Over a month ago, sources indicated that we could see an additional MacBook model that will be even more affordable than the current entry-level MacBook Air. Now, we got another report out of Asia that this upcoming MacBook could start at $699, which would be $599 with Apple’s educational savings.
Additionally, sources previously suggested that this MacBook would have a 13-inch display. Now, we even got more details as this report indicates that it will have a 12.9-inch display. If that number sounds familiar, that’s because the larger iPad Pros introduced from 2015 to 2022 featured 12.9-inch displays; however, those displays had the 4:3 aspect ratio. All but one* MacBook models feature displays with a 16:10 aspect ratio. For more modern models like the M4 MacBook Air, those displays have a notch on top, but the screen area underneath the notch/menu bar is in a 16:10 aspect ratio from a technical standpoint. As you may know, 16:10 aspect ratio is the right balance between productivity and entertainment when viewing widescreen content. For comparison the moniker-less “MacBook” models from 2015-2017 had a 12.0-inch Retina display. So if this report turned out to be true, then we could see the upcoming MacBook having a 12.9-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Although it would be smaller than the current 13.6-inch MacBook Air, it would still be larger than what we had from previous “MacBook” models.
Another feature that we could see on this MacBook is an additional 16GB memory configuration. The MacBook has been rumored to feature the A18 Pro chip – the same chip used in the iPhone 16 Pro; however, this SoC has only 8GB of memory, so a 16GB configuration hasn’t existed yet. However, MaxTech on YouTube said he spoke with @tatech15 on X, and they claimed that Apple redesigned the SoC for a new memory base to allow for a 16GB configuration. Since we haven’t heard rumors from that X account that turned out to be true, this could be taken with a grain of salt. Apple made the 16GB memory configuration standard for its entry-level Macs when it announce the first M4 Mac models on October of last year. Before then, the cost from going from 8GB to 16GB would be $200. So if this $699 MacBook started with 8GB of RAM, upgrading the RAM could bring the price up to $899, which would be just $100 to get the M4 MacBook Air (13-inch). Alternatively, what would make sense is for Apple to make 16GB default on this upcoming $699 MacBook; that way, it would be a wider price gap between this and the M4 MacBook Air (13-inch). It’s still important to note that the A18 Pro chip doesn’t have Thunderbolt controllers, so this MacBook will be limited to just USB 3 speeds at most (up to 10Gb/s).
DigiTimes also reports that this MacBook would enter mass production by the end of the third quarter of this year, so we could see full system assembly ramp up before the end of this year. So this means we could see this machine either in October, which is sometimes the timeframe for Apple to announce new Macs, or even early next year. The latter seems likely given that Apple likes to announce its budget-oriented products in the first quarter such as the iPhone 16e, iPad (A16), and MacBook Air (M4). Plus, this MacBook could even come in these fun colors as the base iPad: Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow.
All-in-all, this is shaping up to be a killer product that will go after Chromebooks in the education market and even boost MacBook sales even further. You should read all about why this MacBook would be a great market strategy for Apple.
*The only exception was the 11-inch MacBook Air from 2010 to 2016 where the display was in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
