Apple to launch a low-cost MacBook lineup to compete with Chromebook: Report

Apple is likely to compete with Chromebooks with the launch of a new ultra-low-cost MacBook series for the education sector. The new product lineup will be priced lower than the entry-level MacBook Air and could be launched as soon as the second half of 2024. This is based on a report by Digitimes, which did not offer many details about the product and clearly said that Apple’s major suppliers- Quanta Computer and Foxconn were not doing any activities related to this project. Chromebooks are available for less than $200 (16,500 rupees) and have gained a lot of popularity in the education sector.

If Apple launches a low-cost MacBook, this will not be the first educational sector-centric product from the company. The company launched eMac in 2002 to be sold in volume to educational institutes but those eMacs were not a low-cost product like Chromebooks. Apple recently tried to re-enter the educational market with iPads, but they failed to gain traction due to the competition from low-cost Chromebooks.

For the unversed, Chromebooks are affordable laptops that run on ChromeOS, which is developed by Google and gives access to the Google Play Store, and all Google apps. Google offers its own Chromebooks with Pixelbook series, and it has also partnered with other OEMs such as Dell, HP and Lenovo. More than 33.5 million units of Chromebooks were shipped in 2021, as per the Digitimes report.

Meanwhile, Apple is set to host its ‘Wonderlust’ event on September 12, 2023. The event will be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California and fans. Those who are interested can watch the event live stream starting at 10:30PM IST on the company’s official website and its Apple TV app.

The company is expected to launch its next series of iPhones, that is, the iPhone 15 series and Apple Watch Series 9 at the event. In addition to this, some reports suggest that the company could launch a new variant of the Apple Watch Ultra. The new iPhone 15 series is rumoured to feature a USB-C port, a customizable Action button, an A17 Bionic chip, Wi-Fi 6E support, and more while the Apple Series 9 Watch could come with a new S9 chip.