What do you want the new Macbook to realistically be?

[TSE]

Hey MacBook fans,

Back in 2006, I bought the first-generation Core Duo Black MacBook, and ever since then I’ve had a soft spot for the plain old “MacBook.” It’s gone through several identities over the years. A friend of mine had one of the refined white plastic models around 2009 or 2010, and even that was still fun. Then came the Ive era, where the MacBook shifted from an entry-level machine into an ultra-luxury ultraportable. I would’ve never bought it myself, but the first time I saw someone slip that thing into a TSA bin, it was honestly one of the sleekest laptop designs I’d ever seen.

Here’s what I’d love to see from the next MacBook—a realistic blend of those eras, something that stands out in the lineup:


What I’d hope for:

• $799 price point
• 12.1–12.9” screen at MacBook Air quality
• 2.2–2.5 lb weight
• A smaller, thinner footprint than the Air
• Same build quality as the current lineup
• 5G Cellular built-in

Realistic tradeoffs:

• A highly efficient variant of Apple Silicon—performance in the M1/M2 range, enough for the everyday tasks most people do
• A very compact battery to keep weight and thickness down, but still enough longevity for a full day of basic use (say 15 hours, compared to the Air’s 18 and Pro’s 24)

Would love to hear from you fellow MacBook fans!

 

[geta]

A smaller and lighter MBA version with minimum 16GB RAM and storage options up to 1TB.

 

[MBAir2010]

window 10 or Monterey os installed or compatible.


you asked!

 

[dmr727]

I want it to ship with Sequoia.

 

[shinkansenwarrior]

I want Apple to find a way to get the MacBook down to 2 lbs breaking the 1kg barrier.
I only need my laptop for presentation and workshops.
My desktop takes care of most of the creating then I load it on to my MB Air.
Sometimes I feel the more stuff I load on to my Air the "heavier" it gets.

 

[537635]

Basically I want a Macbook Pro Mini.


They should just take the iPad Pro 11'', add a permanent keyboard to it (which will make the whole thing much, much thinner and lighter) and slap macOS on it.


This way we would get a FaceID on a laptop for the first time (I'm simply not buying another device without it, currently using iPad Pro 11'' as a laptop replacement and FaceID alone is worth the hassle).


I know this is never going to happen, but it would be perfect for me. Ultraportable without any compromises in terms of quality and features (120Hz display, OLED, 5G modem, FaceID, latest M chips, fast SSD). Could be easily priced around 1500 $/€ for entry model and would only eat into iPad Pro sales (not other iPads).

 

[curnalpanic]

As long as it's not junk, I'm happy. Will never buy it though.

 

[Moonjumper]

My M4 Pro Mac Mini does the heavy lifting. I just want something that can do presentations and keep me productive when away, as light as possible would be great because it will be moved around a lot when used.

I expect a screen that is not quite as good as the Air, and a bit smaller. It will probably have an A-series chip, likely with 12GB RAM and 256GB SSD, but each a bit slower than in the Air. The battery will be smaller to save weight and cost. Battery life will be worse than the Air or Pro, but still better than typical Windows laptops, so great for many. I'd be fine with those compromises if it cost $599.

 

[jchap]

A smaller, thinner footprint than the Air

I'd like to see the wedge shape of the MacBook Air 13-inch M1 and earlier models revived in the new low-cost MacBook.

For me, the wedge shape was more "ergonomic", in that the edges of the laptop didn't dig into your palms like the newer models of the MacBook Air do. I wish they never did away with that—it was one of the defining properties of the MacBook Air line.

 

[MacMorrison]

Price is the defining factor for the MacBook. The existence of the Mac Mini shows that Apple does have an interest in keeping a lower-cost Mac around.

What the original poster describes is similar to an iPad running macOS.

I think they chose not to make a MacBook because of the slow sales of the 2015-2017 MacBooks.

Apple could sell a 12-inch MacBook with M3 or M4 processors - it's not worth manufacturing a separate line of silicon just for a niche product.

 

[IvyKing]

Price is the defining factor for the MacBook. The existence of the Mac Mini shows that Apple does have an interest in keeping a lower-cost Mac around.

Having a low priced "entry level" MacBook should lead to Mac's having a larger share of overall personal computer market. The question is whether the change in market share will lead to more software for the Mac, which could further expand the market share.

 

[jerry78]

A smaller and lighter MBA version with minimum 16GB RAM and storage options up to 1TB.

This configuration should be a starting point

 

[mk313]

small & light. I'd take the old 12" with a newer chip that can still get updates. Anything better than that is a plus in my book. But I don't want it to be as large or heavy as an Air. If that's the case, then I'll just stick with my air.

 

[Falhófnir]

Realistically I can only see it being an M1 Air with the chip swapped out to the A18/A19 Pro. To hit a low price point they can't really be investing in a completely new design, as that needs tooling and design costs repaid. Miniaturisation is expensive, hence why the MacBook was always so expensive relative to what it offered. Custom components like the terraced battery add cost. Reverting to a standard 16:10 rectangular screen keeps one of the costliest component's price down (no custom shaped cutouts for the notch). 256/8GB starting configuration, so by the time you add $200 for 16GB RAM or 512GB storage the Air looks a better option - all the standard stuff for the Mac lineup.

As I see it, this is really just a way for Apple to formalise their experiment with selling the M1 Air at a significantly lower price point via Walmart. Swapping the chip out lets them reset the OS support cycle, so they're not stuck with that problem. It's really a machine for people that absolutely can't stretch to $999 for the Air, but there will be no reason to buy it with any of the upgrade options vs going to the Air.

 

[next_cube]

At least as light and small as the 12" MB.

