 for a MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB hard drive. These are the specs that should have always been the baseline anyway.

All they are doing is denying the combination of a very powerful M5 chip with a way too small 256GB hard drive. If you can get by with 256, you can get by with an A18, and now THAT combo costs $200 less. And if you're a normal user that doesn't need the extra CPU power, but could use the extra drive space, you can now get a Mac laptop with a 512GB drive for $999, $200 less than before. It's a win-win for everyone except the small number geeks who will whine that they can't get an M-Series MacBook with a tiny hard drive anymore.