The MacBook lineup is one of the best-performing laptops, but at its price, it’s not the most appealing to the average consumer. Apple released a 12-inch laptop in 2015 that fit the mold of a budget-friendly MacBook, but it was poorly received because it lacked key features and cost too much.
However, in 2026, Apple may step into the budget-friendly laptop ring, buoyed by the success of its Apple silicon chips. With the right decisions and marketing, Apple could have a real shot at overtaking budget Chromebooks and Windows laptops, and here’s why.
Rumors are getting louder about a budget-friendly MacBook
While the idea has swirled around the rumor mill for a few years now, the concept of Apple announcing a budget-friendly MacBook has become increasingly loud recently, with many rumors pointing to its arrival in early 2026.
The idea of introducing a cheaper MacBook isn’t far-fetched, as Apple has taken a similar approach with other products by offering budget-friendly models for average consumers. There’s the iPhone 16e, the entry-level iPad, and the Apple Watch SE, all of which use more modern processors while leaving out some advanced features that aren’t essential to the core experience.
- Brand
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Apple
- SoC
-
A18
- Display
-
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 1,200 nits of peak brightness, 60Hz
- RAM
-
8GB
- Storage
-
128, 256, 512GB
- Battery
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26 hours of video playback
The iPhone16e is an affordable addition to the iPhone 16 line, costing $200 less than the base iPhone 16.
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- Brand
-
Apple
- Heart Rate Monitor
-
Yes
- Color Screen
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Yes
- Notification Support
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Yes
- Battery Life
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Up to 18 hours
- Operating System
-
WatchOS 26
The 2025 Apple Watch SE offers new features, such as fast charging and an always on display, for just $249.
Apple would want to do this to compete with budget-friendly Chromebooks and Windows laptops. Right now, the most affordable option is the MacBook Air, which starts at $999.
While it’s an excellent device, the price may still turn people away if they only need a laptop for typing, web browsing, and emailing—especially when it comes to students. However, I’m not just talking about college students—which would also benefit from a cheaper MacBook—but also middle school and high school students.
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- Operating System
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macOS
- CPU
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Apple M4
- RAM
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16 GB
- Storage
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256GB
- Colors
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Midnight, Silver, Sky Blue, Starlight
The MacBook Air with the M4 chip is Apple’s most powerful yet, with amazing battery life and buttery-smooth performance in a thin and light profile.
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- CPU
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MediaTek Kompanio 520
- GPU
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ARM Mali-G52
- RAM
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4GB
- Storage
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64GB
- Colors
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Abyss Blue
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook is ideal for budget-conscious shoppers looking for a decent laptop that covers all the bases without breaking the bank.
- Operating System
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Windows 11 Home
- CPU
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AMD Ryzen 3 7320U Quad-Core
- RAM
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8GB LPDDR5
- Storage
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128GB NVMe SSD
- Battery
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11 Hours
- Display (Size, Resolution)
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15.6-inch Full HD
This budget laptop covers all the basics, including a speedy processor, a large 1080p screen, and support for Windows 11. This new model also has Wi-Fi 6 and support for AMD Radeon graphics.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, schools issued Chromebooks and Windows laptops because they were inexpensive options that covered the basics of online learning. The devices were also durable and easy to repair, making them a practical choice for students.
Furthermore, while Apple continues to update the Mac line with newer chips, third-party sellers still offer older models at discounted prices, suggesting a sizable audience interested in a cheaper MacBook model. For example, Walmart still sells the M1 MacBook Air for $599 in both silver and space gray.
If Apple can avoid the mistakes of the 2015 12-inch MacBook and carry over the core strengths that make its higher-end models successful, it has a real chance to make a sizable dent in the low-cost laptop market.
Why the 12-inch MacBook failed
In 2015, Apple introduced the 12-inch MacBook, the thinnest of its kind at the time, with the new butterfly keyboard. It was marketed as a reimagined MacBook, offering all the functionality of previous MacBooks, but in a thinner, lighter body.
