‘Cheap MacBook will be released in early 2026’ (with these specifications)

According to rumors, Apple will release a cheap MacBook in early 2026. And the price is not the only thing that is different with this MacBook.

‘Cheap MacBook will be released in early 2026’ (with these specifications)

According to Bloomberg, Apple is currently working on a cheap MacBook that should be released sometime in early 2026. However, this MacBook will not have an M chip, like all new MacBooks from Apple.

Instead, this MacBook uses the same chip that you see in iPhones. It is not yet known which one that is, but it will probably be one of the recent processors (an A18 or A19).

The fact that the cheap MacBook of 2026 will have an iPhone chip is not necessarily a bad thing. According to Bloomberg, this MacBook can even perform better than the M1 chip found in the 2020 MacBook Air, among others.

That is not the only thing that Apple will change in the cheap MacBook of 2026. The LCD screen will also be slightly different and smaller. According to rumors, it will be a 12.9-inch screen.

Apple is mainly trying to appeal to students with this variant of the MacBook. They currently mainly use Chromebooks and cheap Windows laptops.

The laptop is expected to cost $599 or $699 in the United States, which is much lower than the current starting prices of the MacBook Air. In the Netherlands, the laptop could cost around 700 to 750 euros. But we hope it is still a bit less.

Cheap MacBook in striking colors

The 12.9-inch MacBook will also likely be available in a range of bold colors, unlike the colors of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. It is not yet known exactly which colors these are. But seeing the colors of the recent iPhone 17 Pro, we hope Apple opts for some popping colors.

The cheaper MacBook will therefore complement the existing laptop line-up. So you will soon have a choice between the ‘budget’ MacBook, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro.

Want to buy a cheap MacBook, but you don’t want to wait?

Are you now looking for a new (and cheap) MacBook and don’t want to wait until 2026? Then the MacBook Air 2025 is the one for you. These are the best prices.