Quick Answer
Apple is reportedly developing a budget MacBook powered by an iPhone A18 Pro chip, targeting students and entry users. Expected in the first half of 2026, it may feature a 13-inch LCD display, long battery life, macOS support, and pricing around $600–$700 to rival Chromebooks and budget Windows laptops.
Apple is rumored to be working on an affordable MacBook model that is powered by A-series processors used on iPhones. This will be an entry-level MacBook that will compete with Chromebooks and also Windows PCs on a budget. It is expected to launch in the first half of 2026, as recent big iOS leaks also confirm the existence of this model.
Many people have been waiting for this device as the current MacBooks are expensive for basic needs, and also, it is Apple’s first attempt to bring a budget MacBook. If the price is right, it can be a great alternative to many Chromebooks and Windows laptops that offer the best battery life, and for someone who is looking for an affordable entry-level MacBook without breaking the bank, especially for students, business users, and even iPhone users who can pair it with their iPhone for a better Apple ecosystem experience.
We have been hearing a lot about this affordable MacBook over the past few months. Here is everything that you need to know about the upcoming affordable MacBook.
Table of Contents
When is the New Affordable MacBook Launching?
- It is expected to launch in the first half of 2026.
The new affordable MacBook is expected to launch in the first half of 2026. Several reports claim that some of these device components have already entered manufacturing in Q3 2025, and a few reports also claim that Apple’s internal testing is already underway.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is popular for his reliable Apple leaks and has a good track record, has already shared a similar timeline before, and he predicted that mass production would begin in late Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026.
So, going by the leaks and several highly reputable reports, the upcoming MacBook is expected to launch in the first half of 2026, likely during spring, and it is also strongly rumored to be announced alongside the upcoming affordable iPhone, the iPhone SE model.
Expected Specifications of the Affordable MacBook
Not just the launch timeline, the core specifications of the upcoming affordable MacBook Air have also surfaced online. From display, to battery, performance, design, and all new colors for different existing Macs. Here is everything that you need to know.
Design and Color Options
- The upcoming MacBook will come with different playful colors similar to iPads and iMacs.
- It is going to be thin and light with noticeable bezels, and it might also feature a design similar to the 2025 MacBook.
The affordable MacBook is expected to have an all-new design inspired by the 12-inch MacBook launched in 2015. It is understandable since every affordable Apple device has been inspired by older model designs, and it seems like the new upcoming affordable MacBook is no different.
However, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, another popular and reputable source, the upcoming MacBook will have a similar design aesthetic as the MacBook Air, with a flawless design and cues from the 12-inch MacBook of 2015, with a 13-inch screen, which we will talk about more in the display section.
While the design might be familiar to the existing MacBooks, unlike the silver/grey/gold and pink colors of MacBook, Apple MacBook is rumored to come in bright, playful color options.
According to Kuo, Apple is considering Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow finishes similar to budget iPad models, which perfectly aligns with other product categories, and it might also be a strategic choice to make it more appealing for younger generations, like students.
We should see how these affordable MacBooks are going to look in real life. Based on the leaks, we have designed what it’s going to look like in the final design to give you an idea.
Since Apple is not well known for adding ports, the upcoming MacBook Air is expected to feature USB-C ports and notably no Thunderbolt support, and likely to feature USB 3.2 speeds (up to 10 Gbps to support external displays. And also, the MacBook is expected to feature a 3.5mm headphone jack.
So, overall, the design is expected to be different, but with cues from the existing MacBook, it is going to come in all new bright colors and also with standard ports and headphone jack support.
Design and Color Options
- Upcoming affordable MacBook to feature a 13-inch display, slightly less than the MacBook Air M1’s 13-inch display
The upcoming MacBook is expected to feature a 13-inch display, slightly lower than the MacBook Air M1’s 13.6-inch display. For comparison, here is how they are going to look side by side.