 

[loby]

I want it to ship with Sequoia.

unfortunately, if something comes out next year, you know what we will get....

a murky lake.

 

[loby]

I'd like to see the wedge shape of the MacBook Air 13-inch M1 and earlier models revived in the new low-cost MacBook.

For me, the wedge shape was more "ergonomic", in that the edges of the laptop didn't dig into your palms like the newer models of the MacBook Air do. I wish they never did away with that—it was one of the defining properties of the MacBook Air line.

Yes...I notice it that too..."it digs into your palms".

This is a fact, but I think it is here to stay unfortunately. Change for the sake of change to try to be new is Apple's game right now.

 

[537635]

Yes...I notice it that too..."it digs into your palms".

In terms of "palm digging", the design, where there is no battery under the keyboard, wins. With all its negatives otherwise, of course.

Keyboard on iPad Pro is as flush with the table as possible and there is minimal edge.

 

[loby]

In terms of "palm digging", the design, where there is no battery under the keyboard, wins. With all its negatives otherwise, of course.

Keyboard on iPad Pro is as flush with the table as possible and there is minimal edge.

True...that is a valid reason to buy iPad. But as some (myself included) like the idea of the iPad acting like a laptop, though it can maybe replace some (increasing) functionality of the iPad. macOS does not work with touch. It has noting to do with age. I had young people (even junior high school) use an iPad, but then go to MacBook Air. Why? Because (as they said), it is easier to use for school work. iPad has its place, but even though the industry and Apple tries to have buyers switch to the more profitable iPad or tablets, the "touch" functionality at times gets tiring on the fingers and arms, especially if it is a laptop or monitor.

So it is either fingers and arms hurt with the iPad, or the current design laptop palm hurting we have to deal with due to design.

Since...the palm hurting occurred generally because of the design change, go back to the design that doesn't cause it.

In the case of a small "MacBook", the older design works better.

 

[537635]

I use iPad Pro 11 at work, mostly text input, photo browsing, for that it really excels along with its ultimate portability (although still less so than Macbook 12). iPadOS, even the latest version, is still severly lacking compared to macOS. Some stuff is just frustrating. Not that it would be desegned for touch primarily, it's just bad. As if developers of the two systems live on different planets.

I got it for this purpose alone, along with being the only keyboard equipped Apple product with FaceID (the ease of unlocking the device is unmatched).

I never (really never) use touchscreen, which is kinda ridiculous. But it is what it is.

 

[cjsuk]

I really want a black plastic one with a decent keyboard. Metal stuff is really unfriendly. Looks like I've been self-harming when I actually use my macbook in laptop mode.

 

[TSE]

I really want a black plastic one with a decent keyboard. Metal stuff is really unfriendly. Looks like I've been self-harming when I actually use my macbook in laptop mode.

I'm not sure you want it, to be honest. Plastic laptops don't hold up nearly as well as metal ones do... You see all the time 2008-2011 MacBooks / MacBook Pros looking good as new. You don't see that with older plastic laptops, even Apple ones.

The plastic MacBooks were notorious for build quality issues related to plastic. iBooks creaked like mad every time you opened them.

I love my PowerBook Pismo. It's gorgeous. But it would have held up if it was metal.

 

[cjsuk]

I'm not sure you want it, to be honest. Plastic laptops don't hold up nearly as well as metal ones do... You see all the time 2008-2011 MacBooks / MacBook Pros looking good as new. You don't see that with older plastic laptops, even Apple ones.

The plastic MacBooks were notorious for build quality issues related to plastic. iBooks creaked like mad every time you opened them.

I love my PowerBook Pismo. It's gorgeous. But it would have held up if it was metal.

Yeah plastic MacBooks were crap. The Mg chassis plastic thinkpads were not. I had a few and they survived stuff a MacBook didn’t. Literally 4 inch drop into carpet killed a 15” early retina MPB dead. Screen and logic board failure. My old X201 took two cups of coffee and several waist height falls.

 

[Michael Maddan]

I own three of the A1342 MacBooks ( white ), and really like all of them. They are extraordinarily neat & well-laid out 'under the hood', and with the exception of a few, small cracks around the hinges on two of them ( pretty minor, actually...) they've aged really well. The polycarbonate is unusual, though, in that it's soft enough to easily put a scratch in, but quite a bit of work to remove / polish out.

I also think that these white MacBooks were just about the nicest looking Apple laptops, ever. They really are unique, and everything's was well designed and carefully finished, and--contingent upon price!--I think that many folks would like to have a new version of one of these, cosmetically, as they were / with all new internals & screen.

At least with the ones I have, it's very easy to run Linux Mint 22 on an A1342, and doing so seems to me quite a bit more 'productive' than going with High Sierra. Mint is really something to use, and it's very Soul Satisfying to see just how easy it is for one of these Circa 2009 MacBook's to be running very smoothly and reliably in 2025.

Oh: sure, some machines are 'more for go, than show' ( ThinkPads come to mind ), while others are as much fun to look at, as they are to use ( the 1342! ).

Michael.

 

[Michael Maddan]

Yeah plastic MacBooks were crap. The Mg chassis plastic thinkpads were not. I had a few and they survived stuff a MacBook didn’t. Literally 4 inch drop into carpet killed a 15” early retina MPB dead. Screen and logic board failure. My old X201 took two cups of coffee and several waist height falls.

Good point @ the X201...they were really well-made and durable. I own two ( 2 ) X200T ThinkPads, and they are simply exceptional machines. I will say that finding a battery for an X200T is no fun...seems most sellers are asking around $50 USD, and that seems high to me. My guess is that rebuilding one of these batteries would be not-too-difficult, and I may look into what it would take.

Michael.