Low-cost upcoming Apple MacBook leaks with $599 price, mobile SoC, and smaller screen

Apple’s upcoming M5 MacBook refresh might have a surprise in store for fans. Word on the grapevine is that Cupertino is hard at work preparing a cost-effective MacBook model to accompany the usual MacBook Air and Pro SKUs. We’ve reported on this particular model, which might be powered by a mobile SoC.

Digitimes has now confirmed the existence of this affordable MacBook and revealed a bunch of other details. According to the publication, the new “ultra-low-cost” MacBook model could cost $599-$699, much less than the $999 starting price of the 13.6-inch MacBook Air M4. (Available on Amazon).

How’s Apple achieving this price cut? Apparently, by using a mobile SoC. 

In line with our previous reporting, Digitimes claims that the affordable MacBook will be powered by an A18 Pro chip. This is the same SoC that Apple also uses for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Moreover, Apple is also reportedly using a 12.9-inch panel for the low-cost MacBook. This is in line with what Ming-Chi Kuo suggested back in June.

Digitimes claims that Apple could start mass production of components of this new MacBook in Q3 2025, potentially resulting in the device being released sometime in late 2025 or early 2026. Once again, this timeline matches that of Ming-Choi Kuo. The analyst claimed that the mass production of the affordable MacBook could start in late 2025 or early 2026.

So, why is Apple changing the well-established and hugely successful MacBook Air and MacBook Pro strategy? Per Digitimes’ Senior Analyst Jim Hsiao, Apple releasing a $599-$699 MacBook could be a ploy to balance the inflation-induced MacBook Air price increase. This might mean that the company is going to increase the price of the base MacBook Air M5, which is causing Apple to develop a low-cost solution for customers who can’t afford the potentially $1,000 price tag of the regular MacBook Air.

Whatever the case ends up being, it is quite exciting to hear Apple is finally bringing the MacBook down in price. This is an area that has, frankly, been underserved by Apple, seeing as how Cupertino doesn’t offer a full-fledged MacBook in the $500-$700 range.