You'll soon not recognize the new MacBook.

With an expected price of $700 and a variety of colors, the affordable MacBook helps Apple reach a new customer base while still retaining some premium elements.

Rendered image of a 12.9-inch MacBook based on rumors. Image: @zellzoi/X .

Based on rumors, Apple is developing a budget-friendly MacBook model to compete with Chromebooks and low-end Windows laptops. If the rumors are accurate, Apple could be targeting a new and potentially lucrative user segment.

Compared to the MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, the cheaper MacBook is expected to have several notable changes, such as a smaller screen, a processor borrowed from the iPhone, and a network modem developed by Apple itself. The product is likely to be unveiled in early March.

In fact, rumors about a cheaper MacBook have been circulating since the middle of last year. These are some of the exciting details to look forward to on Apple's new laptop.

When will the affordable MacBook be released?

Apple has sent out invitations for the Apple Special Experience event in the US, UK, and China on March 4th. Many sources indicate that the company will showcase new products to the press at the event, including a more affordable MacBook.

Information about a cheaper MacBook was first shared by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in June 2025. Four years prior, leaker Jon Prosser revealed that Apple was developing a multi-color MacBook Air, although the product never materialized.

The image illustrates the possible color options for a budget MacBook. Photo: MacRumors .

The colorful MacBook has been the subject of numerous recent rumors. According to Kuo, Apple plans to manufacture the device in Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026. If production began late last year, Apple would be ready to introduce the product in the near future.

In November 2025, Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman reported that Apple planned to launch a low-cost laptop to compete with Chromebooks and Windows PCs, with the expected timeframe being the first half of 2026.

In February of this year, Gurman reported that the product would be available in the first half of the year. A few days later, a writer from Bloomberg revealed that the new model would appear as early as March, boasting a premium design for its price.

Premium design, multiple colors

Despite their lower price, budget MacBooks will likely still use an aluminum casing similar to the MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. Typically, manufacturers use plastic casings to reduce costs, but with the goal of carbon neutrality, Apple is unlikely to use this material.

According to Gurman, Apple has developed a new manufacturing process for the casings of the cheaper MacBooks, allowing for faster shipping to cut costs without compromising product quality.

"Like all other Mac computers, this device, codenamed J700, will have an aluminum chassis, not plastic, even though it's cheaper."

To utilize this premium material, Apple has developed a new manufacturing process that allows for faster casing creation. This technique optimizes speed and cost compared to the techniques currently used in Apple's current laptop lineup," Gurman emphasized.

The Apple logo in the invitation to the March 4th event. Photo: 9to5Mac .

Besides the aluminum casing, the Bloomberg writer says the cheaper MacBook will come in "a variety of cheerful colors," unlike current Apple laptops.

Specifically, the colors Apple has been experimenting with on its products over the past year include light yellow, light green, blue, pink, silver, and dark gray. The yellow, green, and blue colors match the logo Apple designed for the March 4th launch event.

If the rumors are accurate, this would be Apple's most colorful laptop in recent times. In 1999, the company launched the iBook G3 in orange, cranberry blue, indigo, graphite, and lime green.

According to the Weibo account of leaker Instant Digital , similar colors were previously tested by Apple on the MacBook Air M2, but were not officially released.

The processor chip is the same as the iPhone's.

The product is expected to feature a processor chip borrowed from the iPhone, instead of the M-series chip found in the AirMacBook or MacBook Pro. In fact, M and A-series chips share the same architecture, but M-series chips generally offer higher processing power because they are designed for tablets and laptops.

Last year, Kuo stated that Apple would use the A18 Pro processor in its cheaper MacBooks, similar to the chip in the iPhone 16 Pro. However, with the appearance of the A19 in the iPhone 17, Apple may equip the iPhone 17 with a new chip to increase performance.

In theory, the A19 Pro and A18 Pro perform similarly to M chips, but at a slower speed. When compared using Geekbench 6 benchmarks, the single-core performance of the A18 Pro is equivalent to the M3 chip. However, due to having only 6 CPU cores, its multi-core performance is inferior to the M1, which has 8 GPU cores.

Specifically, the average single-core CPU score of the A18 Pro on Geekbench 6 is 3,451 points, while the multi-core score reaches 8,572 points. For comparison, the iPad Pro M4 achieved 3,694 single-core points and 13,732 multi-core points.

Affordable MacBooks may use the A18 Pro chip. Photo: MacRumors .

If equipped with the A18 Pro, the product would be slightly more powerful than the MacBook Air M1, which is still sold through some channels for between $550 and $600 . Meanwhile, the device's performance could be even higher with the A19 Pro.

In terms of graphics performance, the A18 Pro features a 6-core GPU. In the Metal benchmark on Geekbench 6, the A18 Pro's processing power was comparable to the M1. According to Gurman, Apple is targeting students and businesses with its affordable MacBooks. Therefore, although not the most advanced chip, the device can still handle everyday tasks.

With the A18 Pro chip, the affordable MacBook will not support Thunderbolt, only having a standard USB-C port, resulting in slower data transfer speeds and limited external display connectivity.

Using the A18 Pro also means the cheaper MacBook only comes with 8 GB of RAM, while all current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models have at least 16 GB. However, 8 GB is still the minimum required to run Apple Intelligence.

Since iPhones don't offer expandable RAM options, it's unclear whether the new laptop will be able to increase its RAM capacity. However, the device may support 256GB of storage, the minimum requirement on other MacBook models.

Cut back on some features.

Currently, the MacBook Air features a Liquid Retina display (LED backlight with IPS technology), an improvement over the first-generation Retina display. According to Macworld , it's possible that the cheaper MacBook will revert to a Retina display with square corners to save costs. Another possibility is using a smaller screen.

In August 2025, DigiTimes reported that the affordable MacBook would feature a 12.9-inch screen, similar to some iPad Air and iPad Pro models. For comparison, the current MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch screen.

Rendered image of a budget MacBook based on rumors. Image: 9to5Mac .

The iPhone 17 series also features the N1, a wireless network chip developed by Apple, supporting Bluetooth 6, Wi-Fi 7, and Thread. According to Macworld , this chip is likely to be used in the new budget MacBooks as well.

To save costs, the news site even mentioned the possibility that the device might not have a webcam. For the past few years, Apple has integrated the Continuity Camera feature, allowing the iPhone's camera to be used as a computer webcam. This could be a major change because, except for some desktop models, the company's other Mac models all include webcams.

Based on the latest rumors, the starting price of the 12.9-inch MacBook is around $700-$800 , significantly lower than the MacBook Air M4 ( $1,000 ).

Source: https://znews.vn/cho-doi-gi-บน-macbook-gia-re-post1629459.html