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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Apple could be developing a new budget-friendly MacBook for around $599.
- It would reportedly house the A18 Pro chipset found in the iPhone 16 Pro.
- Production changes have pushed the release of this lightweight MacBook to 2026.
This summer, rumors surfaced that Apple was developing a lightweight MacBook running on iPhone hardware. Notable Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo supported the rumors in a post on X back in July, claiming the company was currently working on a “more-affordable MacBook” running on the A18 Pro chipset — the same one found in the iPhone 16 Pro — instead of an M-series processor.
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We haven’t heard much since those early reports — until recently. Notable industry insider Mark Gurman of Bloomberg published a brief report providing insight into Apple’s vision for this lightweight MacBook, including the company’s goals.
Codenamed J700, the device is being “designed for students, businesses, and casual users,” groups that primarily use laptops for browsing the internet, working on documents, as well as light media editing.
The report also states that Apple is “targeting would-be iPad buyers” who may be more interested in a more traditional laptop experience rather than working on a tablet with a detachable keyboard. Gurman claims the company is aiming for an under $1,000 price, and it’ll achieve this price point “by using less-advanced components.”
Instead of an M-series chipset and a Liquid Retina display, J700 will reportedly run on an “iPhone processor and a lower-end LCD [screen]”. Additionally, the display will be smaller than the 13.6-inch screen found on the MacBook Air.
Super lightweight
What’s most interesting to me about the Bloomberg report is that most of the information is not new. In fact, apart from the code name and Apple’s goals, all this is old news from several months ago.
Ming-Chi Kuo wasn’t the only source, as tech news site DigiTimes reported on something similar back in August. DigiTimes claims to have recently spoken to an insider with intimate knowledge of this laptop, suggesting the device will cost somewhere between $599 and $699, which is significantly cheaper than the M4 MacBook Air’s starting price of $999. It went on to say that this new MacBook will sport a 12.9-inch display, which closely matches to what Gurman’s sources said.
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It appears there have been some changes to production. DigiTimes originally said that the components for J700 might’ve entered “mass production” sometime in late Q3 2025, with plans to launch the laptop either by late 2025 or early 2026. Now, it seems that the timeframe has been pushed back.
According to Gurman’s report, J700 “is currently in active testing… and in early production with overseas suppliers.” Apple plans on launching this lightweight MacBook within the first half of 2026. Details remain scarce.
There’s much we don’t know, but it is worth mentioning that the future MacBook is rumored to launch in a variety of colors, including Pink, Blue, Silver, and Yellow, breaking the mold of what MacBooks look like.
Perfect timing
Another tidbit I found interesting is Gurman reminding people that Apple vowed “not to chase market share with lower-end offerings.” Apple products have historically been luxury, premium devices, but now it seems that the market is pushing the tech giant’s hand to expand its offerings. Apparently, this budget Mac is the brand’s attempt to lure people away from Chromebooks and midrange Windows PCs — and they couldn’t be doing it at a better time.
Windows 10 support officially ended on October 14, 2025, as Microsoft aims to push users to Windows 11. People who don’t want to upgrade could have a new option without all the bloat or unnecessary features. We’re already seeing people hop over to Linux rather than go to Windows 11.
That said, it probably won’t be a perfect device.
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MacRumors, in their report, said “that the A19 pro chip lacks Thunderbolt support”, meaning the future MacBook could only have regular USB-C ports. Thunderbolt ports have unique features like the ability to send out video signals to multiple monitors simultaneously and lightning-fast data transfer speeds.
That could be a dealbreaker for some, but the advent of a low-cost MacBook cheaper than the Air may be too alluring to ignore.
The laptop isn’t the only rumored project. Kuo also claimed that Apple is working on a pair of smart glasses set to release in 2027. This pair will reportedly function similarly to Meta Ray-Bans, as it won’t have a heads up display. However, he suggested the glasses will provide audio playback, record video, and support “AI environmental sensing”, with multiple material and style options.
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The post What to expect from Apple’s ‘cheap’ MacBook in 2026 (and how it’ll compete with Chromebooks) first appeared on TechToday.
This post originally appeared on TechToday.