Apple to Sell Low-Cost 12-Inch and 13-inch MacBooks for $700 or Less

[bousozoku]

For them to compete, they're going to need a touch-capable display, so they need to use one of the available resolutions and deal with it. They'll be able to compete against the most expensive Chromebooks, some of the Microsoft Surface devices, and what for Windows are more expensive laptop computers.

How will they find a good match of technologies and not lose money while trying to compete?

 

[bumblebritches5]

Remember when Apple laughed at the idea of budget laptops and launched the Macbook Air instead?

Nonetheless, as a teacher, when I hear about budget tech, I always think about how good it could be for the education sector.

Bro, that’s what I’m saying (tho I’m not a teacher)

64GB of storage, 8GB’s of RAM, no webcam, 1378x768 12” screen.

These kids are between 5 and 12; they’re learning how to type and writing essays in Pages.

They don’t need anything fancy.

Hell, maybe Apple should even include DNS adblocking, or a way to block social media and adult content in the OS by default too.

 

[bobcomer]

Used to own a gen1 12” MacBook. That thing was great.

If they can get down below 1kg again I’ll buy one for sure.

Me too, but I'd really like it actively cooled though, not like the MBA.

 

[bumblebritches5]

Apple product managers must be salivating over this thread.

Butterfly Keyboard, no webcam, 4gm ram, throw an old fusion drive in there and we are golden.

12 inch Crapbook $799/ $699* for schools.


*less that $700

Cheaper than that tho, like $400-$450 tops.

 

[iPay]

People in here just don't understand how awesome the 12" Macbook was.
[...]

The plastic white Macbook was even better! You could be that Macbook Ponytail Girl and have free latte at Starbucks.

 

[Ries]

Base storage 64GB 💩

+4GB ram and 1024x768 **** LCD. Get 1600x1200 with improved colour for an additional $299.

 

[kc9hzn]

Would love to see the revival of a 12" MacBook. Although I still think it makes more sense for Apple to reuse the older MacBook Air design, update the internals from time to time and rebrand it the MacBook SE with a $799 price tag or so.

A MacBook SE would probably be a good idea. $799 might be a bit too much, though, especially since the M1 MacBook Air is already at $899 (with educational pricing). A $100 price point difference doesn’t seem like it would move the needle enough. I think a $699 standard price point (maybe $599 with educational pricing) is probably the right spot. The current iPad Air is $599 ($549 with educational pricing), so a price higher than it is probably too high for the educational market. Since Apple can make an M1 based iPad Air at that price, an M1 or M2 Mac could probably be sold at that price.

 

[venom600]

That plastic did not age well, though -- particularly around the front edge of the palm rest area. That would inevitably get discolored and chipped on so many of those I saw. I had the black one, which at least stayed cleaner looking.

That's not the one he's showing. You're talking about the first plastic Macbooks that came in white and black. What he showed is the unibody plastic Macbook... it was built totally differently and was much more durable.

 

[MUIGoku]

12" or 13" 1920x1080p at a minimum with 120hz, $399 usd, 8 gb ram and 128gb ssd. 720p webcam.
2 usb-c ports on one side, 2 usb A ports on another side and 1 hdmi port and 3.5 mm jack port.

Magnetic charging port.

This would be something that would dominate the market.

They could refresh the laptop every 2 or 3 years with a newer binned chip a generation or 2 behind the main line ones.

 

[sehns]

Just what I DON'T want is another new MacBook with 1 inch bezels around it. Get rid of the bezels altogether and make it a super small 12" Macbook.

Even the 2017 model had tiny bezels, i think your concern is misplaced

 

[darngooddesign]

Right back where we were with the MacBook Air being bigger and heavier than the MacBook.

 

[bumblebritches5]

12" or 13" 1920x1080p at a minimum with 120hz, $399 usd, 8 gb ram and 128gb ssd. 720p webcam.
2 usb-c ports on one side, 2 usb A ports on another side and 1 hdmi port and 3.5 mm jack port.

Magnetic charging port.

This would be something that would dominate the market.

For you, we’re talking about 5 to 12 year olds who are learning to type and writing essays in Pages.

 

[darngooddesign]

A MacBook SE would probably be a good idea. $799 might be a bit too much, though, especially since the M1 MacBook Air is already at $899 (with educational pricing). A $100 price point difference doesn’t seem like it would move the needle enough. I think a $699 standard price point (maybe $599 with educational pricing) is probably the right spot. The current iPad Air is $599 ($549 with educational pricing), so a price higher than it is probably too high for the educational market. Since Apple can make an M1 based iPad Air at that price, an M1 or M2 Mac could probably be sold at that price.

