Market sources indicate that Apple is planning to launch an affordable 13-inch MacBook, equipped with the A18 Pro chip designed for iPhones, with mass production expected in Q4 2025 or Q1 2026. This laptop aims to attract the education market and light users with a lower price, competing with Chromebooks and mid-range Windows laptops, and targets sales of 5 to 7 million units in 2026.
The A18 Pro chip has already been used in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, delivering excellent performance. In Geekbench 6 tests, its single-core score is approximately 3400, and its multi-core score ranges from 8500 to 8600. Its single-core performance is close to that of the M4 chip (3400 to 3700 points), while its multi-core performance is comparable to the original M1 (around 8500 points). Built on a 3nm process, the A18 Pro integrates a high-performance CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine, making it suitable for AI tasks such as image processing and speech recognition. Its unified memory architecture allows macOS to adapt efficiently, with the entry-level configuration possibly featuring 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive, sufficient for daily needs like web Browse, document editing, and video playback. The A18 Pro’s energy efficiency is expected to deliver 15 to 18 hours of battery life, comparable to the M4 MacBook Air.
The new MacBook will feature a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of approximately 2560x1600, supporting P3 wide color gamut and True Tone display. The design continues the MacBook Air’s thin and light style, with a thickness of about 1.2 cm, using recycled aluminum materials, and available in four colors: silver, blue, pink, and yellow, catering to the personalized needs of young users and students. The sky blue color of the previous M4 MacBook Air has already received positive reviews, and the colorful design may become a market highlight.
Price is the core advantage of this MacBook. Although the specific price has not been announced, it will certainly be significantly lower than the M4 MacBook Air’s starting price of $999. Market speculation suggests it might be close to the M1 MacBook Air’s sale price of $649 at Walmart. Currently, the M3 MacBook Air’s promotional price has dropped to $799, while Chromebooks start from $200 to $400, and mid-range Windows laptops are around $500 to $800. Apple needs to control the price to around $700 to be competitive. This laptop will highlight the advantages of the macOS ecosystem, such as seamless collaboration with iPhone and iPad, Touch ID secure unlocking, and optimized app support, attracting budget-conscious users who still seek quality.
Apple’s move aims to consolidate its market share in the education sector and counter the low-price offensive from Chromebooks and Windows laptops. In 2024, Chromebooks accounted for approximately 30% of global education market shipments, while Windows laptops, with Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen processors, covered more diverse needs. By offering a high-quality experience with the A18 Pro MacBook, Apple hopes to expand its influence among elementary and middle school students and light users. Apple’s Mac market share in the U.S. grew by 22% in 2024, and the strong sales of the M3 MacBook Air prove the effectiveness of a lower-price strategy.
In recent years, Apple has accelerated product updates, with the M4 chip covering MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. The A18 Pro MacBook further validates the versatility of its chip architecture. The A-series and M-series share the ARM architecture and unified memory design, allowing Apple to flexibly deploy high-performance hardware. This A18 Pro MacBook, with its low price and colorful design as selling points, challenges the budget market through the macOS ecosystem and high-performance chips.