Apple's $599 MacBook just tipped to launch this year — and it could be a game changer

The best MacBooks are known for many things, but they're not generally considered affordable. Even the cheapest current MacBook Air M4 is $999. For most, that's not budget-friendly enough.

However, that could change soon, as a new leak suggests that Apple is working on launching a MacBook for as little as $599, which is significantly below the normal price range of the company's popular laptop line.

The leak, which comes from DigiTimes, states that Apple will release a MacBook for as low as $599. The report does also indicate that it could be $699 — either way, that price would be substantially less than the current models available. Most excitingly, the report also suggests that it could arrive as soon as this year, potentially opening up MacBooks to a whole new market.

Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also spoke about a more affordable 13-inch MacBook on the horizon, but his report didn't mention the actual price of the upcoming laptop. If this price proves to be accurate, Apple could have affordable Windows laptops and Chromebooks in its sights, which is a market Apple has largely avoided to this point.

This got me thinking: how would a $599 MacBook SE (if that's the final name) compete with other budget-friendly devices in a similar price range?

Affordable MacBook rumored specs

According to the new leak, the affordable MacBook will feature a 12.9-inch display, slightly smaller than the 13.6-inch display of the Air.

The original report from Kuo said Apple will use the A18 Pro chip in the affordable laptop, which is the same chip used in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. It's quite powerful, at least for phones, but it'll be interesting to see how Apple optimizes it for a laptop. We're assuming Apple Intelligence features would be included.

$599 MacBook vs Cheap Windows laptops

On the Windows side, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x is a good comparison point, as it sells for around the $599 mark. Packing Qualcomm's Snapdragon X, it's been pretty mighty for budget performance.

Again, the only spec we have rumored for the MacBook is the processor, which happens to be the same processor used in the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Of course, comparing a phone to laptops is very "apples and oranges," but consider this a bit of context if the rumors are true.

I've thrown the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro in there for comparison to a more powerful mid-ranger. And while the multicore score of the A18 Pro does fall behind the more power-hungry likes of Snapdragon X and Intel Core Ultra (both consumer 20W, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will slow sip that at a much lower wattage), it's a clear frontrunner for single-core.

That means apps will open snappily and at that high score, the UI will feel impressively responsive. If I had to guess, I'd assume Apple will offer 8GB of RAM in the affordable MacBook (MacBook SE, perhaps), which could give Lenovo the edge. However, that's just speculation on my part, and there's always a chance Apple uses a different amount of memory.

$599 MacBook vs Chromebooks

Now let's take what tops our Best Chromebooks list — the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. On sale for $499, you'll actually be saving money on this vs the rumored price of the new MacBook.

If the contextual benchmarks against the iPhone 16 Pro Max are close to what we see, it may be worth investing that extra hundred bucks in the cheap MacBook. And we're assuming Apple will be able to push more power through the MacBook, thanks to the bigger thermal envelope of a laptop.

The A18 Pro absolutely eats the Intel Core i3-1315U for lunch, but with the more simplistic ChromeOS, speeds and feeds has never been the sole focus of Chromebooks.

There are more powerful Chromebooks coming soon (such as the Arm-equipped Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14), but at $749, the price is wrong when stepping up to what Apple may be debuting here.

Outlook

Take these contextual benchmarks with a pinch of salt. Like I said, the iPhone is legendary for its power management — Apple doesn't need to worry about endurance as much with the larger battery inside a laptop. So chances are, the A18 Pro could go even faster.

But based on initial data, this could be the ultimate budget laptop to beat. The simplicity of macOS Tahoe and its huge selection of apps paired with the ergonomics and design that the Cupertino crew is known for? If the leaks are true, sign me up!

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