Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Macbook 12" that uses iPhone chip?

Apple might not want this market, but I can see an ARM Windows/Linux laptop in this space... Say Lenovo or Dell uses the latest Snapdragon chip and puts it in a chassis very similar to the latest Macbook. Make it full-size-keyboard width and very light. Bonus points for an OLED screen.

Call it a reimagined Netbook?

I'm sure Apple will bring back back something like the MacBook with an M chip. I don't think Apple would ever introduce it as a sub $1K machine. First they'd they'd sell it at a premium to milk the users that really want one (I'd buy one), then discount it as a new generation of chips comes out and they start discounting through outlets like Costco.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sam_dean
dgdosen said:
Apple might not want this market, but I can see an ARM Windows/Linux laptop in this space... Say Lenovo or Dell uses the latest Snapdragon chip and puts it in a chassis very similar to the latest Macbook. Make it full-size-keyboard width and very light. Bonus points for an OLED screen.
Click to expand...

You can already get an Alder Lake i3-class with OLED at this price point though. ARM will have difficulty getting into this market because of software issues.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ArkSingularity
leman said:
You can already get an Alder Lake i3-class with OLED at this price point though. ARM will have difficulty getting into this market because of software issues.
Click to expand...

Ironically, the one doing the most for ARM to advance in this realm is Microsoft itself. While not perfect, their x86-ARM translation layer is impressive.
 
Joe Dohn said:
Ironically, the one doing the most for ARM to advance in this realm is Microsoft itself. While not perfect, their x86-ARM translation layer is impressive.
Click to expand...

Oh, absolutely, and I expect the first strong contenders to be in the premium business notebook space, where users want performance but are unwilling to sacrifice the efficient operation/battery life. Then again, given the rumours that Nuvia chips don't offer dynamic frequency scaling it doesn't sound like they are going to compete in that domain any time soon.
 
senttoschool said:
$699 is not possible. Again, it'd cost more to make a 12" Macbook than a 13" Macbook Air due to smaller component requirements.

I'm with you. I think Apple should release an inexpensive, sub $900 Macbook.

I've advocated for a $750 Macbook SE based on the 13" M1 MacBook Air chassis since 2020. Check my post history. Now that inflation is so high, I think a Macbook SE for $850 - $899 is more reasonable in 2023 and beyond.
Click to expand...
Heck, they could do a polycarbonate case like the old MacBooks and target them to education users. I’d buy one of those for my kid in a heartbeat. The iPad isn’t a great device for K-12 and a lot of schools now buy chromebooks, which is a shame as those kids are future buyers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sam_dean
www.macrumors.com

New 12.9-Inch MacBook Could Launch This Year Starting at $599

Apple's rumored new more affordable MacBook could have a starting price as low as $599 and launch as soon as this year, according to a new...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com

Unsuspend OP so he can come gloat.

At $599, this will send like hot cakes. At $699, will still still sell a ton.

I'm guessing A18 Pro and 8GB of RAM. Hope it's something like 12GB though.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: navaira and Digitalguy
senttoschool said:
www.macrumors.com

New 12.9-Inch MacBook Could Launch This Year Starting at $599

Apple's rumored new more affordable MacBook could have a starting price as low as $599 and launch as soon as this year, according to a new...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com

Unsuspend OP so he can come gloat.

At $599, this will send like hot cakes. At $699, will still still sell a ton.

I'm guessing A18 Pro and 8GB of RAM. Hope it's something like 12GB though.
Click to expand...
Agreed. 12GB seems a fair compromise. By the way, do you know why he was suspended?
 
$599 would be a shocking price if true. I was thinking $649 (and even $699) were optimistic predictions even without tariff fears.
 
If Apple can make iPad and sell for $349, why is there any doubt a $599 MacBook is possible?

The MacBook Air M2 costs Apple $500 to build when it was brand new. There are plenty of places to save on components and manufacturing.
 
JPack said:
If Apple can make iPad and sell for $349, why is there any doubt a $599 MacBook is possible?

The MacBook Air M2 costs Apple $500 to build when it was brand new. There are plenty of places to save on components and manufacturing.
Click to expand...

It’s not about it not being possible, it’s always been possible for them to build something at this price (how good is another discussion). However they’ve never been willing to go this low, which is why them actually going with this price would be surprising.
 
thenewperson said:
It’s not about it not being possible, it’s always been possible for them to build something at this price (how good is another discussion). However they’ve never been willing to go this low, which is why them actually going with this price would be surprising.
Click to expand...

Apple has been willing to take a chainsaw to their other products. Why not Mac? Apple did it with $329 iPad back in 2017. They targeted the education market and cut the entry price by 1/3 from $499 iPad Air 2.

