Rumors say that a budget MacBook is coming either later in 2025 or early 2026, and at price as low as $599. But even if it’s that cheap, is it actually a terrible deal that you should avoid? Let’s talk…
What is the A18 MacBook?
So the budget MacBook will be powered by the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro instead of an M-series chip. In terms of CPU performance, the A18 Pro’s 6 CPU cores has about the same performance in multi-core as the M1 chip, but the single-core performance is above the M3 level.
The A18 Pro also has a 6-core GPU with a Geekbench 6 Metal Score of around 32000, which is again similar to the M1 MacBook Air’s Metal Score.
So performance isn’t that bad, but we’re still talking several generations behind the M4 or what might be the M5 by the time this launches.
Apple will likely offer either 8 GB or 16 GB of memory with the cheap MacBook, though I’m going to bet it’ll be 8 GB, given just how stingy Apple is with memory and storage. At least it’ll still have enough to run Apple Intelligence, if you care about that.
But the A18 Pro chip also comes with other limitations, including the lack of Thunderbolt support, so you’ll probably only get a couple USB-C ports that go up to 10 Gbps speeds instead of 40 Gbps. That also means it’ll likely support just a single external display.
As for the built-in display, it’s expected to be 12.9 inches, which is slightly smaller than both the M1 Air’s 13.3” display and the M2-M4 Air’s 13.6” display. Accordingly, it can also feature a more lightweight and perhaps thinner design as well, and it could come in 4 colors: Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow, making it match with the iMac line-up.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy the A18 MacBook
So on paper, it sounds pretty good, especially if it’s priced at just $599, which is 40% or $400 cheaper than the current-gen MacBook Air’s starting price of $1000, right?
Well, no… in my opinion, I don’t think more educated buyers, like yourself since you’re watching this video, should get the A18 Pro MacBook. And here’s why.
First, I should note that the M1 MacBook Air is currently still being sold as new at Walmart for $599. This A18 Pro MacBook is most certainly positioned to replace that as the entry level offering, hence why the $599 price point seems just right.
Since performance is basically the same as the M1 except for a boost in single-core CPU, it really does seem like the perfect replacement machine. But you do get a bunch of downgrades compared to the M1: smaller screen, slower USB instead of Thunderbolt ports, and possibly other things we won’t know until it launches.
But the other thing to realize is that the M-series chips have been really, really good, and even using one a few generations old is perfectly fine for most people, especially those who are considering the budget MacBook. But wait, doesn’t that sound like an argument for getting the A18 Pro MacBook?
Well, actually, it’s an argument for getting an older M2, M3, or M4 MacBook Air instead, especially after the M5 Air comes out. Even today, a new M4 Air regularly goes on sale, and most recently you could pick one up for just $800. That $200 difference could be the cost of the memory upgrade, let alone the M4 chip or all the other differences.
If that’s the going price for a new latest-gen MacBook Air, then a previous-gen MacBook Air could only be less. A quick search on eBay reveals many M1 Airs on sale for less than $400. Granted, a lot of the cheapest ones are also broken, so it’ll take some effort to sift through the crap. And M3 Airs can be found for $650 or less. Prices will only drop when the M5 Airs come out, so this A18 Pro MacBook might be competing with used M4 Airs in price at that point.
Why You Will Still Buy the A18 MacBook
Of course, not everyone wants to get a used computer, and I expect the budget MacBook will still sell like hotcakes, especially as the main user base likely won’t care that it doesn’t have Thunderbolt ports, or any of the other downgrades, and actually may prefer the smaller size and weight, not to mention COLORS.
The real thing to keep an eye on is if the price really does end up being $599 or not. If it ends up higher than that, then it’ll have a tougher time competing with new MacBook Airs on sale or used ones in the market.
Unless, of course, Apple decides to raise the price of the latest gen MacBook Air when the M5 comes out, like they did when they introduced the M2 Air… but I really hope they don’t.
