Apple might finally be ready to shake up the laptop market again with a new budget-friendly MacBook. This new MacBook is rumoured to be powered by an iPhone chip, which might help in reducing costs and still give great performance. According to trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is developing a new MacBook that ditches the usual M-series chips in favour of the A18 Pro processor, the same chip in the iPhone 16 Pro lineup. Also Read: Budget MacBook With iPhone 16 Pro Chip Might Launch Soon At Just Rs 52,000

Apple’s New Affordable MacBook 

According to Kuo, Apple’s new entry-level notebook will feature a 13-inch display and may come in vibrant casing options like silver, blue, pink, and yellow. It’s expected to enter mass production by late Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026. This suggests a launch window sometime in the first half of 2026. Although Apple hasn’t confirmed this officially, Kuo’s report claims that this new MacBook might use the A18 Pro chip. This makes it one of the first MacBooks to be powered by an iPhone chip. Also, it adds an extra laptop to their MacBook series. Also Read: iPhone 16 Pro Price Drops By Rs 13,000 Online: Here's How The Deal Works

Also Read: Apple May Launch Affordable MacBook With iPhone 16 Pro-Like Chipset: Report

If done right, Apple could capture a lot of the Windows laptop market, as MacBooks are already known for their optimizations and battery life. This also means Windows on ARM will have to take a big leap in terms of experience and functionality, since macOS is really refined and well-tuned.This will surely heat up the competition in the market, with giants like Asus, Acer, Dell, and more facing tough competition from Apple.

Currently, the MacBook Air M4 starts at Rs 99,900 in India. Also, older-gen MacBooks like the M3 and M2 are always up for grabs on sale, which makes them a way sweeter deal. So, the pricing for this new A18 Pro-powered MacBook has to be set in a way that undercuts the Air’s pricing. This could make it more accessible for a wider audience and more budget-conscious buyers. It could also be a great option for students and those who want to experience macOS but have a tight budget.

What to Expect? 

Since this will be the first time Apple is using their iPhone chip in a MacBook, the tech giant will also have to work on optimising it well for macOS. We can expect the device to deliver great performance for everyday tasks with excellent battery life. Also, Apple might optimise their native Mac apps for this chip to bring a better experience for users.

To recall, Apple’s A18 Pro is no ordinary phone chip. It made its debut with the iPhone 16 Pro series and boasts a 16-core Neural Engine, along with a high-performance CPU and GPU architecture, optimised for on-device AI tasks and machine learning.

Expected launch 

With reports suggesting that Apple is aiming to boost MacBook shipments, the upcoming A18 Pro-powered MacBook could arrive as early as early 2026. With an iPhone chip on board, this could potentially be one of the most affordable laptops from Apple, even cheaper than the current MacBook Air.