If you are not up to speed, recent reports suggest that Apple is working on a more affordable MacBook, positioned below the MacBook Air M4 and powered by the A18 Pro chipset found in the iPhone 16 Pro models. This would be a trade-off Apple makes to bring costs down compared to its M-series chip laptops.
Pricing for this model is expected to start at around $599 (roughly ₹50,000 to ₹55,000) or $699 (about ₹60,000). For context, Apple’s cheapest laptop at present is the MacBook Air M4, which starts at $999. So far, reports point to two solid reasons why this new MacBook might be worth waiting for, and two reasons why it may not. The launch is expected either towards the end of this year or in early 2026.
2 reasons why you should consider waiting
1. Much lower price if you don’t want much power
The first reason you should wait for the affordable MacBook is certainly the price. As aforementioned, the pricing could come down to around $599, which would, of course, be $400 less than what you pay for the MacBook Air M4 with 16GB RAM currently.
So, this could make sense for a lot of people, especially if you just run basic apps like Safari, do a little browsing here and there, and don’t have anything to do with video editing or other intensive tasks like coding or graphic design. In this case, saving money could make a lot of sense. However, do keep in mind that the MacBook Air is also discounted these days, and you can also find it for much lower than MRP.
2. Fun colours
The second reason that could make this new affordable MacBook worth waiting for is the fun colours it is rumoured to come in. Reports say that this new portable MacBook could be offered in some vibrant hues including blue, pink, yellow, and also some subtle colourways like silver. So if you are someone who likes a pop of colour on their gadgets and are a fan of something like, let’s say, the recent Indigo Pixel 10, then this MacBook could be worth waiting for, especially if these rumours do come true.
2 reasons not to wait
1. You need a powerful machine
Well, this is as basic as it gets. If you are in the market for a laptop that is going to be powerful, that is going to handle your coding needs, your video editing needs, your graphic design needs, it makes sense for you to buy a MacBook right now, which could be the MacBook Air M4 with 16GB RAM or the MacBook Pro models. But considering this new MacBook is going to be powered by the A18 Pro chipset, which isn’t a slouch by any means, reports still suggest that it could miss out on several ports like Thunderbolt, and for power users, this could be a big miss. So, keeping this in mind, it makes sense for someone whose needs are more power-oriented to get a MacBook Air or Pro right now.
2. Need a larger MacBook
The final reason has to do with the size of the laptop. The affordable MacBook could be 13 inches, so if you want a larger MacBook, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro could end up being your only options.
These are rumours at this point, so they should be taken with a grain of salt. But based on what reports have said, the affordable MacBook could come in at 13 inches, which would make it small if you needed a larger laptop. There are 15-inch options available with the MacBook Air M4, and of course, the MacBook Pro comes in a 16-inch option.
UPCOMING PHONES: iPhone 17 LATEST Details