Apple is preparing a more affordable entry-level MacBook, slated for mass production in late Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026, featuring a roughly 13-inch display and powered by Apple’s A18 Pro processor, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The new A18 Pro chip is designed with industry-leading compute power to propel Apple Intelligence, ushering in a new era of pro performance. Built with second-generation 3-nanometer technology and featuring a new architecture with smaller, faster transistors, A18 Pro delivers unprecedented efficiency. The new 16-core Neural Engine is faster and more efficient than the previous generation, powering remarkable on-device performance for Apple Intelligence. A 17 percent increase in total system memory bandwidth enables faster experiences when using Writing Tools and Image Playground, and helps deliver astounding graphics. The bandwidth increase also benefits the 6-core GPU, which is up to 20 percent faster than the previous generation, driving graphics rendering for Apple Intelligence and stunning visuals for gaming. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing gets up to 2x faster for even more realistic light sources and reflections. A new 6-core CPU offers two performance cores and four efficiency cores that can run the same workload as the previous generation 15 percent faster while using 20 percent less power. Next-generation ML accelerators are optimized for Apple Intelligence, and save power by handling high-efficiency, high-throughput, and low-latency computations on the CPU without engaging the Neural Engine.
More-Affordable MacBook:
Expected to enter mass production in late 4Q25 or early 1Q26, with an approximately 13-inch display and powered by the A18 Pro processor. Potential casing colors include silver, blue, pink, and yellow.
Apple aims to return total MacBook shipments to the COVID-19 peak of around 25 million units in 2026 (vs. an estimated 20 million units in 2025). The more-affordable MacBook is projected to account for 5–7 million units for 2026.
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This will be a far better MacBook than the first one with the mobile i3 Intel processor that was dog slow and way underpowered but I’m wondering why do this when you can already offer the M2 MacBook Air?
I guess they are trying to segment notebooks the way they did with the iPad so the “Air” branding fills a product hierarchy slot. Air is the mid-grade model that offers sleekness as well as strong performance.
I’m wondering if they will do the same with the iPhone??
The Air has never offered strong performance. It is designed for road warriors and wimpy executives whose most power intensive apps are Outlook and PowerPoint.
Given that all Macs are now unupgradeable sealed boxes, the wise shopper will get more mileage by stretching their initial purchase to get a MBP and holding onto it for longer.
… and we are still waiting for the return of a 17-18” MBP.
user-upgradeable RAM isn’t coming back, get over it
Can we hope for reasonably priced RAM someday?
DO NOT WANT a phone chip in any Mac.
The Mac is a PERSONAL COMPUTER that enables a creator to do their thing with lots of power, speed, security, and privacy … and real file management. Ultra low power consumer chipsets with marginal graphics capabilities sounds absolutely horrible.
Apple, if you’re hellbent on charging insane prices for your Macs, how about delivering the goods? A real Mac Pro workstation must have GPU expansion and the very most powerful chips. Are you trying to make nice furniture or serious competitive machines???? Get busy partnering with companies to tach you how to make a future proof workstation if you cannot figure it out.
The Studio should have half as many SKUs; axe the lowest spec RAM and SSD configurations, and bump every one up to the next level without up charge from today’s prices. This is a superb choice for photographers. And bring back Aperture already!
For the mini, in the future offer better values by extending chipset production a year; that is, Pro models always get latest chips first and lower end stuff like the Mini gets it a year later or so. You made the mistake of squeezing it into too small of a brick, so the trickledown probably won’t work well and it is now firmly a consumer grade machine.
In laptops, Apple also needs to clean up the overpriced lineup. Axe the Air already. Offer affordable plastic Macbooks in 14” and 16” sizes and happy colors. Even if Steve Jobs did that to try to win back some market share on the cheap, lots of colors should be effective also at pissing off the whites-first gang.
Offer the next generation kickass aluminum Macbook Pros in 16” and 18” sizes, with OLED screens.
And fer godsakes bring back secure easy home networking with a modern Airport family. Apple totally screwed up to abandon that. It can and should be the cornerstone of their Home offerings.
This is all. Timmy can stay as long as he likes if he just puts his lieutenants to work on much overdue Mac attention.