iPhone 17 Pro could herald the start of a new MacBook era, too

The Apple iPhone 17 Pro is an enormously powerful phone thanks to its A19 Pro chip – and that processing unit may be destined for more than just iPhones. It might be at the heart of new MacBook models too.

The current MacBook Pro and MacBook Air run M4 chips, and Apple's usual upgrade cycle means that they were expected to get the next M processor this Autumn. But multiple reports say that they're coming later this time, with a launch now expected in 2026.

Given that the next generation of Apple laptops isn't expected to be more than a speed bump – the OLED MacBook Pros, which have been predicted for years now, are currently expected in late 2026 or early 2027 – that delay suggests Apple's laptop teams could be up to something else.

Could an entry-level MacBook be making a comeback?

The case for a more modest MacBook

It's been a long time since Apple made a modestly priced MacBook of any kind. For non-education customers the current entry-level Air starts at £999 / $999 / €1,199 / AU$1,699, although it's available for a bit less via retailer discounts.

There's one exception – the US, Walmart-exclusive M1 MacBook Air can be yours at $649. But that looks very much like an experiment to gauge customer demand for a more affordable Apple laptop.

Apple doesn't do cheap, but it used to make considerably more affordable options long after it retired the entry-level iBook. That included a £749 MacBook Air and towards the end of its run, a £799 MacBook.

In 2023, the tech site DigiTimes reported that Apple was working on a Mac with a visual resemblance to the MacBook Air but lower-cost materials to keep the price down. Respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also described a low-price 13-inch MacBook in August 2025. That's not the Walmart MacBook Air; it's a separate device altogether.

Could the A-series chip be one of those lower-cost items in a lower-cost laptop? It wouldn't replace the M5 but exist on a more modest tier, effectively delivering a laptop equivalent of the iPhone 16e. Kuo suggested that the laptop would use the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro. However, the current A19 Pro would trickle down to future models.

The profits on that laptop wouldn't be massive. But today's Apple is as much about subscription services as it is about selling computers, and a more affordable Air alternative would be a gateway to the likes of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, and Apple One.

If Apple isn't at least considering an A series-powered laptop, I'll eat my iPad.