According to Gizmodo, Apple is testing a new budget MacBook that could cost less than $1,000 and potentially under $800, using an A18 Pro chip from last year’s iPhone 16 Pro that outperforms the five-year-old M1 chip. The laptop would feature an LCD display smaller than the current 13.6-inch MacBook Air, possibly around 12.9 inches or smaller, requiring an entirely new shell design. While details about ports and MagSafe charging remain unknown, the device would need at least 12GB of RAM to run Apple Intelligence features. This marks Apple’s first serious attempt at reviving the small-form-factor laptop since the problematic 12-inch MacBook was discontinued over a decade ago.
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The Chromebook Challenge
Here’s the thing – Apple has basically ignored the budget laptop market for years, leaving Chromebooks to dominate the education and entry-level segments. But now they’re seeing an opportunity. While MediaTek’s Kompanio 540 and similar chips power $700 Chromebooks, they’re still running ChromeOS – which is basically just the Chrome browser with extra steps. A sub-$800 MacBook running full macOS would absolutely crush that experience.
Think about it. Apple can leverage their existing iPhone chip development to create a laptop that’s both cheap to produce and surprisingly powerful. They’re not designing a whole new processor – they’re taking what already works in iPhones and scaling it up slightly. That’s smart business, especially when you consider how much more people are willing to pay for macOS versus ChromeOS.
What Makes This Different
The big question is whether Apple learned from their past mistakes. The original 12-inch MacBook was beautiful but compromised everywhere – single USB-C port, terrible butterfly keyboard, underpowered Intel chips. This time, they’re starting with Apple silicon that’s already proven itself, and they’d be insane to bring back those awful keyboards.
And performance-wise? Even Apple’s older M1 chip runs circles around what you get in most Chromebooks. The A18 Pro beating M1 means this budget MacBook could handle real work, not just web browsing. That’s huge for students or anyone who needs proper software but can’t afford a $1,000+ laptop.
Why This Could Work
Timing is everything here. Chromebooks have dominated the education market for years, but they’re hitting limitations with more advanced applications and AI features. Apple Intelligence needs proper hardware to run on-device, and most Chromebooks just don’t have the muscle. A budget MacBook with 12GB RAM and solid performance could steal that entire segment.
Plus, Apple’s ecosystem advantage is massive. Someone buying their first laptop might choose a MacBook just because it works seamlessly with their iPhone. Chromebooks can’t compete with that integration. If Apple prices this right – and I mean actually under $800, not their usual “budget” pricing – they could have a massive hit on their hands.
The real test will be whether Apple is willing to sacrifice margins to gain market share. They’ve never been the discount brand, but the education and entry-level markets are too big to ignore forever. This might finally be their play.