If you are going to compare prices, you have to do the educational discount on both so $899 for the MacBook Air and 699 for the MacBook. Of course Apple might replace the M1 Air with this MacBook.

 

[JustAnExpat]

Since both news and rumours are reported on this site, could rumours be identified somehow in the title of the article?

It’s a small thing, I know, but it would be nice to know - at a glance - if what I’m reading is news/fact or a rumour.

Everything's a rumor unless it's a press release.

 

[DavidSchaub]

I agree that this proposed laptop is not meant to actively compete with $300 Chromebooks, but just eat away a bit at the massive market of $500-$700 laptops.

My question: Will this laptop support emulating x86 at all (or just lack the silicon for optimizing it so emulate it more slowly)?

 

[DonkeyKongGarlic]

Apple is actively developing new 12-inch and 13-inch MacBook models for sale at a planned price point of around $700 or less, claims a rumor out of Korea.

According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog, supply chain sources have "consistently" seen evidence that Apple has low-cost MacBooks in two different sizes in ongoing development.

The account's sources suggest that while Apple has yet to fully commit to mass producing the low-cost Macs, they are now "more likely than ever" to make it to market because of a sharp fall in iPad and MacBook sales.

The latest rumor comes after Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week claimed that Apple is considering launching a low-cost MacBook series next year to boost ailing MacBook shipments, with a target of 8-10+ million units per year.

A DigiTimes report last month also said Apple could launch a more affordable MacBook series in late 2024 to differentiate from the company's existing MacBook Air and Pro lines, and to help the company compete with Google's popular Chromebook models.

The number of educational institutions that have adopted Chromebooks over the last few years has seen rapid growth, especially when compared to Apple's iPads, sales of which have declined in the education market.

Apple's attention is said to be increasingly focused on the sector as a possible avenue to boosting flagging MacBook sales, and is considering offering cheaper and more compact student-friendly machines to claw back its market share. Higher-performance Chromebooks can be picked up for around $700, hence the ~$700 figure Apple is targeting, according to the latest rumor.

• Could Apple's Rumored 2024 Budget Mac Be a 12-inch MacBook?

The Naver blog account has a mixed track record for forecasting Apple's plans, but some of its claims last year proved to be significant. For example, in March 2022 it accurately revealed some details about the third-generation iPhone SE ahead of Apple launching the model. In October of the same year it also accurately predicted that Apple would delay the release of new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models until early 2023.

Article Link: Apple to Sell Low-Cost 12-Inch and 13-inch MacBooks for $700 or Less

I think the issue is not low cost, but memory hog. MacOs is a desktop OS that requires a good amount of memory - 8GB being the ABSOLUTE least, and that's being generous. ChromeOS is much more memory conservitive and lightweight (and also less as robust with apps you can use, however). But if apple wants adoption , they simply need to lower prices and extend hardware.

 

[bumblebritches5]

I agree that this proposed laptop is not meant to actively compete with $300 Chromebooks, but just eat away a bit at the massive market of $500-$700 laptops.

My question: Will this laptop support emulating x86 at all (or just lack the silicon for optimizing it so emulate it more slowly)?

To save money Apple would use older binned AX/MY chips. But it’s not like 5-12 year olds care about running old programs.

 

[DavidSchaub]

12" or 13" 1920x1080p at a minimum with 120hz, $399 usd, 8 gb ram and 128gb ssd. 720p webcam.
2 usb-c ports on one side, 2 usb A ports on another side and 1 hdmi port and 3.5 mm jack port.

Magnetic charging port.

This would be something that would dominate the market.

They could refresh the laptop every 2 or 3 years with a newer binned chip a generation or 2 behind the main line ones.

There is zero chance of this laptop having:
- 120Hz screen
- USB-A ports (the USB-C ports it has might even only be USB4)

Heck, I strongly doubt it will have an HDMI port

Apple has no interest in dominating, it wants to make more money, while not draw customers away from the more expensive 13" MBA.

 

[MUIGoku]

For you, we’re talking about 5 to 12 year olds who are learning to type and writing essays in Pages.

Yes because nobody in their right mind should pay $700 usd for a gimped laptop that could have 4gb ram and 64gb ssd like some people are speculating in an Apple roasting like fashion.

They can cut costs and still deliver a decent machine. Maybe in your world you want less for more of your money.

