Leaked specifications for a budget MacBook: uses iPhone chip, LCD screen.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Apple is reportedly developing a budget-friendly MacBook model aimed at students, with a price under $1,000.

Bloomberg, citing sources close to the matter, reported that Apple is developing a cheaper MacBook laptop equipped with the A-series chips used in iPhones, instead of the M-series chips currently used in Apple computers.

According to Bloomberg , this cheaper MacBook will have a completely new design, with a smaller screen size than 13.3 inches (the smallest screen option currently available for the MacBook Air), using LCD display technology.

The affordable MacBook is rumored to use the A18 Pro chip, the same chip Apple uses in the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max (Illustrative image: Getty).

Sources also indicate that this affordable MacBook will most likely be launched in the first half of 2026, priced between $600 and under $1,000. This price point is justified because for $600, users can purchase a standard iPad with the Magic Keyboard Folio attachment, allowing it to be used as a laptop.

However, the source did not reveal the specific chip that the budget MacBook will use. Some previous leaks suggested that the product would be equipped with the A18 Pro chip, the same chip used in the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.

Until now, MacBook laptops have all used Apple's own M-series chips, but Bloomberg sources say Apple's tests show that the chips in iPhones can perform optimally for computers and even achieve better performance than the M1 chip, which Apple launched in 2020.

In performance benchmarks using the Geekbench application, the A18 Pro chip scored 3,500 in single-core processing, only slightly lower than the M4 chip. However, the multi-core processing score of the A18 Pro chip was only 8,780, significantly lower than the 15,000 score achieved by the M4 chip in the same test.

Affordable MacBooks are seen as products aimed at students or first-time MacBook users, allowing them to access the product at a more "affordable" price.

Earlier this year, market analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who regularly provides analysis and predictions on new Apple products, said that Apple was developing a cheaper MacBook in several different colors, including silver, blue, pink, and gold.

In mid-October, Apple also launched the MacBook Pro using the brand new M5 chip. According to Bloomberg , Apple has also finalized the MacBook Air using the M5 chip, while the MacBook Pro and M5 Max versions are currently under development.

It's possible Apple will release a cheaper MacBook alongside the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models using the M5 chip early next year.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/he-lo-cau-hinh-macbook-gia-re-dung-chip-cua-iphone-man-hinh-lcd-20251105122636236.htm