And since it is an affordable MacBook, Apple is rumored to include an LCD screen with a standard 60Hz Retina display without advanced mini-LED or high refresh features. Currently, it’s unclear about the display resolution and the maximum nits it’s going to produce. However, it is almost certain that the new affordable MacBook will surely sport noticeable bezels, and obviously, with no notch.
Performance With A18 Pro
- Upcoming MacBook to feature Apple A18 Pro processor used on Apple iPhone 16 series.
- A18 Pro is more powerful than the Apple M1 processor.
- The real-life performance is close to M2/M3 processors found on Apple MacBook Air models.
One thing that is evident from all the leaks and rumours is that the upcoming Apple MacBook affordable version will feature an iPhone processor, A18 Pro. And the fact is that the A18 Pro is more powerful than Apple’s first M1 processor, which currently resides inside the most popular Apple MacBook, and also the current affordable MacBook you can get.
In the real world, we can expect performance close to M2/M3 performance in single-core; however, since the latest processors have better multiple-core performance, it might still fall back into that category
For comparison, here is how it compares against each M-Series processor that is currently in the line-up.
| Chip | Single-Core Score | Multi-Core Score |
| A18 Pro | 3,400 – 3,460 | 8,500 – 8,790 |
| Apple M1 | 2,330 | 8,300 |
| Apple M2 | 2,600 | 9,700 – 10,000 |
| Apple M3 | 3,100 | 11,800 – 12,000 |
| Apple M4 | 3,700 – 3,800 | 13,500 – 14,500 |
A18 Pro was first introduced in the Apple iPhone 16 Pro series. It is built on a 3-nanometer process and features a 6‑core CPU (with 2 high-performance cores and 4 efficiency cores) and a 6‑core GPU, plus a 16-core Neural Engine.
So in real life, we can expect a smooth day-to-day performance in the web browser, email, office work, media console, and also a little gaming, and also for light video editing. I am currently using the MacBook Air M1, which handles all of these tasks without breaking a sweat, so we can expect better performance. There is also another rumour that suggests that Apple’s internal tests have shown the A-series chip outperforming the Mac-optimized M1 in recent laptops.
The processor is likely coupled with the 8GB of RAM, although the latest MacBook Pro models have shifted to 16 GB RAM for the base variants. However, since prices have been increasing worldwide because of the current demand, thanks to AI, we can expect it to have 8GB RAM as the base variant and might offer 16 GB as an upgrade.
And in terms of storage, the base variants do have 256 GB storage and might offer 512 GB internal storage as an upgrade. And again, it’s a cost-saving measure: Apple is using slightly slower NAND for the SSD.
macOS and App Compatibility
- Apple’s upcoming MacBook to run on macOS Tahoe, similar to other Macs.
- There will be a downgrade version or a lite version; all the apps and software that are currently compatible with the current MacBook models are also compatible with the upcoming affordable MacBook.
The upcoming MacBook will come with macOS Tahoe out of the box. No, there won’t be a separate macOS build for this, since many are wondering whether the A18 can run the macOS platform, as we already said that the A18 Pro is already more powerful than the Apple MacBook M1, which I am currently using. My current MacBook Air M1 runs on macOS Tahoe with a new liquid glass design.
Moreover, since Apple M and A series are both ARM-based and are fully compatible and offer a native macOS experience, you don’t need to worry about app compatibility.
All the apps that are currently available for Mac (both native ARM apps and Rosetta-translated Intel apps, if still supported). It should be compatible with the current MacBook. However, a few high-end applications can be limited since they require full, powerful hardware to run.
While the Apple Intelligence features were not as effective as Apple initially quoted, the A18 Pro chip includes a 16-core Neural Engine for AI tasks, so it should also support all Apple Intelligence features and can even run locally on your device without any issues
Battery Life Expectations
- Using a smartphone processor can potentially bring better battery life to the upcoming MacBook
- The MacBook already has 15 hours of battery life; the upcoming MacBook might beat this record and become the battery life champion.
