Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026

[MacRumors]

Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup.

According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the "e" line – in the spring, likely along with a 12th-generation iPad, and a new MacBook featuring an A-series chip originally made for ‌iPhones‌.

The new, previously rumored MacBook is said to use the A18 Pro from 2024's iPhone 16 Pro models. It is expected to feature a 13-inch display and come in silver, blue, pink, and yellow color options like the ‌iPad‌.

To meet the MacBook's lower price point – likely to be somewhere between $699 and $899 – Apple may make compromises such as using an older design or display components, 8GB of memory, or even just a single USB-C port.

For the iPhone 17e, Pu believes Apple will use an A19 chip, an 18-megapixel Center Stage camera, and Apple's C1 modem, with most other specifications remaining unchanged from the iPhone 16e. Other rumors suggest the iPhone 17e could transition to the Dynamic Island instead of the current notch at the top of the display.

For the 12th-generation iPad, there are no design changes expected, but Apple will upgrade it with an A18 chip, enabling the low-cost iPad to support Apple Intelligence for the first time.

Pu's equity research report broadly corroborates several other reports indicating that Apple will pursue a split-launch cycle for its iPhones going forward. The second half of next year will see the iPhone 18 Pro models launch alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone. Meanwhile, the regular iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and second-generation iPhone Air will arrive in the first half of 2027.

The iPhone Air 2 was reportedly supposed to arrive in tandem with the iPhone 18 Pro models, but poor sales on its maiden outing has caused Apple to delay the second version while it looks at a redesign, possibly featuring dual rear cameras.

Pu believes that Apple will be largely immune to recent DDR memory price rises through 2026, thanks to its strong procurement power.

Article Link: Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026

 

[FlyingDutch]

iPhone 16e is more than €700 in EU… how can you call it “low cost” and being serious ? 😅
You meant “lower cost” …

 

[carniesandrubes]

A very stripped down MacBook selling for $700-900 will be a tough sell when you can currently pay $749 for the current base MacBook Air and still get an M4 chip, 16GB memory, etc. At least until that stripped down model sees its own discount to get it close to $499.

 

[kolebee]

If an M4 (soon to be M5) MacBook Air with 16 GB of memory starts at 1000$ (900$ for edu), a meaningfully worse MacBook would have to be AT LEAST several hundred dollars less expensive—or even cheaper if it also has its own spec upgrade options.

It’s hard to imagine this starting at more than 600$, unless the base MacBook Air gets a price hike.

 

[ChrisMac47]

iPhone 16e is more than €700 in EU… how can you call it “low cost” and being serious ? 😅
You meant “lower cost” …

Agreed. Apple needs a proper low cost model, say $349 or better $299, which would grow their iOS market share outside the US. You can buy very nice Android phones in the EU for less than €250, they are well-built phones, but the downside is they run Android!

 

[cicalinarrot]

I fear that this means that features that we now get on the cheapest Air will be moved to pricier ones and never trickle back down.
Where I live, you can find a new M4 Air for $850. The SSD is a problem but all of the rest is the greatest deal ever.

 

[MayaUser]

iPhone 16e is more than €700 in EU… how can you call it “low cost” and being serious ? 😅
You meant “lower cost” …

€700 in Apple terms is low cost product

 

[Ctrlos]

Agreed. Apple needs a proper low cost model, say $349 or better $299, which would grow their iOS market share outside the US. You can buy very nice Android phones in the EU for less than €250, they are well-built phones, but the downside is they run Android!

Its comparitively low cost. I tried to live with a £300 phone on more than one occasion with the Pixel 6a and Nothing Phone 2a and whilst they were both ok they weren't anything more. We seem to forget that Apple is still a luxury brand, despite its market size.

 

[MayaUser]

Its comparitively low cost. I tried to live with a £300 phone on more than one occasion with the Pixel 6a and Nothing Phone 2a and whilst they were both ok they weren't anything more. We seem to forget that Apple is still a luxury brand, despite its market size.

Premium brand, premium...not luxury, luxury is Vertu

 

[WarmWinterHat]

iPhone 16e is more than €700 in EU… how can you call it “low cost” and being serious ? 😅
You meant “lower cost” …

Do carriers there ever have sales on them? You can often find it here (US) for $200, or close to it, on prepaid and without a contact. I’ve seen postpaid have them for zero without a trade-in.

I suspect few people actually pay the Apple retail price for it.

 

[diego.caraballo]

Oh yeah, Apple.
Add just one ONE USB C port!
The last time you did, it was extremely popular between users. 🤣

If it”s not under $500, don’t even bother.
Is another iPhone Air in the works.

 

[hoorayforhollywood]

A18 instead of A19 seems peculiar. But presuming it is A18 - where would that put it against an M1 or M2? I suppose M1 speeds are absolutely fine for a budget machine - but how much RAM does an A18 support? I'm going with $599 / £599 and the fun colours being the selling point. Although if they can market it at $499 / £499 that would be HIGHLY tempting to parents and make a lot of headlines.

 

[kiranmk2]

A very stripped down MacBook selling for $700-900 will be a tough sell when you can currently pay $749 for the current base MacBook Air and still get an M4 chip, 16GB memory, etc. At least until that stripped down model sees its own discount to get it close to $499.

Unless the MacBook Airs stop receiving such large discounts when the new A18 model launches...

