The cheap MacBook is apparently very real — here's when it's coming

Budget-friendly Chromebooks and Windows PCs could have an Apple competitor early next year. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is reporting that the Cupertino company is developing a less expensive Mac aimed at more casual users, students and businesses.

According to Gurman, the new laptop will be meant for browsing the web, document work, and some light media editing.

Apple may be going after Chromebooks, as well as people who might buy an iPad but would prefer a traditional laptop experience. The iPad Pro M5 may nearly be a laptop replacement, but at $999 it also costs as much as a laptop before you add in accessories like a Magic Keyboard.

This new wallet-friendly Mac is supposed to launch "in the first half" of 2026 and cost "well under" $1,000 by using less powerful components like an iPhone processor and a smaller, lower-end LCD display. Allegedly, the display will be even smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air.

Price comparison

According to Gurman, Apple's premium device marketshare is under threat from cheap Google Chromebooks and lower-cost Windows PCs. Despite an aversion to lower-end laptops, the rumor mill has been churning about a wallet-friendly laptop.

Earlier this year, it was rumored that Apple's version of a budget laptop would cost $599 and was tipped to launch this year. In July, it was leaked that the budget Mac could feature an A18 Pro chipset, the same chip in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.

Here's how that rumored price compares to what Apple currently offers with its other entry-level devices like the M4 MacBook Air and the iPad 11 at their base configurations.

We've included a comparison with the iPad 11 with accessories as well, since that will help you get the most out of the tablet and make it more of a laptop replacement.

One thing not in the chart is battery life. The M4 MacBook Air lasted around 15 hours in our lab testing at Tom's Guide. The iPad 11 test lasted 11 hours and 25 minutes. Presumably, a budget MacBook would have more space for a larger battery, resulting in battery life somewhere between the Air and the iPad.

Via deals and sales, we have seen the MacBook Air as low as $799.

In comparison, even the best Chromebooks rarely top $700. Our top pick, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, starts at $649 and offers a great OLED display and quality design.

What's next for MacBooks

In October, Apple only released the M5 MacBook Pro. It's expected the company will launch an M5 MacBook Air coupled with the M5 Pro and M5 Max versions of the MacBook Pro next year. That spring launch should also include a new M5 and M5 Pro Mac mini plus new Mac Studios.

With every other new MacBook tipped to hit in the spring, this new device is likely to launch alongside them.

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