According to Gizmodo, Apple is developing a new budget MacBook that could cost less than the current $1,000 MacBook Air with M4 chip. The device would use an A18 Pro chip from last year’s iPhone 16 Pro and reportedly beats the performance of Apple’s 5-year-old M1 chip in testing. It would feature an LCD display slightly smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially around 12.9 inches or smaller. This marks a potential revival of the problematic 12-inch MacBook from 2015, but with key improvements that address past compromises.
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<h2 id="why-this-time-could-be-different”>Why This Time Could Be Different
Look, the original 12-inch MacBook was basically a beautiful disaster. That single USB-C port? The awful butterfly keyboard that failed if dust looked at it wrong? And those slow Intel chips that struggled with more than two browser tabs? It was a mess. But here’s the thing – Apple silicon changes everything. Even an iPhone chip running macOS would absolutely crush what we had back in 2015. The performance gap between mobile and laptop processors has narrowed dramatically, and Apple’s own chips are so efficient now that they don’t need massive cooling systems.
The Budget Laptop Market Needs Disruption
When you look at what’s available for under $800 in the laptop space, it’s pretty grim. You’ve got Chromebooks running MediaTek’s Kompanio 540 that struggle with anything beyond basic browsing, and Windows machines with Intel chips that feel outdated on day one. A sub-$800 MacBook with full macOS would absolutely dominate this segment. The software advantage alone is massive – ChromeOS is still basically a browser with extra steps, while macOS is a fully-featured operating system.
What Apple Needs to Get Right
The biggest question isn’t performance – it’s whether Apple learned from past mistakes. Will we get at least two USB-C ports instead of that ridiculous single-port design? Please tell me they’re not bringing back the butterfly keyboard. And what about RAM? 8GB feels tight these days, especially with Apple Intelligence features becoming more demanding. If they can deliver a solid keyboard, reasonable port selection, and enough memory to actually run modern applications, this could be the MacBook that finally makes sense for students and budget-conscious users.
The Bigger Picture
Think about what this means for Apple’s strategy. They’re reportedly planning M5 Pro and M5 Max chips for high-end MacBook Pros, maybe even that OLED display we’ve been begging for. A budget MacBook fills the gap at the bottom while they push innovation at the top. And honestly? It’s about time. The education market has been dominated by Chromebooks because Apple didn’t have a compelling entry-level option. If they can hit that sweet spot below $800 without the compromises that made the original 12-inch MacBook so frustrating, they might actually have a hit on their hands.
