Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook for “luring away customers from Chromebooks and entry-level Windows PCs” during the first half of 2026. The unnamed laptop is actively being tested at Apple, and overseas production has reportedly begun.
Apple has been rumored to be working on a cheap MacBook that is lower in price than the $999 M4 MacBook Air. Apple has never really competed in the “cheap” laptop market, instead promoting iPads or older models as affordable options. For example, Apple struck a deal with Walmart in 2024 to sell the M1 MacBook Air for $699, and the price has subsequently been cut to $649 and now $599. However, that model, which was originally released in November 2020 and has just 8GB of RAM and isn’t promoted by Apple.
This new cheap MacBook will reportedly be powered by an A-series iPhone chip instead of an M-series Mac chip. Early reports stated that the chip would be an A18 Pro, but Apple has since released the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro. Gurman’s report does not state which A-series chip is being used. Apple’s M-series chips are based on the A-series, but they are bigger and faster, which means they run at higher temperatures than the A-series chips designed for mobile use. However, as Gurman points out, whichever chip is used in the new MacBook will perform better than the M1.
Gurman also states that the new MacBook will have “less advanced” components compared to those in the current MacBook lineup, and the display will be a low-end LCD that’s “slightly smaller” than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air. He also says the new machine will have “an entirely new design.”
It has been reported that Apple has a goal of increasing its Mac sales. In its recent Q4 2025 financial report, Apple announced a big quarter for the Mac with a double-digit increase in year-over-year sales. The introduction of this new, cheap MacBook would be Apple’s first entry in the low-cost market. The customer for this laptop would be a general-purpose user whose primary tasks involve productivity apps, internet access, and basic content creation.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.