Apple's Low-Cost Colorful MacBook: All the Rumors

[geta]

For the right price, i'm in for a dark gray color (silver will be acceptable as well), with at least 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.

 

[MayaUser]

For the right price, i'm in for a dark gray color (silver will be acceptable as well), with at least 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.

That probably will be an $1000-$1200 package

 

[MayaUser]

My 2026 MacBook guesses:

• At least 12GB base RAM, hopefully 16GB. Might be non-unified memory (with macOS tweaks to accommodate). Optional RAM upgrade(s) available.
• 256GB flash storage (single chip design, like the M2 MacBook Air). Optional storage upgrade(s) available (possibly only single chip).
• 3 color choices (probably blue, green, and yellow); possibly a 4th “office” color (silver or gray) exclusive to upgraded configurations
• 2.2 pounds/1 Kg (999 grams) unit weight
• 2 USB-C ports (no MagSafe); only 1 of the ports supports an external display
• no keyboard backlighting
• Wi-Fi 6 or 6E
• Bluetooth 5.3 or higher
• no 3.5 mm headphone jack
• 12MP Webcam (same camera as the base iPad)
• 60 Hz display (duh), possibly the same as the 12.9 inch iPad Air’s, sans touch
• +$150 Apple C1 cellular modem upgrade option (“radical” idea I know, but Apple needs a quasi-beta platform for Mac cellular options; here it is)
• no bundled cable or power supply (except in countries where legally required)
• $649 starting U.S. list price (or $699 if 16GB RAM is base); $70 discount for education

Apple Pay will be supported somehow. I don’t think there will be full Touch ID or Face ID. Rosetta 2 will be supported for as long as macOS supports it.

I guess two corrections, there will not be higher than 16gb ram option because the package doesnt support, and no backlit keys in 2026 is like no speakers on laptops.

 

[geta]

That probably will be an $1000-$1200 package

With these specs, it will be acceptable up to €1000.

 

[Luftkopf]

I’m looking forward to people trying to do rendering and run large LLMs on it, and pronouncing it an unusable failure.

 

[MayaUser]

Like people asking for people to try to win with dacia duster an f1 race

 

[Michael Scrip]

That probably will be an $1000-$1200 package

But for $1,200 you can already get a 16GB/512GB Macbook Air that will be better in every way:

M4 processor
Bigger and better screen
MagSafe

The point of this laptop is it's supposed to be cheaper than the Macbook Air... a cheaper entry point into the Mac laptop ecosystem.

But if it's similar in price... or the same price... why would anyone get this instead of the Macbook Air?

🤔

 

[bobtamboo]

Can’t wait to see the new Apple PartsBin.

 

[geta]

I’m looking forward to people trying to do rendering and run large LLMs on it, and pronouncing it an unusable failure.

If this is your needs, you should know that this is not the computer for you.

 

[geta]

But for $1,200 you can already get a 16GB/512GB Macbook Air that will be better in every way:

M4 processor
Bigger and better screen
MagSafe

The point of this laptop is it's supposed to be cheaper than the Macbook Air... a cheaper entry point into the Mac laptop ecosystem.

But if it's similar in price... or the same price... why would anyone get this instead of the Macbook Air?

🤔

You're partially right, but some people will prefer it over the Air if it will be smaller and lighter as their travel laptop.

 

[Basic75]

No. "Non-unified memory" in this context means a combination of on-processor die RAM and off-die (discrete) RAM. Presumably Apple would tweak macOS so that on-die RAM would be preferred. A non-unified memory design might help Apple meet tight cost, margin, and functionality objectives while delivering "acceptable" performance, but that's speculation.

Then that's not the correct term because what you are describing sounds just like an SLC (system level cache) that all Apple chips already have a few MBs of. And no tweaking of macOS necessary, the cache already does its thing.

 

[Basic75]

There is no “on-processor die” RAM. DRAM is fabbed on an entirely different process, so it’s never on-die. The memory resides on the package. There is no cost benefit to having discrete DRAM.

(Technically the cache is RAM, just not DRAM.) But yes, you can't just stick a few GBs of DRAM on the processor die, though there have been experiments in that direction and also with high-performance DRAM in a separate die as part of the CPU package. Think Crystalwell or server processors with HBM. Of course neither are well suited to a low-cost solution.

