A new affordable MacBook could cost only $599

Earlier this summer, a prominent Apple analyst claimed Apple was developing a "more affordable MacBook" powered by an iPhone chip. Now, we have a better idea of how much it might cost. (Spoiler: Almost half has much as a current-generation MacBook Air.)

According to the Taiwanese tech site DigiTimes, the budget MacBook that Apple is reportedly working on could cost somewhere between $599 and $699. To be clear, it's still a hypothetical at this point, but the lower end of that price range would make it 40% cheaper than the latest M4 MacBook Air. That would also put it in the ballpark of the M1 MacBook Air from late 2020, which Walmart has been selling for the Chromebook-level price of $599 this summer.

DigiTimes' report also includes the tidbit that the affordable MacBook will have a 12.9-inch display, making it slightly smaller than the M4 MacBook Air, which comes in a 13-inch size.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously claimed in June that a new cheap MacBook would feature a 13-inch display and the Apple A18 Pro, the same chip used in last year's iPhone 16 Pro and Max. That would make it the first-ever MacBook to be powered by an iPhone chip. It could also come in colors like silver, blue, pink, and yellow, Kuo shared on X.

Kuo said he expected the affordable MacBook to enter mass production in late Q4 of 2025 or early Q1 of 2026, putting it slightly ahead of the rumored M5 and M6 MacBooks in terms of potential availability. If any of these leaks pan out, next year will be a major one for fans of Apple's laptops.