 

[neuropsychguy]

Oh yeah, Apple.
Add just one ONE USB C port!
The last time you did, it was extremely popular between users. 🤣

If it”s not under $500, don’t even bother.
Is another iPhone Air in the works.

These are just speculations about what Apple might do. Nothing is really known.

However, what percent of MacBook (Air) users ever use more than one USB C port at a time? I'm asking because there are three other MacBook users in my immediate family and none of them has ever used the USB C ports other than charging. If it happens (and I'm not saying it will or that it's a good idea), my guess is that it wouldn't be a limitation to most users. If someone needs more than one port, that person could buy a computer that's more suited to their needs or buy a dongle (I’ll go out on a limb and say that if someone can buy a $X MacBook and really needs more than one USB C port, that person can spend $20 on a dongle).

We need to recognize that my needs or your needs (or the wants/needs of many people commenting on MacRumors or tech sites/forums) do not reflect the general population.

 

[theluggage]

At least until that stripped down model sees its own discount to get it close to $499.

You’ve solved your own problem.

If the current MBA can get heavily discounted from its list price of $999 around Black Friday, then of course a MBA-lite can and will get heavily discounted from its list price of $699 or whatever next Black Friday rolls around…

There’s a proven market for “new” M1/M2 MBAs from large retailers at the $699 mark - the rumoured MBA-lite is pretty clearly a replacement for those.

 

[Anaxarxes]

Agreed. Apple needs a proper low cost model, say $349 or better $299, which would grow their iOS market share outside the US. You can buy very nice Android phones in the EU for less than €250, they are well-built phones, but the downside is they run Android!

No they don't. Brands are represented on how they are perceived and there might be nothing that Apple can do for a phone that costs sub 300 usd.

Apple already has marketshare and creating a phone that is so compromised is only going to damage their brand becuase of the perception of the brand does not sync with the experience of that device.

the iPhone e is there not to be the cheaper phone. IT's there for the non tech savvy person that does not care about wireless chargin, the top tier camera system or th super thin and lightness of certain high end phones. IT's for a person that just wants and iphone for the experience and a good to great battery life for their light to medium use.

I think what apple needs to do is to adjust the iPhone XXe price back to 499 and not 599.

 

[kiranmk2]

A18 instead of A19 seems peculiar. But presuming it is A18 - where would that put it against an M1 or M2? I suppose M1 speeds are absolutely fine for a budget machine - but how much RAM does an A18 support? I'm going with $599 / £599 and the fun colours being the selling point. Although if they can market it at $499 / £499 that would be HIGHLY tempting to parents and make a lot of headlines.

Apple needs to be really careful if it launches a new laptop with 8 GB RAM. That would mean they would need to ensure that MacOS caters to 8 GB devices into the 2030s (or risk cutting off OS support for a laptop in 4 years or less).
Apple's future OS development easier.

 

[kotaKat]

Gonna place a bet: They're going to kill the M1 Macbook Air for $599/699 (for Walmart) and swap it for this A18 Macbook at $599/699ish.

 

[Jerus]

I like this, but it also feels a bit "new" or at least unlike the Apple we known over the last 20-ish years. Does not feel like Tim. I wonder who is pushing this internally, clearly who ever they are have some sway (if the rumours are true).
Feels wierd of Apple not to be an up market pig headed brand.

 

[timber]

Apple for some time has got a lot more fails than hits at balancing lower cost devices so it's probably best to wait and see. For exemple one camera phones are almost non existent and yet no doubt they will try to sell that.

IMHO the only consistent value hit they keep on delivering is the baseline iPad.

 

[Seanm87]

This MacBook will sell like hot cakes. I'm surprised Apple haven't done this sooner.

Don't underestimate the amount of people that don't care about tech specs but just want something nice, well built and basic.

 

[Warped9]

The “low cost” MacBook Air on Amazon or at Walmart in the U.S. doesn’t on amazon.ca or at Walmart in Canada. So a sub $1000 CA new MacBook will have appeal. If they could bring it in at $899 CA rather than $999 it would be even better given the MacBookAir is $1399 CA.

A refreshed entry level iPad will sell. It always does. The 16e has been popular here so the 17e should do fine.

What is hurting the 17 Air is how well they upgraded the 17 which is the best bang-for-the-buck of the entire lineup. The Air is a good phone, but the 17 just gives you more for your money.

 

[theluggage]

Add just one ONE USB C port!
The last time you did, it was extremely popular between users.

The last time they did that was on a relatively expensive $1300 12” machine, after they’d dropped the 11” sub-$1000 MBA, and back in the very early days of USB-C when dongles were rare and expensive.

This is literally going to be the cheapest MacBook at something like half the price of the old 12” - people are not going to buy one as a “desktop replacement” or for “content creation”.

Apple still have the issue that they are more expensive than PCs or Chromebooks - but by Apple standards this is the bargain bucket.

 

[ducknalddon]

Agreed. Apple needs a proper low cost model, say $349 or better $299, which would grow their iOS market share outside the US. You can buy very nice Android phones in the EU for less than €250, they are well-built phones, but the downside is they run Android!

Perhaps they are planning a lower cost model, after all the rumours are that the 16e isn't selling that well.

 

[ducknalddon]

Gonna place a bet: They're going to kill the M1 Macbook Air for $599/699 (for Walmart) and swap it for this A18 Macbook at $599/699ish.

I've wondered this, whether the cheap model might not make it to the Apple stores and only be available via a few retailers.