While these promises were bold and enticing, the device ultimately failed to deliver, creating more headaches than a seamless experience. Unfortunately, the issues spanned multiple areas, not just one.
To achieve the thin design, Apple had to remove and rethink several internal components, including the fan, making this MacBook the first fanless model in the lineup.
The company paired the device with Intel’s newest low-power Core M-series chips, which were part of the Y-series processor line, built on a 14-nanometer process and sipped 4.5 watts of power. However, the chip often overheated, and without a fan, the MacBook quickly overheated, triggering thermal throttling.
Furthermore, the butterfly keyboard was horrible to type on because it lacked tactile feedback and just felt stiff. The keys would also jam easily if any crumbs or dust got underneath them, making the keyboard very fragile. This ultimately resulted in a lawsuit in which Apple had to compensate customers affected by the keyboard issues.
When it came to connectivity, Apple was banking on wireless connectivity. Wanted to display content on an external display? Use AirPlay. Wanted to transfer files? Use AirDrop.
However, not everyone had devices that could handle those tasks wirelessly, meaning they had to use the MacBook’s ports. The 12-inch model, however, only included one USB-C port, which also served as the charging port.
This meant you couldn’t charge your MacBook and plug in an additional accessory without using a dongle. Yet, using a dongle could result in slower charging speeds and potentially overheating.
The biggest drawback, however, was the starting price of $1,299, the same as an entry-level MacBook Pro at the time. With all its limitations and issues, many found it hard to justify spending that much compared with the MacBook Pro and Air models.
Those were just the most significant issues with the 12-inch MacBook, which led to its discontinuation in 2019 and its “obsolete” label in 2024. However, with Apple’s advancements in silicon chips and MacBook design, revisiting the concept and reconfiguring it could make for a worthy resurrection.
How a MacBook like that could succeed now
While there were many problems with the 12-inch MacBook back in 2015, resurrecting it now—with various fixes—could have its benefits.
One of the top issues that needs to be resolved is the laptop’s processor, and if rumors are correct, the MacBook SE—a standing name for the product—would use the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chip to keep the laptop’s cost low.
While it may seem weird to have an iPhone chip inside a MacBook, the A18 Pro is actually more powerful than the M1 chip across various benchmarks, including multi-core. Plus, thanks to its 3-nanometer design, the chip delivers powerful GPU and neural performance.
8/10
- SoC
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A18 Pro
- Display
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2,622 x 1,206 resolution (460 ppi)
Additionally, Apple’s chips are far more efficient now, eliminating the need for a fan, just as with the MacBook Air. That makes the original goal of a fanless MacBook much more achievable today than it was in 2015.
Apple has also retired the butterfly keyboard, which was phased out in 2019 in favor of the Magic Keyboard, which sports a scissor-switch design. Since it’s been over six years since then, it’s safe to bet that the butterfly keyboard won’t make a return.
To address the problem of having only a single USB-C port, Apple could bring MagSafe to a budget-friendly MacBook. However, it might still stick to just one USB-C port, but with the power efficiency of Apple’s chips, you may not need to charge as often.
The topic of MagSafe on a budget-friendly MacBook is tricky, especially since Apple didn’t include the feature on the iPhone 16e. Still, including it would make it easier to charge the laptop and use an accessory at the same time, helping resolve one of the 12-inch MacBook’s most noticeable issues.
Pricing for this MacBook would likely fall between $599 and $699—significantly lower than the 2015 model—and it could come in fun colors like silver, blue, pink, and yellow, similar to the current iMac lineup. The display size would also allegedly increase from 12 inches to 13.
Apple’s attempt at a budget MacBook could succeed if it keeps the original 12-inch model’s vision of strong performance in a simple design, while also fixing the issues that held it back.
The budget-friendly MacBook won’t overtake Chromebooks or low-cost Windows laptops overnight. Still, by offering strong performance in a well-established ecosystem at a competitive price, it could make a real impact. It may finally attract consumers who want a MacBook but haven’t been willing to spend $1,000 or more.
