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

[NYCValkyrie]

While, yes, I did just trade in my 14” MBP for the 15” MBA for the screen real estate for work, I would not even hesitate to pick up a sub-$800 12” MBA. I absolutely loved my previous one. I would prefer it over my iPad with keyboard attached and perfect for around the house. It was a dream for non-work travel.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Apple lost the education market it once dominated. Very sad.

Looks like it was a smart move, too, considering how much they’ve grown since then outside of education.

 

[shinkansenwarrior]

Maybe Apple needs a new entry level machine to use up their 8GB RAM stockpile while bumping upper tier modals base config to 12GB.

 

[TigerNike23]

If what you want is a small and light laptop, then compared to the 12” MacBook the 13” M1 Air is gimped with too much size and too much weight.

Who needs a small and light laptop?

Didn’t Apple already try and fail with the 12” MacBook a few years ago?

 

[AdamNC]

What about a low cost dual boot MacBook that would run both Mac OS and iOS? Yes it would iPads sales but I think it would be a huge seller for average consumers who love iOS and want Mac OS.

 

[darngooddesign]

Who needs a small and light laptop?

Didn’t Apple already try and fail with the 12” MacBook a few years ago?

It was compromised by hot-running, underpowered Intel chips, it would be well suited to an M1.

 

[FranApple]

It was compromised by hot-running, underpowered Intel chips, it would be well suited to an M1.

I agree. Another shot at a 12" laptop this time around would be a totally different story. The M1 is a beast.

 

[DavidSchaub]

Who needs a small and light laptop?

Didn’t Apple already try and fail with the 12” MacBook a few years ago?

The difference is that the 12" Retina MacBook was a higher-end and more expensive device.

The 12" MacBook was also burdened with:
- Intel's ~10 W CPUs sucking
- The magic keyboard being garbage
- USB-C not being that good

The laptop were discussing here:
- is low-end
- is less expensive
- might not be thinner or lighter than the MacBookAir 13", even if the screen is smaller

 

[1madman1]

As someone who uses a top spec 2017 12" daily, I'd probably buy a new 12" - if they keep the same aspect ratio.

 

[scottrichardson]

That's definitely one way Apple can do it. I'd recommend the following;

iPad SE, iPad, iPad Pro
MB SE, MB, MBP
iPhone SE, iPhone, iPhone Pro
AirPods SE, AirPods, AirPods Pro

It would provide consistency in their branding across their major product lines.

Yep. I like this too. I mean, the 'air' moniker was all about super-thin and light originally. But that naming convention doesn't really work as a 'mid range' moniker. It also isn't fully applicable any more, especially if a 'MacBook' is going to be thinner and lighter than an Air.

So yeah, ditch the Air name and just make the current MacBook Air the 'Macbook'. Then whatever new smaller one that comes out can be the SE.

What about the desktops?

Mac SE (mini)
Mac (studio)
Mac Pro

😆 It probably doesn't work as well... simply having a Mac called 'Mac' seems oddly silly.

iMac SE, iMac and iMac Pro could work., 24", 27" and 32"

 

[MikeSmoke]

The 12" Retina MacBook is the picture of elegance. Give it some horsepower and bring it on!

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

Please Apple: 12" Macbook with an M1 SoC and two Thunderbolt ports, one on either side. This is the Mac I have been waiting for. 🙏🏼

 

[DavidSchaub]

Branding is hard:

I absolutely agree that Air should go away; but really, I would just replace "Air" with "Studio" and then it is basically OK.

 

[scorpio vega]

I would definitely buy one.


1. Macbook SE: $550-799

this competes both with Microsoft Surface and Higher end chromebooks. They could use a more polycarbonate design for this version and go all colorful.

2. Macbook Air: 749-1049

3, Macbook Pro 1199 and beyond

 

[DavidSchaub]

Please Apple: 12" Macbook with an M1 SoC and two Thunderbolt ports, one on either side. This is the Mac I have been waiting for. 🙏🏼

I do wonder how people will react if this lower cost MacBook is:
- as heavy / thick as the 13" MacBook Air
- only has 2 USB4 ports

 

[scorpio vega]

Branding is hard:
View attachment 2302803

I absolutely agree that Air should go away; but really, I would just replace "Air" with "Studio" and then it is basically OK.

I mean honestly if i heard studio, that sounds more like a desktop product than laptop.

 

[scorpio vega]

I do wonder how people will react if this lower cost MacBook is:
- as heavy / thick as the 13" MacBook Air
- only has 2 USB4 ports

If it is a budget device and priced accordingly so, it shouldnt be an issue. If they try and pull a 5c then no.

 

[H_D]

While I love the idea of a MacBookMini and some SE-products make sense… going cheap is a difficult road. It loadstone compromised user experiences, less profit per product, a shift in the user base and thevway the whole brand works. Whenever I meet people that tell me how AirPods suck, e.g., they use AP2 or even the cable based old stubs, never APP2, because those are a damn great product. I love the Mimi iPad but just look what cutting corners on the display quality meant here. It might sound like an interesting idea to expand the brand, but it feels as if might dilute what defines the brand experience and it will make Apple, paradoxically, less of a Must-have-brand. There is a reason why Mercedes just killed two of their best-selling car lines with A and B… it’s not their market, not their brand, not their audience.
If you want to market cheaper PC, do it via Beats. Instant sell to the right audience.

