by Tim Hardwick
Apple’s rumored new more affordable MacBook could have a starting price as low as $599 and launch as soon as this year, according to a new report out of Asia.
We first learned of Apple’s low-cost MacBook plans in late June, when analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the company was developing a “more affordable” 13-inch laptop (the analyst did not mention a price) that would with compete with Chromebooks and drive MacBook purchases.
Kuo said the new MacBook is set to use an A18 Pro chip, which debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. That would make it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. So far, all Apple silicon Macs have used M-series chips, which feature more cores, greater memory capacity, and improved external display support.
The analyst said he expected the model to enter mass production late in the fourth quarter of 2025 or early in the first quarter of 2026. Today, DigiTimes has independently corroborated Kuo’s prediction and suggested that the MacBook will start between $599 and $699. The current 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $999 in the U.S. (or $899 under Apple’s student discount).
Today’s report adds that the laptop will have a 12.9-inch display, making it slightly smaller than the MacBook Air’s 13.6-inch screen. DigiTimes reports that some components are expected to enter mass production by the end of the third quarter of 2025 – a schedule that could see full system assembly begin before the end of the year.
Final assembly is expected to take place at Quanta’s facilities in the fourth quarter, with the laptop becoming commercially available in late 2025 or early 2026, similar to Kuo’s launch estimation.
According to market projections, annual shipments of the low-cost MacBook could reach between 5 million and 7 million units, potentially boosting Apple’s total MacBook volume from the current 17 million to 18 million units by 30% to 40%.
Kuo believes the more-affordable MacBook will feature an ultra-thin, lightweight design and could come in Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow finishes.
One thing to bear in mind is that the A18 Pro chip lacks Thunderbolt support, so the new MacBook would likely be equipped with regular USB-C ports. But that’s unlikely to be a deal-breaker for customers seeking the most affordable Mac they can get their hands on. Would you be interested in such a laptop? Let us know in the comments.
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