In this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show, we delve into Apple’s potential plans for a budget-friendly MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently revealed that the company is looking to introduce an all-new, “affordable” MacBook featuring a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and a colorful palette including silver, blue, pink, and yellow.
This upcoming device will mark the first time a Mac is equipped with an iPhone chip, as previous Apple silicon Macs have utilized M-series chips. These M-series chips generally provide higher performance specifications such as more cores, greater memory capacity, and improved external display support.
The A18 Pro chip was first featured in the iPhone 16 Pro last year and is anticipated to limit features like Thunderbolt ports and memory capacity to just 8GB, potentially restricting the support for multiple external displays. To keep production costs manageable, Apple might consider reusing the design of existing models, such as the M1 MacBook Air.
This would help create a distinction between this new model and the MacBook Air. Additionally, Apple may choose to resurrect the “MacBook” brand name to differentiate it from the other MacBook lines, similar to how the iPad family is structured.
Kuo predicts that mass production for this new MacBook could commence late in 2025 or early in 2026, pointing to a possible launch in the first half of next year. During the episode, we also discuss Apple’s broader strategy for low-cost devices and how this fits into their future plans.
For more insights and updates on Apple news, be sure to subscribe to The MacRumors Show for weekly episodes featuring discussions on various topics within the tech industry.
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