Cheap 12.9-inch MacBook to arrive with color options originally intended for M2 MacBook Air

Back in 2021, when the rumors surrounding a new Apple Silicon-based MacBook Air were circulating, multiple sources indicated that the new Air will arrive with the 24-inch iMac's colorways. That clearly did not happen a year later, when the M2 MacBook Air arrived with muted colors typical of modern MacBooks.

Budget MacBook to arrive soon with iMac-like colorways

However, with the launch of the affordable MacBook variant now closer than ever, almost every major source has stated that it will arrive with a plethora of "playful" color options. Light blue, light yellow, pink, classic silver, and dark gray are among the shades that Apple has allegedly toyed with.

In a recent post on Weibo, prominent tipster Instant Digital has stated that the colorways destined for the low-cost, affordable MacBook were originally planned to grace the M2 MacBook Air, but Apple decided against the idea. While the leaker did not state exactly why that was the case, it does appear that the budget MacBook has been a long time coming, and Apple decided to use the aforementioned playful colors only on the entry-level MacBook, as is the case with the iMac.

The affordable 12.9-inch MacBook, likely with the A18 Pro SoC is expected to drop sometime next month, alongside the Apple iPhone 17e, new iPads, high-end MacBook Pros, and possibly even new Studio Displays. The base M5 MacBook Pro (currently $1,449 on Amazon), however, will unsurprisingly remain untouched.