Apple is preparing an extra cheap MacBook! Its internals will surprise you

While the cheapest notebook in Apple’s lineup is currently the MacBook Air starting at 29 990 Kč, the Cupertino company could expand its offering with an even more affordable model in the future. Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has long-term reliable sources directly from Apple’s supply chain, has reported that a significant change in strategy is being prepared in Cupertino.

An iPhone chip as a path to a lower price

According to Kuo, Apple plans to start production of a completely new MacBook model in late 2025 or early 2026. The key innovation is expected to be the use of the A18 Pro chip, the same processor that currently powers the iPhone 16 Pro. Until now, all computers with Apple Silicon have exclusively used more powerful M-series chips.

This move could allow Apple to significantly reduce manufacturing costs. The cheaper MacBook is expected to retain the 13-inch screen, as seen on the current MacBook Air, suggesting that the main difference compared to more expensive models will be the processor used.

The notebook should come in several color options including silver, blue, pink, and yellow, visually distinguishing it from the current more professional models and bringing it closer to the color concept of the basic iPads or newer iMacs.

Performance like M1, but at a lower price

Many might doubt whether a mobile phone chip can handle a full-fledged computer operating system. However, at least according to benchmarks, there’s nothing to worry about. The A18 Pro chip achieves a score of around 3500 points in the Geekbench single-core performance test, which is only slightly behind the latest M4 chip that powers the current Mac mini and MacBook Air.

In multi-core performance, the difference is more significant – the A18 Pro achieves approximately 8780 points compared to 15,000 points for the M4. However, this still roughly corresponds to the performance of the original M1 chip from 2020, which even today provides sufficient performance for average users. Moreover, many everyday computer tasks still depend primarily on single-core performance, where the difference is minimal.

For casual web browsing, working with documents, watching movies, or basic photo editing, such a machine should provide perfectly adequate performance. Limitations would only become apparent during more demanding multitasking or professional applications.

Target production indicates ambitious plans

According to Kuo, Apple plans to produce between 5 and 7 million units of this new cheaper MacBook in 2026. This represents a significant portion of the total expected production of Apple notebooks, which should reach approximately 25 million units in that year.

Such a high production volume suggests that Apple is targeting a significantly lower price point, which could attract new customers. The company is likely aiming to return to sales figures from the pandemic period, when demand for notebooks significantly increased due to work and study from home.

If Apple manages to push the price below the 20 thousand korun mark, it could appeal to a much wider range of customers, including students and average users who have previously considered MacBooks inaccessible.

The lowest price point yet

Apple has never before offered a MacBook with a base price lower than 999 dollars (in the Czech Republic starting from less than 30 thousand korun), which is the price at which the basic MacBook Air is sold. A more significant price drop would represent entry into an unexplored market for the company.

The specific price of the new model remains unknown for now, but to make sense in Apple’s portfolio, it would have to be at least 200-300 dollars cheaper than the current basic MacBook Air. In Czech conditions, this could mean a price somewhere between 20-25 thousand korun.

What other compromises could the cheaper MacBook bring?

If Apple truly wants to significantly reduce the price of the new MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, it will likely have to make other compromises besides just using a less powerful processor. From the perspective of manufacturing costs, there are several areas where it could save.

The first likely concession will be lower display quality. While the current MacBook Air uses a Liquid Retina panel with high brightness up to 500 nits and support for a wide P3 color gamut, the cheaper model could offer a more basic IPS panel with lower brightness around 400 nits and a standard sRGB color space. The resolution could remain the same, but it would lack True Tone technology for automatic adjustment of color temperature to the surrounding environment.

Another logical step would be limited connectivity. Instead of two Thunderbolt/USB-4 ports, the cheaper MacBook might offer only one such port (just like the 12-inch MacBook offered years ago, whose production Apple discontinued several years ago). Apple could also omit the 3.5mm audio jack, thereby reducing costs and simultaneously supporting the sale of its wireless headphones.

Significant savings would also come from using lower quality speakers and microphones. While the current MacBook Air offers stereo speakers with spatial audio support and a trio of studio microphones, the cheaper model might settle for standard stereo speakers and one or two microphones without advanced noise cancellation features.

In the area of storage and memory, Apple could offer only 8 GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD as a base, which is a relatively limiting configuration in today’s world. The current MacBook Air lineup starts with 16 GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Lower capacity would be sufficient for basic work for average users, but more demanding multitasking would be problematic.

Last but not least, Apple could use less premium materials. Instead of an all-metal body, it could opt for a combination of aluminum and recycled plastics, similar to the basic iPad. The resulting product would be lighter but less durable and would not look as luxurious as the more expensive models.

Cannibalization of its own sales?

An interesting question remains how the new cheaper MacBook would fit into Apple’s existing pricing strategy. Currently, older MacBook Air models with the M2 chip can be purchased in Czech stores on sale for prices between 22,000 and 24,000 Kč, which is significantly less than the original recommended price.

Apple by tak mohl čelit riziku kanibalizace vlastních prodejů. Proč by zákazník sáhl po novém modelu s mobilním čipem A18 Pro, když za podobnou cenu může mít plnohodnotný MacBook Air s čipem M2, který nabídne lepší výkon v náročnějších úlohách?

Možným řešením by bylo postupné vyřazení starších modelů z nabídky, což je strategie, kterou Apple již v minulosti několikrát použil. S příchodem nového levného MacBooku by mohl ukončit produkci starších modelů, což vlastně udělal, ale spoustě prodejců se na skladě válí nejen M2 modely, ale dokonce i starší M1. Takový MacBook koupíte v Česku aktuálně už pod 16 tisíc.

Another solution would be a clear differentiation of target groups. While MacBook Airs would remain focused on more productive users, students, and professionals, the new cheaper model could primarily target home users who use a notebook mainly for content consumption, web browsing, and basic document work, which would also necessitate reduced weight and overall dimensions.

Apple could also come up with a distinct marketing designation that would differentiate the new product from the MacBook Air line. We can speculate about the return of the “MacBook” designation without further suffixes, which Apple last used for the 12″ model produced between 2015 and 2019, or even a completely new name that would emphasize the different character of the product.

Whatever strategy Apple decides on, entering a lower price category could significantly expand its customer base and strengthen macOS’s position against Windows. At the same time, it would be another step towards unifying Apple’s hardware portfolio, where A-series chips would power basic device models across categories from iPhones to iPads to MacBooks.

Would you buy a MacBook if it cost around 20 thousand korun?

Source: Ming-Chi Kuo (X)