Apple could rival Chromebook with cheaper MacBook, thanks to iPhone ingenuity

Apple's best MacBooks are on a whole new level since switching from Intel chips to the company's own silicon five years ago, but we could see the company release a future model without an M series chip.

Renowned industry analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, has posted a report on X suggesting Apple could soon look to compete with the likes of Chromebook Plus and mid-range Windows laptops. He believes that the firm could make a more affordable MacBook using the same A18 Pro chipset found in the iPhone 16 Pro.

What's more, he expects the new device to enter production this year or early next – that would mean it could even be launched next spring.

The new MacBook will have a 13-inch display, he says. Kuo even goes into possible colour options: silver, blue, pink, and yellow.

Hang on, haven't we seen a mid-range MacBook before?

The concept reminds me of the superthin 12-inch MacBook released in 2015 and 2017 (one of which I still have on a shelf). That was a neat, everyday Mac to just chuck in a bag. The only problem is that it was far from cheap.

Costing £1,249 / $1,299 on its original launch, it was actually priced above some of Apple's other devices at the time – even though it ran on a much less powerful Intel mobile chipset.

Hopefully that won't be the case this time – Kuo suggests not.

This latest MacBook venture is said to be to widen MacBook sales, not just to add an even more niche product to the family.

And considering the current MacBook Air starts at £999 / $999, I would expect a more affordable model to come in around £799 / $799. That's higher than decent Chromebook Plus models (such as the new Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14), but then this is Apple after all.