Apple’s long-rumored budget-friendly MacBook is shaping up to be a big deal. The company is reportedly planning to launch the device by the end of this year, and the latest leaks suggest it may be powered by the same A19 Pro chip found in the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
That’s a major shift from earlier expectations, where insiders believed Apple would recycle the older A18 Pro from the iPhone 16 Pro. According to Chinese tipster Mobile Chip Master on Weibo, Apple now wants the A19 Pro at the heart of this new MacBook — and the performance jump could be huge.
A powerful yet budget-friendly laptop
On Geekbench, the A19 Pro reportedly scores 3,895 single-core and 9,746 multi-core, compared to the A18 Pro’s 3,445 and 8,579. For perspective, Apple’s own M2 MacBook Air scores just 2,596 single-core and 9,719 multi-core. In other words: the chip from Apple’s phones is already more powerful than one of its mainstream laptop processors.
The new MacBook will reportedly feature a 12.9-inch display (slightly smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air) and will likely be marketed as a fun, accessible device. Unlike the traditional muted MacBook colors, this one could come in pink, blue, silver, and yellow — leaning into the iMac and iPhone-style palette.
Then there’s the pricing. The M4 MacBook Air currently starts at $1,099 in the US, but reports suggest the new budget MacBook could land at just $599, with some rumors placing it closer to $699. Either way, that’s a dramatic undercut — positioning it as Apple’s most affordable MacBook in years.
If the rumors pan out, Apple’s “affordable MacBook” could not only broaden its customer base but also disrupt the entry-level laptop market in a way we haven’t seen from Cupertino in a long time.
