It seems Apple is preparing to debut a low-cost Mac laptop in the first half of 2026. According to Bloomberg, such a system is in early production at the company’s overseas suppliers and Apple is testing the devices internally.
Apple’s aim with this laptop, per the report, is to draw people away from the likes of Chromebooks and cheap Windows PCs and into its own ecosystem. The company is said to be making the system with casual users, students and businesses in mind — the kinds of folks who use laptops for tasks like web browsing, light media editing and working on documents. Apple is also reportedly planning to aim the system at potential iPad buyers who’d still rather have a traditional laptop.
The laptop is said to have a new design with a “lower-end LCD display” and it’s expected to run on an A-series iPhone processor that’s said to deliver better performance than the M1. It’s also likely to have a smaller display than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air.
Performance is important, but the price point will be crucial if Apple wants to really compete with the proliferation of Chromebooks and entry-level Windows devices. The company is said to be ready to sell this Mac for “well under $1,000.” Chromebooks and Windows laptops often sell for just a few hundred bucks. Higher-end Chromebooks cost around $600, so Apple would likely have to sell this laptop for $700 or less for it to make a real splash.
Apple has traditionally focused on making premium devices, but would be a smart time for the company to enter the lower end of the market. Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10, including on devices that don’t support Windows 11 and owners of such systems (including businesses) may need to buy new laptops in the near future to have the latest security updates.
