New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

[tenthousandthings]

~

Walmart. Not Apple. Unless I missed some major retail news?

You missed the major retail news that Apple has kept the 13" M1 Air in production but has stopped selling it directly — Walmart isn’t selling off Apple’s overstock, Apple is supplying Walmart with new machines to sell.

I can’t remember Apple ever doing anything like this in the past. So the Apple silicon era is truly a new era in all respects, including retail.

 

[hanske68]

I just hope they do not f*ck up the more professional mac and mac lines with inferior IOS or iPadOS ****. Apple users to be premium for professional users, it is starting to become bling-bling for no-no's. What a nightmare.

 

[Eric_WVGG]

Not in the same way a 12" was, especially perception wise with the tapered design.
It felt almost magical, how tiny and light it was but still running macOS.
It tucked away like iPads do.
...

"Ultraportable" is traditionally a pretty extreme standard, remember those iPad-Mini-sized "netbooks" from the 2000's?

I don't think the 12" even qualified. The old 11" Air was the closest thing Apple's ever made… or the eMate?

 

[smulji]

I know, my hope is that that is simply wrong. My hope is that it's the exact same 12" MacBook chassis but the display is bigger with much thinner bezels and a notch and that's why he's thinking 13". Obviously I could be wrong, and if so I would be very disappointed, but if my theory is right then that would be absolutely perfect, as the bezels on the 12" MacBook are very big and ugly. Fix the display bezels and add MagSafe and it's perfect.

Wouldn't be surprised if it's the same chassis as the M1 MBA

 

[Hattig]

12GB MacBook [Air].
M5 Lite (rebranded A18 Pro).
$799 ($699 in sales subsidized by the rest of the world despite the rest of the world doing nothing to Apple like tariffs).

Cost reduced across the board. Slower RAM. Smaller storage. Screen just not quite as nice.

Can't really say anything about the chassis - Apple will spend the effort on a custom design for this as it will sell a lot.

 

[baederboy]

~

You missed the major retail news that Apple has kept the 13" M1 Air in production but has stopped selling it directly — Walmart isn’t selling off Apple’s overstock, Apple is supplying Walmart with new machines to sell.

I can’t remember Apple ever doing anything like this in the past. So the Apple silicon era is truly a new era in all respects, including retail.

What evidence do you have that these aren't overstock and that Apple is still having new ones come off of an assembly line somewhere? Can you provide a link for that?

 

[DanneP]

Is it possible that it’s the Air which gets the A18?

Okay it might not be the cheapest to produce but designing a completely new chassis is not cheap either.

 

[JPack]

Is it possible that it’s the Air which gets the A18?

Okay it might not be the cheapest to produce but designing a completely new chassis is not cheap either.

Why do some people think A18 Pro is expensive? It's cheap enough to go into $599 iPhone 16e.

At $749 regular or $679 edu, this low-cost MacBook which reuses the 2018-2020 chassis is plenty enough to satisfy Apple's margins.

 

[PaulD-UK]

The MacBook 2018-2020 chassis is machined from solid aluminium.
The recent M4 mini has changed to ‘extruded’ to save costs = low base price.
If this new A18 Pro Mac is going to sell in bulk then Apple will have a new (cheaper) case to maintain their profit margin at a low selling price.

 

[DanneP]

Why do some people think A18 Pro is expensive? It's cheap enough to go into $599 iPhone 16e.

At $749 regular or $679 edu, this low-cost MacBook which reuses the 2018-2020 chassis is plenty enough to satisfy Apple's margins.

I meant the chassis if the current Air, not the chip.

I have a hard time to believe that Apple will revive some pre-2020 design, that doesn't sound right at all. My guess is either the current Air (unlikely, they won't be able to call it just "MacBook") or a completely new design which is also maybe cheaper to produce.

 

[MacMikePro]

Wouldn't be surprised if it's the same chassis as the M1 MBA

I know same here, that's my biggest fear. I didn't realize how much thinner the 12" MacBook was compared to the M1 MacBook Air until I put them back to back up against each other. The thinness and lightness of the 12" just feels so great in the hands, I love it, and I'm really really hoping it's that and not the M1 MBA chassis. But I'm positive I'm setting myself up for disappointment lol.

 

[MacMikePro]

What evidence do you have that these aren't overstock and that Apple is still having new ones come off of an assembly line somewhere? Can you provide a link for that?

