What's special about cheap MacBooks?

Apple is expected to launch a MacBook version priced from $600 to reach a new customer group with not too high demand.

MacBook Pro M5. Photo: NotebookCheck .

Apple is reportedly planning to launch a low-cost MacBook as early as this year, with some components expected to be mass-produced by the end of the third quarter before full assembly lines are up and running by the end of the year.

If the rumors are true, this will be the first time in many years that Apple has launched a laptop cheaper than $ 1,000 . This could put a lot of pressure on rival brands, helping Apple reach a new group of users.

When will the cheap MacBook come out?

This isn’t the first time rumors of a cheaper MacBook have surfaced. In June, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was working on a “more affordable” 13-inch laptop to compete with Chromebooks and attract more users.

At the time, Kuo did not specify the price of the product. Based on the latest rumors, the starting price of the device is around 600-700 USD , significantly lower than the MacBook Air M4 ( 1,000 USD ).

Previously, Kuo predicted that Apple would produce low-cost MacBooks from the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 or the beginning of the first quarter of 2026. However, according to the latest rumors, the device will go into mass production as early as the fourth quarter.

Illustration of cheap MacBook. Photo: @zellzoi/X .

According to Apple's schedule, the fourth fiscal quarter of 2025 will end on September 27. Therefore, it is likely that the device will be launched close to the 2025 holiday shopping season, with sales counted in fiscal year 2026.

Kuo isn’t the only analyst predicting a low-cost MacBook. In mid-August, DigiTimes reported that the device could ship in “late Q3 2025.” It’s important to note that this is a production timeline, not a launch or delivery date.

According to Macworld 's prediction, if production starts in the early fourth quarter, such as mid-October, the device could be released by the end of the year. However, the release schedule could still be pushed to early next year depending on Apple's strategy.

MacRumors also spotted a “Mac17,1” in Apple Intelligence code that doesn’t belong to any existing device. Speculation suggests this could be the upcoming low-cost MacBook.

Processor chip from iPhone

There haven't been many rumors about the design of the low-cost MacBook, but some theories have been based on the 12-inch MacBook, which is no longer in production.

When launched in 2015, the 12-inch MacBook had a simple design, different from the current MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. To synchronize the design, the appearance of the cheap MacBook could be more square, thin and light to distinguish it from the MacBook Air.

According to DigiTimes , the low-cost MacBook is expected to have a 12.9-inch screen, slightly smaller than the MacBook Air (13.6 inches). It is not clear whether this screen will use traditional Retina technology or Liquid Retina with rounded corners and a notch in the middle.

The 12-inch MacBook only has one USB-C port for charging and data transfer. According to Macworld , Apple may maintain this strategy to save costs, but it could still add a MagSafe magnetic charging port.

Based on many rumors, the low-cost MacBook could be equipped with an A-series processor like the iPhone. Initially, Kuo said the product used the A18 Pro chip similar to the iPhone 16 Pro. However, when the iPhone 17 Pro appeared with the A19 Pro, this was considered a more viable option.

Rendering of the rumored low-cost MacBook. Photo: 9to5Mac .

Both the A and M chips use the same architecture developed by Apple. However, the M chips usually offer more processing power. Equipping the A-series on MacBooks can help Apple save on device development costs.

In Geekbench 6 benchmarks, the A18 Pro chip offers single-core performance on par with the M3. However, due to its six CPU cores, the A18 Pro's multi-core performance is inferior to the M1, which has eight CPU cores.

If Apple keeps the specs the same, the MacBook with the A18 Pro chip could be as powerful as the MacBook Air M1, which still meets most of the needs of use. The machine's performance could be even higher if it uses the A19 Pro.

It's worth noting that the A18 Pro doesn't support Thunderbolt, so the budget MacBook will likely stick to a regular USB-C port.

RAM capacity is also a factor to consider because the A18 Pro chip only has 8 GB of RAM, while the current MacBook Pro or MacBook Air have a minimum of 16 GB of RAM.

Kuo says the device will come in silver, blue, pink, and gold. The rumored timeline suggests the device could still arrive this year. Apple traditionally holds events in late October or November.

Apple's strategy

In the third quarter, Apple announced a record $8 billion in Mac sales, up 15% year-over-year. The growth was largely driven by emerging markets, combined with strong demand from both existing and new users. The MacBook Air M4 played a key role.

According to DigiTimes , the “Back to School” program is expected to help MacBook Air sales increase 2.2% compared to the second quarter and 10% compared to the same period last year. This trend is contrary to the forecast of a 3.2% decline for the overall laptop market, including brands such as Lenovo, HP and Dell.

Quanta and Foxconn are important MacBook assembly partners. In June, Quanta shipped about 5 million laptops, up 31% from May and 11% from the same period last year.

MacBook Air M4. Photo: CNN .

Apple aims to sell 25 million MacBooks this year. If it assembles low-cost MacBooks in the fourth quarter as expected, Quanta's laptop sales this year could increase to 5-7 million units, bringing total MacBook sales to about 30-40% compared to the current level (17-18 million devices).

“With global laptop sales remaining steady at 170-180 million units in recent years, Apple’s strategy of pushing into the low-cost segment could threaten the market share of competing brands, especially those that specialize in selling low-cost laptops.

Industry analysts warn the move could lead to significant changes between original design manufacturers (ODMs) and component suppliers,” DigiTimes said.

According to DigiTimes analyst Jim Hsiao, the low-cost MacBook may not be aimed at the education market dominated by Chromebooks. He believes that demand in schools is still low, mainly around iPads. Meanwhile, the low-cost MacBook could help Apple maintain a low-cost laptop option, as the MacBook Air faces the risk of price increases due to inflation.

Source: https://znews.vn/chung-ta-da-biet-gi-ve-macbook-gia-re-post1597348.html