Rumour has it Apple’s working on a new entry-level MacBook that won’t be part of the Air or Pro lineups. What’s interesting is that it might run on the Apple A18 Pro chip, the same one reportedly powering the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.
DigiTimes via GSMArena, reports that components for this budget-friendly MacBook are set to enter production next month. If that’s true, full-scale manufacturing could kick off before the year ends, with a likely launch in 2026.
The new MacBook is expected to start at USD699 (~RM2,957), making it one of the most affordable options in the MacBooks lineup. Right now, the cheapest new MacBook you can buy is the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 with a starting price of RM4,499.
It’d also be the first MacBook to use a chip originally designed for iPhones. To spice things up, Apple might offer the laptop in more eye-catching coluors than usual.
Performance-wise, leaks suggest the A18 Pro could deliver a big boost in single-core benchmarks compared to M1 MacBooks, while keeping multi-core performance roughly on par. Not bad for an entry-level machine.