 

[tweaknmod]

Everything's a rumor unless it's a press release.

That’s what I mean; when a headline presents something as fact, one might assume it actually is so.
This wouldn’t be the case if media releases were tagged as such, or rumours were likewise tagged.

Anyway, not a big deal - it was just a thought I’ve had recently.

 

[MUIGoku]

There is zero chance of this laptop having:
- 120Hz screen
- USB-A ports (the USB-C ports it has might even only be USB4)

Heck, I strongly doubt it will have an HDMI port

Apple has no interest in dominating, it wants to make more money, while not draw customers away from the more expensive 13" MBA.

I know. I can still dream. 60hz is still perfectly fine. It should have at least 1 usb-c port (for a dock), 3.5 mm jack and and a charging port. Any other ports would be a plus at $399 usd. If they are charging 700$ usd they can definitely deliver those ports at a minimum. Apple fanboys are more than happy to settle.

 

[azentropy]

$799 is still to high. If they want to even attempt to even begin chipping away at chromebooks there are gonna have to do ALOT better than $799

Nah, that wouldn't be the product this would go after. It would be more for full fledged Window laptops...

I just don't see Apple going after Chromebooks with a MacOS device. They would really have to strip it down to something that really wouldn't be a "MacBook" anymore to hit that price point. Maybe something like an iPad with an integrated keyboard makes more sense- a 2024 eMate!

 

[darngooddesign]

I know. I can still dream. 60hz is still perfectly fine. It should have at least 1 usb-c port (for a dock), 3.5 mm jack and and a charging port. Any other ports would be a plus at $399 usd. If they are charging 700$ usd they can definitely deliver those ports at a minimum. Apple fanboys are more than happy to settle.

The reason why the 12” MacBook only had two ports, USB-C and headphone jack, was because of its full sized keyboard. The keyboard stretched to the sides and the ports were behind it not under it.

 

[blazerunner]

But someone on here was mad at my similar comment yesterday when I said Apple already has too many laptop SKUs.

We need one “SE”, one regular, and one pro. That’s it. Want a big screen? Go pro. Want a small screen? Go “SE”. Don’t like it? Sorry. Apple can’t make six million different configurations like Samsung.

A few extra options = six million configurations like Samsung.

I learned something new today.

 

[deconstruct60]

I agree. How durable are most Chromebooks?

There is gap there between by "volume sold" 'most' and by "systems offered" 'most' .

The new Chromebook Plus initiative is indictive that space is not completely about a 'race to the bottom' overall system price.

Also it is a criteria some organizations are looking for. For example:

" ... and passes MIL-STD 810H tests for reliable longevity ..."

CTL Chromebooks | Empowering Work and Learning Around The World

Find the best deals on Chromebooks here. Free shipping on Chromebook orders over $99 in the continental USA.

ctl.net

and

" ... Acer Spin 714 ...
... . It's also remarkably tough. It's MIL-SPEC Standard 810G tested, which means it can handle drops and other physical shocks. If you need to take a computer to a building site, this is the one I'd take. ... "

The 5 best Chromebooks for work in 2023

Chromebooks offer fantastic features, such as touchscreens, fast processors, and decent storage, allowing you all the tools you need to knock out your work. Plus, you'll have some fun doing so.

www.zdnet.com

(the Spin 714 lands in this around $700 range that Apple looks to be dipping their toe into. )


and

" ... To make the keyboard more durable — and resistant to small exploring fingers! — the gap between the edges of the keycaps and the keyboard surround is reduced to prevent anyone from prying the keys out. ...

...
( in the tech specs tab on that website )
... US MIL-STD 810G military-grade standard ...
"

ASUS Chromebook C403ï½Laptops For Homeï½ASUS USA

With over 10 hours battery life and an ultra-thin and light design, ASUS Chromebooks give you all-day freedom â these ASUS laptops are always ready to go at any time, wherever you are!

www.asus.com

Is it a requirement for all Chromebooks? No. Are more than a few of them trying to get there? Yes. There are a wide variety offerings that are not all primarily clustered in the sub $280 range. there is a better 'balance' at this point with vendors releasing sytsems into a wider price range. ( so not quite so much 'crabs in a barrel' trying to claw the others back to the bottom contest. )


The "Intel N100" generation of SoC is better than some of the increasing older SoC in some of the examples above. The trickle-down from Intel's 'E-core' work into more affordable SoCs has been kind of slow to get traction in Chromebooks. Probably a bit of a catch-22 . if they sold more then probably more effort put into pushing in uplift quicker.