In summary:
- Macworld reports Apple is expected to launch a low-cost MacBook as early as March, priced around $699 with playful colors like yellow, green, blue, and pink.
- The affordable laptop will likely feature an iPhone chip, aluminum chassis, and display just under 13 inches, costing well under $1,000.
- Additional M5-powered MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models are also anticipated for release in the coming weeks.
As we wait for new M5 MacBook Pros, Apple is reportedly prepping a brand new laptop that could launch within weeks. According to Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter, Apple’s long-rumored low-cost MacBook is expected to arrive “as early as March,” with a design that defies its price tag.
Gurman reports that the new laptop will cost “well under $1,000,” but won’t have a cheap plastic design. The new MacBook, according to the report, will have an aluminum chassis that introduces a new manufacturing process “designed to be both faster and more cost-effective than the one used with Apple’s current laptops.”
Along with the aluminum shell, Gurman reports that the new MacBook will be available in “playful colors,” a stark contrast from the silver, gold, and space gray hues offered for years on MacBook Air. Gurman floats several options, including yellow, light green, blue, and pink, but doesn’t expect all of them to ship. He doesn’t offer any details as to whether these colors will be bright or similar to the very light sky blue color offered for the M4 MacBook Air.
Back in 2021, Apple was rumored to be developing a MacBook in a variety of colors, but that machine never materialized. It’s unclear if this new low-cost MacBook is related to that rumor or a different project altogether.
Additionally, he reiterates the expectation that the new machine will run an iPhone chip and have a display that’s slightly smaller than the MacBook Air at “just under 13 inches.” The laptop has been tipped to cost as low as $699.
Along with the low-cost MacBook, Gurman reports that several other Macs are also due for release over the coming weeks, including the M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro, M5 MacBook Air, and an M5 Max/M5 Ultra Mac Studio.
For the latest information on the low-cost MacBook, stay tuned to our guide to the budget MacBook rumors.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.