It shouldn't be any shock Apple can pick the Mac and do the same. What's 1/3 off $999 MacBook Air? It's $599-$699.

Apple also did it with iPhone SE and Watch SE. Take a second to review Apple holistically and this shouldn't be any surprise.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Digitalguy
senttoschool said:
www.macrumors.com

New 12.9-Inch MacBook Could Launch This Year Starting at $599

Apple's rumored new more affordable MacBook could have a starting price as low as $599 and launch as soon as this year, according to a new...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com

Unsuspend OP so he can come gloat.

At $599, this will send like hot cakes. At $699, will still still sell a ton.

I'm guessing A18 Pro and 8GB of RAM. Hope it's something like 12GB though.
Click to expand...
Not sure I’d want one. I have the 2017 MacBook, and it’s a dog to just do simple tasks. I love the 12” form factor, but I’d be hesitant to try another underpowered computer again. I’ve been burned before (it gets really hot)…
 
  • Like
Reactions: DaniTheFox
MacPoulet said:
Not sure I’d want one. I have the 2017 MacBook, and it’s a dog to just do simple tasks. I love the 12” form factor, but I’d be hesitant to try another underpowered computer again. I’ve been burned before (it gets really hot)…
Click to expand...
I have the 2017 Macbook too, and this is nothing like that. I have an M1 and that thing still flies and this one should be even snappier
 
  • Like
Reactions: DaniTheFox
MacPoulet said:
Not sure I’d want one. I have the 2017 MacBook, and it’s a dog to just do simple tasks. I love the 12” form factor, but I’d be hesitant to try another underpowered computer again. I’ve been burned before (it gets really hot)…
Click to expand...

It wouldn’t be a 12-inch form factor, but rather 13-inch.

Due to marketing reasons, iPad Air has a 10.9-inch display but is the exact same form factor as iPad Pro 11-inch.
 
JPack said:
It wouldn’t be a 12-inch form factor, but rather 13-inch.

Due to marketing reasons, iPad Air has a 10.9-inch display but is the exact same form factor as iPad Pro 11-inch.
Click to expand...
so would it just use the current MacBook Air chassis? I would just get the proper Air, maybe an M3 on discount to save money…
 
MacPoulet said:
Not sure I’d want one. I have the 2017 MacBook, and it’s a dog to just do simple tasks. I love the 12” form factor, but I’d be hesitant to try another underpowered computer again. I’ve been burned before (it gets really hot)…
Click to expand...
you are comparing an garbage entry level Intel with almost top of the line SC SoC that probably will be 20x faster in both cpu and gpu than your 2017 core M
 
MayaUser said:
you are comparing an garbage entry level Intel with almost top of the line SC SoC that probably will be 20x faster in both cpu and gpu than your 2017 core M
Click to expand...
The hole MacBook 2015/7 desaster was only intel fault. They couldn‘t deliver what Ive was asking.
I‘m sure the Mx project was going in high gear after this.
And after 10 years we are finally back where we should have been.
 
Intel was a disaster in the last years...even the i9 mbp was an hot garbage placed into a too thin laptop...Ive garbage vision...pay for power to get less, far less. Ive with Intel combo didnt worked at all
 
Last edited:
leman said:
Underpowered? Unlikely. The A18 Pro is faster than the current-gen Intel business ultrabooks.
Click to expand...
I’m curious as to what the trade-offs would be vis-a-vis an M-powered MacBook. Are the compromises of an A18 Pro over an M-series chip going to provide decent value, I wonder…
 
DaniTheFox said:
The hole MacBook 2015/7 desaster was only intel fault. They couldn‘t deliver what Ive was asking.
I‘m sure the Mx project was going in high gear after this.
And after 10 years we are finally back where we should have been.
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t put all the blame on Intel. Apple deserves a fair share for releasing the product. They could have decided it wouldn’t work with the Intel processors and not release it, but they shipped it, warts and all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DaniTheFox
MacPoulet said:
I’m curious as to what the trade-offs would be vis-a-vis an M-powered MacBook. Are the compromises of an A18 Pro over an M-series chip going to provide decent value, I wonder…
Click to expand...

Lower multi-core performance (unlikely to impact regular home/business/educational users), lower graphics performance (gaming).

That's pretty much it.

For example, an A-series MacBook won't be anything I am interested in since I do a lot of data processing and having extra cores really helps (the spatial database I am currently working on takes 5 hours to build on my M3 Max). But if your work is mostly emails/business chat platforms/office, then A-series MacBook could be fantastic value. It will likely be half the price of a premium Dell or HP business Ultrabook, while delivering a much better battery life and responsiveness.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MacPoulet
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back