Apple might be launching an affordable MacBook Air, not powered by its M-series processors, but with an iPhone chip. MacRumors reported that the A18 Pro chip used in the iPhone 16 Pro has been confirmed in the findings of the backend code of a device identified as Mac.
This cheaper MacBook will reportedly enter mass production in late 2025 or early 2026. It may feature a 13-inch display that matches the current MacBook Air M4’s screen.
The shift to the A18 Pro Processor marks a crucial departure from Apple’s regular approach as hardware specifications remain largely hidden.
Each Apple Silicon Mac has relied on M-series chips till now as they’re best known for their high performance and energy efficiency in laptop-class workloads.
This Apple model targets budget-conscious consumers and students, whose daily tasks include browsing, email, and productivity apps. These can easily be done on the A18 Pro chip, the same processor used in the iPhone 16 Pro.
The average user won’t feel a major slowdown for daily tasks such as document editing, video streaming, web browsing, and even light photo work, which are single-core intensive.
This news is shocking for some people, and this can be good news for many. Apple never launched a MacBook priced below $999. The company appears fully ready to enter a truly affordable laptop world for the first time with this new model.
The A18 Pro MacBook may be affordable for a lot of people and can open up Apple’s world to a far broader audience if it’s priced correctly in the $700-$800 price range. This may compete with Chromebooks and Windows laptops directly in the education and entry-level markets.
The most interesting and buzzed product launch of 2026 with competitive pricing is the A18 MacBook, even though the device is unofficial. Consumers can expect more concrete details later this year as the production or launch is set to be for late 2025 or early 2026.
