Apple has been rumored to bring an entry-level MacBook priced at around $699, that’s not part of the Air or Pro lineups and is powered by the Apple A18 Pro chip, which was previously used in the iPhone 16 Pro series.
According to a new report from DigiTimes, components for the new affordable MacBook are cleared to begin production next month. This should signal full-scale manufacturing for the laptop before the end of the year and a possible release in early 2026.
According to the report, Apple will aim to capture a larger chunk of the laptop market with its new entry-level MacBook. The device is expected to launch with an MSRP of $699 ($599 for students) and will be the first Apple laptop to utilize a mobile chipset that was previously used in the iPhone series. Apple is rumored to differentiate its new laptop by offering more dazzling color options.
The upcoming affordable MacBook is expected to offer significant single-core benchmark gains over the M1-series MacBooks and offer similar multi-core performance.
Source (paywall)