 

[trip1ex]

While I love the idea of a MacBookMini and some SE-products make sense… going cheap is a difficult road. It loadstone compromised user experiences, less profit per product, a shift in the user base and thevway the whole brand works. Whenever I meet people that tell me how AirPods suck, e.g., they use AP2 or even the cable based old stubs, never APP2, because those are a damn great product. I love the Mimi iPad but just look what cutting corners on the display quality meant here. It might sound like an interesting idea to expand the brand, but it feels as if might dilute what defines the brand experience and it will make Apple, paradoxically, less of a Must-have-brand. There is a reason why Mercedes just killed two of their best-selling car lines with A and B… it’s not their market, not their brand, not their audience.
If you want to market cheaper PC, do it via Beats. Instant sell to the right audience.

To some degree. But Apple has a lot of room to make a cheaper yet still nice Mac.

Low end ipad quality is quite good, fast enough to run MacOS, still have screen and battery yet have a much much lower price point.


I think sticking to only the high end is not something that can be sustained long term. Their devices depend on software and software is way way way cheaper at volume given it is infinitely scalable at essentially no extra cost.

Sticking to the high end will ultimately ensure low volume.

 

[svish]

A new 12" MacBook at a lower cost is a possibility. For a 13", Apple could simply lower the price of the previous generation 13" Air

 

[trip1ex]

I do wonder how people will react if this lower cost MacBook is:
- as heavy / thick as the 13" MacBook Air
- only has 2 USB4 ports

I wouldn’t assume it has ports. I would actually assume it will be more like the iPad in that regard.

I don’t see why it would be heavier either.

 

[DavidSchaub]

I wouldn’t assume it has ports. I would actually assume it will be more like the iPad in that regard.

I don’t see why it would be heavier either.

Even the iPad still has one port, but hopefully this low cost laptop would still have a few more.

Making things lighter and smaller sometimes cost more, if it is allowed to be a bit bigger and heavier, it could be less fragile and better for kids.

 

[jdoyle]

I have an underpowered MacBook 12in and I love the lightness and form factor. They can easily do this using parts they pretty much already have developed. They should drop the “Air” title and then maybe have “MacBook” , “MacBook Plus” and “MacBook Pro”

 

[Wingsley]

I would be shocked if Apple released a genuinely "low cost" anything. Not their style.

My other reaction is equally skeptical: maybe some school districts actually have a serious education program that makes use of computers, but I would expect most school systems are just blowing gratuitously large amounts of money on computers to try to look like they're doing something, and most of the money isn't helping the kids one bit.

Some of my impressions are at least 20 years old, but I remember one kid (a relative) who carried a laptop back and forth between home and school. The kid just tossed it around like a toy, and it never looked like he actually tried to use it for anything. Of course, laptops back then were more delicate than they are now, but the principle is still the same.

Does the computer has an actual use in the curriculum? If so, what is the computer useage supposed to accomplish? Why do students need a laptop, as opposed to a computer lab stocked with desktop machines? It just strikes me (again, based on years-old impressions) that giving K-to-12 students laptops only opens the door to kids either neglecting the machines or abusing them. If the laptop is in a backpack, and the backpack is constantly getting tossed around with abandon, this increases the probability of laptops being damaged. Even if the laptops never leave the school, their portability opens the door to being damaged because of kids horsing around.

But the whole "bang for the buck" question is always in the back of my mind. It's neat that kids get exposed to computers in school, but is there any serious educational value to their exposure? Technology of any kind seems to be an excellent way for the education industry to waste megabucks and the only real-world accomplishment is school board P.R.

About the only thing I would expect a responsible school district to get a kid to do is use "Mayvis Beacon Teaches Typing" or some skill-builder like that. This would have at least some (minimal) educational value.

 

[Kiwamu]

I would be shocked if Apple released a genuinely "low cost" anything. Not their style.

My other reaction is equally skeptical: maybe some school districts actually have a serious education program that makes use of computers, but I would expect most school systems are just blowing gratuitously large amounts of money on computers to try to look like they're doing something, and most of the money isn't helping the kids one bit.

The chromebook program is dominating in the US and I am sure this is Apple trying to get a part of that pie. In addition offering a lightweight laptop for daily tasks (browsing, writing homework on a computer, consuming media) currently does not require a high end device and they can take advantage of this very market with an MacBook SE (or Lighter than Air, or whatever). The only thing they would cannabalize would be their iPad lineup, though the question is what benefits them more in the long run.

From the iPad the upgrade path is very slim, only up to a pro. For the MacBook and their seemingly renewed vow to gaming could mean a whole generation of people that would rather choose the simplicity of a MacBook (with desktop class features) than a windows machine. This seems more of a long term plan than creating and upsetting the whole market and I can see them - with a businessplan in mind - succeed.