It's obvious that that is the case, otherwise Walmart would've sold out of them a loooong time ago and it would've been listed as "while supplies last" but neither of those are the case. Apple made a deal with Walmart for this situation and it was very smart of them to do so.

 

[tenthousandthings]

What evidence do you have that these aren't overstock and that Apple is still having new ones come off of an assembly line somewhere? Can you provide a link for that?

I remember reading about a "partnership" with Apple but I can't find it. The only primary source I can find is Walmart's press release. The 8-GPU variant was discontinued in June 2022 when the M2 Air launched. The 7-GPU variant was briefly thought to have been discontinued on March 4, 2024 when the M3 Air launched, but Apple never actually said that (they just removed it from the store) and regardless it was resurrected eleven days later when the deal with Walmart was announced. Everymac.com refers to this as the "Walmart variant" and does not list it as discontinued.

Note also that Apple itself does not use the term "discontinued" -- it says "stopped distributing for sale" when discussing its policy toward vintage and obsolete products. The 7-GPU M1 MacBook Air is still being distributed for sale.

If you look at Walmart's site, they have all three colors in stock (not just online, but also at the store closest to me -- I can go and walk out of the store today with any of them, 16 months after Walmart started selling them) and they are selling 100-200 per day. That's in the neighborhood of 100,000 units in that time.

Finally, this is a product being sold new with a one-year warranty that contains a battery. The idea that Apple had more than 100,000 units sitting in a warehouse in early 2024 that they then shipped in bulk to Walmart completely misunderstands how Apple distributes its products.

 

[JPack]

I meant the chassis if the current Air, not the chip.

I have a hard time to believe that Apple will revive some pre-2020 design, that doesn't sound right at all. My guess is either the current Air (unlikely, they won't be able to call it just "MacBook") or a completely new design which is also maybe cheaper to produce.

Old designs help save cost and make it easier to produce in Vietnam and India. Just like iPhone SE or $329 iPad, Apple will take previous designs and reuse them.

 

[Cervisia]

Wouldn't be surprised if it's the same chassis as the M1 MBA

That was better than the current one.

 

[GioBones]

This is just a bizarre rumor/product. Estimates are that the M1 costs Apple ~$40/chip, and the A18 costs...~$40/chip. So what's the point?

It’s optics. It matches the iPad line. Bright pink iPad A-series with fewer pro features, or a silver iPad M-series. Apple is not appealing to their pocket book on parts, it is consumer tier-ing signaling. I’m personally looking forward to my first Mac marching my hot pink iPad A16 & hot pink iPhone 16.

 

[KPOM]

~

You missed the major retail news that Apple has kept the 13" M1 Air in production but has stopped selling it directly — Walmart isn’t selling off Apple’s overstock, Apple is supplying Walmart with new machines to sell.

I can’t remember Apple ever doing anything like this in the past. So the Apple silicon era is truly a new era in all respects, including retail.

I’m guessing Walmart approached Apple with a request for a $649 notebook. Either that or Apple wanted to test the waters at a relatively low risk to its brand. Regardless it looks like Apple is happy with the results and looking to expand availability.

 

[KPOM]

Finally, this is a product being sold new with a one-year warranty that contains a battery. The idea that Apple had more than 100,000 units sitting in a warehouse in early 2024 that they then shipped in bulk to Walmart completely misunderstands how Apple distributes its products.

Or Walmart. They are known for their efficient distribution chain. Supposedly they have the freshest produce in the grocery industry.

One question is whether this would remain a Walmart exclusive. IOW, are they just looking to retire the M1 and 5nm process, and the easiest way is just to replace it with the A18 Pro? Added battery life and better single-core performance are just gravy. Or are they looking to make this a “mainstream” product featured at Apple Retail? While the latter risks cannibalizing the MacBook Air, it also could bring more traffic and provide upsell opportunities.

 

[lixuelai]

Will be amazing to have a MacBook 12 replacement, with thinner bezels the size of a 13 MacBook may not be much larger.

 

[einmusiker]

Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow.

MacRumors can now reveal that it first spotted evidence of such a device in backend code related to Apple Intelligence last summer, and subsequently confirmed its use of the A18 Pro chip. The machine features the identifier "Mac17,1."