Using a smartphone powering chip can bring significantly better battery life to the upcoming MacBook. According to Gurman from Bloomberg, the budget MacBook is expected to outlast the current MacBook Air and Pro models.
For comparison, here are the battery life claims of the Apple MacBook Pro M1 and the latest Macs. So, with the current MacBook that already achieves up to 15-20 hours of battery life, we can expect even better battery life on the upcoming MacBook, thanks to a power-efficient processor, a display that is not that bright, and an even fanless design, which can all contribute to overall better battery life and can also become a battery champion.
MacBook Model | Processor | Video Playback | Wireless Web) | Real-World Battery Life | Battery Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Affordable MacBook (Upcoming) | A18 Pro | 24 Hours | 20+ Hours | No info | No info |
MacBook Air | Apple M4 | 18 Hours | 15 Hours | 15 - 16 Hours | 53.8 Wh |
MacBook Air (2024) | Apple M3 | 18 Hours | 15 Hours | 15 Hours 13 Min | 52.6 Wh |
MacBook Air (2022) | Apple M2 | 18 Hours | 15 Hours | 14 Hours 33 Min | 52.6 Wh |
MacBook Air (2020) | Apple M1 | 18 Hours | 15 Hours | 14 Hours 41 Min | 49.9 Wh |
I am currently unsure whether Apple will include a magnetic charging port for this device, and I think Apple should, since it has become a standard on all MacBook hardware. However, I don’t think Apple would include that in the upcoming model.
Expected Price of the Affordable MacBook
- It is expected to be priced around 600 dollars.
Pricing on the Play Store plays a key role in deciding the success of this MacBook. Several reliable sources indicate that the price will be below the $999 MacBook Air. Many analysts speculate $599-$699 USD.
However, since Apple has not always been this aggressive, we are expecting the price to range from 650 to 750 dollars in between. For comparison, here is how other MacBooks are priced. We are sure that this model will launch at the lowest in the ladder, but we have to see how low Apple goes in terms of pricing, considering devices are going to get pricier in 2026.
Final Expected Specs and Pricing
Combining all the rumors and leaks, here is the final pricing and expected MacBook specs.
Feature | Upcoming Affordable MacBook (A-series, Rumored) | MacBook Air M1 (2020) | Current MacBook Air (M4, Current Gen) |
|---|---|---|---|
Build Materials | No info | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Display Size | Likely 13 inch | 13.3-inch Retina Display | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display |
Display Type | Standard LCD | IPS LED-Backlit (Retina) | IPS LED-Backlit (Liquid Retina) |
Colors | Pink, Blue, Yellow, Silver | Gold, Silver, Space Gray | Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Sky Blue |
Chip | A18 Pro | Apple M1 (8-core CPU, 7/8-core GPU) | Apple M4 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU) |
RAM (Base) | 8GB and also higher 16GB | 8GB Unified Memory | 16GB Unified Memory |
Storage (Base) | 256GB SSD starting | 256GB SSD | 256GB SSD |
Ports | 2x USB-C | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 + 3.5mm | MagSafe 3 + 2x Thunderbolt 4 + 3.5mm |
External Display Support | 1 External Display | 1 External Display (up to 6K) | Up to 2 External Displays (lid closed) |
Webcam | 12MP | 720p FaceTime HD Camera | 12MP Center Stage Camera |
AI / NPU | A-series Neural Engine | 16-core Neural Engine | Faster 16-core Neural Engine. |
Launch Date | Q1 2026 | Launched in Nov 2020 | Launched in Mar 2025 |
Price (US) | ~$650 – $750 (expecting) | At sale for $599 | Starts at $999 |
Latest Updates
Keep track of all the latest updates. We update this timeline with the latest updates. You can bookmark this page to stay updated.
- Dec 17, 2025: According to internal leaks, Apple is also planning to release an upcoming MacBook with the A15 Bionic chip, but the retail version is expected to use the A18 Pro.
- Dec 14, 2025: Latest iOS 26 leak confirms Apple’s affordable MacBook.
