If Apple's New Budget Macbook Is True, I'm Worried For Chromebooks And Windows Laptops

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Apple could beryllium processing a caller budget-friendly MacBook for astir $599. 
• It would reportedly location nan A18 Pro chipset recovered successful nan iPhone 16 Pro. 
• Production changes person pushed nan merchandise of this lightweight MacBook to 2026.

This summer, rumors surfaced that Apple was processing a lightweight MacBook running connected iPhone hardware. Notable Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo supported nan rumors successful a post connected X successful July, claiming nan institution was presently moving connected a "more-affordable MacBook" moving connected nan A18 Pro chipset -- nan aforesaid 1 recovered successful the iPhone 16 Pro -- alternatively of an M-series processor.

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We haven't heard overmuch since those early reports -- until recently. Notable manufacture insider Mark Gurman of Bloomberg published a little study providing penetration into Apple's imagination for this lightweight MacBook, including nan company's goals. 

Codenamed J700, nan instrumentality is being "designed for students, businesses, and casual users," groups that chiefly usage laptops for browsing nan internet, moving connected documents, arsenic good arsenic ray media editing.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

The study besides states that Apple is "targeting would-be iPad buyers" who whitethorn beryllium much willing successful a much accepted laptop acquisition alternatively than moving connected a tablet pinch a detachable keyboard. Gurman claims nan institution is aiming for an nether $1,000 price, and it'll execute this value constituent "by utilizing less-advanced components." 

Instead of an M-series chipset and a Liquid Retina display, J700 will reportedly tally connected an "iPhone processor and a lower-end LCD [screen]". Additionally, nan show will beryllium smaller than nan 13.6-inch surface recovered connected nan MacBook Air.

Super lightweight

The MacBook Air M4

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What's astir absorbing to maine astir nan Bloomberg study is that astir of nan accusation is not new. In fact, isolated from nan codification sanction and Apple's goals, each this is aged news from respective months ago.

Ming-Chi Kuo wasn't nan only source, arsenic tech news site DigiTimes reported connected thing akin backmost successful August. DigiTimes claims to person precocious spoken to an insider pinch friendly knowledge of this laptop, suggesting nan instrumentality will costs location betwixt $599 and $699, which is importantly cheaper than the M4 MacBook Air's starting value of $999. It went connected to opportunity that this caller MacBook will athletics a 12.9-inch display, which intimately matches to what Gurman's sources said.

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It appears location person been immoderate changes to production. DigiTimes primitively said that nan components for J700 might've entered "mass production" sometime successful precocious Q3 2025, pinch plans to motorboat nan laptop either by precocious 2025 aliases early 2026. Now, it seems that nan timeframe has been pushed back.

According to Gurman's report, J700 "is presently successful progressive testing... and successful early accumulation pinch overseas suppliers." Apple plans connected launching this lightweight MacBook wrong nan first half of 2026. Details stay scarce. 

There's overmuch we don't know, but it is worthy mentioning that nan early MacBook is rumored to motorboat successful a assortment of colors, including Pink, Blue, Silver, and Yellow, breaking nan mold of what MacBooks look like. 

Perfect timing

Another tidbit I recovered absorbing is Gurman reminding group that Apple vowed "not to pursuit marketplace stock pinch lower-end offerings." Apple products person historically been luxury, premium devices, but now it seems that nan marketplace is pushing nan tech giant's manus to grow its offerings. Apparently, this fund Mac is nan brand's effort to lure group distant from Chromebooks and midrange Windows PCs -- and they couldn't beryllium doing it astatine a amended time.

Windows 10 support officially ended connected October 14, 2025, arsenic Microsoft intends to push users to Windows 11. People who don't want to upgrade could person a caller action without each nan bloat aliases unnecessary features. We're already seeing people hop complete to Linux alternatively than spell to Windows 11.

That said, it astir apt won't beryllium a cleanable device.

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MacRumors, successful their report, said "that nan A19 pro spot lacks Thunderbolt support", meaning nan early MacBook could only person regular USB-C ports. Thunderbolt ports person unsocial features for illustration nan expertise to nonstop retired video signals to aggregate monitors simultaneously and lightning-fast information transportation speeds. 

That could beryllium a dealbreaker for some, but nan advent of a low-cost MacBook cheaper than nan Air whitethorn beryllium excessively alluring to ignore.

The laptop isn't nan only rumored project. Kuo besides claimed that Apple is moving connected a brace of smart glasses group to merchandise successful 2027. This brace will reportedly usability likewise to Meta Ray-Bans, arsenic it won't person a heads up display. However, he suggested nan glasses will supply audio playback, grounds video, and support "AI biology sensing", pinch aggregate worldly and style options. 

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