This would be the first Mac powered by an ‌iPhone‌ chip. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series chips, which offer higher core counts, support for larger amounts of memory, and better external display support. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year.

According to Kuo, the new MacBook is expected to enter mass production late in the fourth quarter of 2025 or early in the first quarter of 2026, which situates launch in the first half of next year.

Article Link: New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

This thing is pointless but as a stockholder I hope it somehow succeeds. Why buy this over an iPad Pro?

 

[loby]

I meant the chassis if the current Air, not the chip.

I have a hard time to believe that Apple will revive some pre-2020 design, that doesn't sound right at all. My guess is either the current Air (unlikely, they won't be able to call it just "MacBook") or a completely new design which is also maybe cheaper to produce.

It probably won’t be reviving an old design (like just putting a M- chip in a Mac Pro trash can). Concept only - like ultra light travel laptop if Apple is deciding. But I think if Apple does it it is not for ultra light travel like the 11” and 12” models. “If” Apple is doing this it is probably for the low cost market or economy/education markets as a intro to eventually get into the eco system for future (life long) purchase.

But personally…I think this is just a rumor and won’t happen. But I hope for another 12” ultra light travel laptop. 🤩

 

[dandyryan]

i think they'll call it the MacBook. Like iPad -> iPad Air -> iPad Pro and iPhone -> iPhone Air -> iPhone Pro
MacBook -> MacBook Air -> MacBook Pro

everyone already forgot about the bizarre MacBook Air -> MacBook -> MacBook Pro schema

Unfortunately that also means the same 13" design. We need a new skinny legend 12" chassis but if this is really going to go for $599 I doubt it

 

[dgdosen]

i think they'll call it the MacBook. Like iPad -> iPad Air -> iPad Pro and iPhone -> iPhone Air -> iPhone Pro
MacBook -> MacBook Air -> MacBook Pro

everyone already forgot about the bizarre MacBook Air -> MacBook -> MacBook Pro schema

Unfortunately that also means the same 13" design. We need a new skinny legend 12" chassis but if this is really going to go for $599 I doubt it

Too bad they don't start with the existing '17 Macbook design. Narrow those bezels and swap in a reliable keyboard and you're done. I'm sure an A18 board would fit in that chassis.

 

[Xand&Roby]

Hehe.

My first Mac had a Motorola 68K chip in it.

Then I had a PowerMac 7500.

Then the G3 Pismo, laptop.

Then a white plastic iBook, followed by a white plastic MacBook.

Etc. etc.

My all time favourite Macs are the 2010 11" MacBook Air and my current 2020 M1 MacBook Air.

My least favorite was the 12" MacBook (for its abysmal performance), tied with the 2019 MacBook Pro (the baby one with 2 TB ports), which is the only Mac I ever sold...

The 12" MacBook was a work issued machine, and after relatively short time I started taking my - then 5 year old - 11" MBA to work instead.

This is your story, mine starts with the Quadra and ends with the 12" MacBooks, which I used to take my work home (I was a video editor for one of the two great national broadcasters in my country and for about thirty channels that they used to broadcast their content).
An AE project with the company's Mac Pro tooke 30 seconds to perform the render, the same project on my MacBook 12" (2015 1.1 and 2019 1.3) plus or less 10~11 minutes.

With the difference that the Mac Pro had cost €6500 plus hours of maintenance, it had a temperature-controlled room, expensive ram and hdd, while I paid €1500 for the MacBooks in 2015 and €870 in 2019, new, they weigh and clutter nothing.
I also ordered an iMac M4 a few months ago, which I sent back after in 18 hours it failed to transfer two 1.5 Gb files, getting too hot.
I did video editing with Quadra, I did it at a high level with the Mac Pro, I did it for private work with a Mac mini server and with the MacBook 12", nothing has changed.
What has changed is the time to finalize the product, which is linked to the power of the Mac, but the skills are not, and will never be, of the Mac, neither with that divinity for onanists of AI nor with the next M36 processor.

 

[Eric_WVGG]

Too bad they don't start with the existing '17 Macbook design. Narrow those bezels and swap in a reliable keyboard and you're done. I'm sure an A18 board would fit in that chassis.

Word.

I don't have any serious need for a second laptop (got a 16" M3 Max truckasaurus), but if this rumored thing is a 12" or smaller with macOS, yeah, I'll make all kinds of excuses to have a little juniorbook for days I’m feeling lazy.