First MacBook with iPhone chip rumored to arrive in early 2026
Apple might introduce its first "cheap" MacBook in the first half of the new year
💻 Apple is rumored to release a cheaper MacBook in early 2026
📱 The laptop will be powered by an iPhone chip and cost under $1,000
🍎 It’ll be positioned as an entry-level option for students and light users
🎨 Rumors also say it could ship in a variety of vibrant colors
Apple is rumored to shake up its lineup of MacBooks with a new entry-level option, and now, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg is adding fuel to the fire.
The rumored laptop is said to arrive in early 2026, according to Gurman, and enter production by the end of the year. Codenamed J700, the budget-friendly MacBook will reportedly be powered by an iPhone chip and have a smaller LCD display than the 13.6-inch screen on the MacBook Air. It’ll likely be priced under $1,000.
A cheaper MacBook could significantly shake up the budget laptop market. It’s filled with entry-level Windows machines and Chromebooks, all of which typically make so many sacrifices to get the price down that they’re straight-up unusable. With an iPhone chip, a budget-friendly MacBook could easily deliver on performance and battery life, which could lead to Apple dominating the market the second it enters it.
The laptop’s specs were initially leaked over the summer. The exact chip Apple will reportedly use is the A18 Pro, the same one found in the iPhone 16 Pro. The display is expected to be about 12.9 inches, which could mean Apple is re-purposing LCD displays from the iPad.
It’s unclear if the design will resemble that of the recent MacBook Air or if it’ll look more like the original M1 MacBook Air, which is still on sale at Walmart for less than $600. Either way, rumor has it that Apple will offer it in a variety of colors like silver, blue, pink, and yellow.
We don’t have an exact launch date or price for the machine just yet, but we expect to learn both as we get closer to its rumored release.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.