 

[MayaUser]

But for $1,200 you can already get a 16GB/512GB Macbook Air that will be better in every way:

M4 processor
Bigger and better screen
MagSafe

The point of this laptop is it's supposed to be cheaper than the Macbook Air... a cheaper entry point into the Mac laptop ecosystem.

But if it's similar in price... or the same price... why would anyone get this instead of the Macbook Air?

🤔

thats the thing...if you upgrade macbook air you will end up on the Mbp territory and the same question will apply
I think this one will be good for some who dont need any upgrades...base model will be enough for them
From portability stand point it will be close to the 13" Mba but far better than the 15" Mba or even 14" Mbp

 

[Luftkopf]

If this is your needs, you should know that this is not the computer for you.

Well of course, but you know they'll complain anyway. Not many people seem to be able to see outside their own wants and needs.

 

[MayaUser]

Well of course, but you know they'll complain anyway. Not many people seem to be able to see outside their own wants and needs.

Agree. People are envy..they cannot understand segmentation

 

[NightFox]

butterfly keyboard

After the amount it cost them to make good last time? Wasn't it one of Apple's biggest non-safety recalls 'service programs'?

 

[darngooddesign]

The notch, IMHO, is the worst solution for the problem they made up for themselves. All of my digital devices are notch/island free. Which is why I still use an iPhone SE 3.

You know there are several ways to hide the notch on MacBooks.

 

[darngooddesign]

I wonder how this will compare to the OG 12” retina MacBook in terms of specs. I loved owning that thing but it wasn’t great performance wise.

having said that, it still did most of what I needed, even then I’d still be using it had the battery not died and I attempted to repair it myself… (yeah it was a failure haha)

Or, how about compared to chromebooks and netbooks back in the day

The A18 Pro is similar to the M2 in single core performance.

 

[CheesePuff]

For comparison, the M4 iPad Pro earns a single-core score of 3694 and a multi-core score of 13732 (Apple's next ‌MacBook Air‌ is going to use the M4 chip).

Such low quality articles from MacRumors, I have been calling them out on obvious mistakes like this (M4 MacBook Air came out a year ago) and they don't even bother correcting them

 

[iHorseHead]

I have a question: What computers aren't powerful enough to create documents? You can even create documents on iBook G3, can't you? You can even edit videos in iMovie on that thing.

 

[dumastudetto]

But if it's similar in price... or the same price... why would anyone get this instead of the Macbook Air?

🤔

Because it’s the new shiny toy with cellular connectivity (as an optional upgrade).

 

[BBCWatcher]

There is no “on-processor die” RAM. DRAM is fabbed on an entirely different process, so it’s never on-die. The memory resides on the package.

On-package, OK.

There is no cost benefit to having discrete DRAM.

I don’t think we know that.

I guess two corrections, there will not be higher than 16gb ram option because the package doesnt support…

Non-unified memory would address that potential problem. Or maybe this’ll be an M-like package with a processor swap.

…and no backlit keys in 2026 is like no speakers on laptops.

Maybe, but there’s precedent: Apple’s own current iPad keyboards often don’t include backlit keys.

 

[Populus]

I’ll say it again… I know it’s a low cost MacBook, but honestly, I think using an A19 would be much much better, not because there’s a lot of CPU performance difference, but the GPU is much better and, when we talk about a Mac, I think graphics are even more important. Also the AI performance is much better on the A19 thanks to the AI accelerators included in the new GPU…

On the other hand, I honestly think launching a Mac with a base memory of 8GB in 2026 is a mistake.

 

[ifxf]

Macs have been lagging behind iPhones in a wide range of hardware areas for a long time now.

ios is not a true virtual memory OS which is why physical memory is critical on ios.

 

[theluggage]

I don’t think we know that.

It’s pretty obvious: all of Apples A-series chips have on-package DRAM so they’d have to re-design the package and add extra complications to the logic board, just to be able to solder the same LPDDR chips to the board instead of the package. If that’s even possible - the DRAM may not be on-die but the die was designed to directly connect to on-package DRAM.

There was a scheme for plug-in LPDDR (LPCAMM) but it seems to have died a death - so we’re still looking at soldered-in RAM.

Non-unified memory would address that potential problem.

What problem? At Apple’s standard rate of $200-per 8GB, putting any more than 16GB on it would defeat the whole “low-cost MacBook” idea, and people who actually need 24GB or more are unlikely to be happy with an A18 processor…

…and there’s no reason to believe that the A18 can even access more than 16GB, wherever it is located.