New entry-level MacBook: First info on colors, price, and chip
Apple is expected to introduce a new notebook series in two weeks. An overview of the details that the rumor mill is (almost) certain about.
MacBook – an Air model: Is Apple finally planning a new entry-level model?
(Image: Apple)
As early as summer 2025, there were first serious rumors that Apple was planning a particularly inexpensive MacBook again after years. The model is said to be comparatively simple and to use chips from the iPhone SoC range instead of the M processors that Apple otherwise puts in Macs. But then nothing happened for a while. Now it is said that it could finally happen at the beginning of March: Apple is inviting to a "Special Apple Experience" in Singapore, Europe and the USA on March 4th. In addition to new iPads, an iPhone 17e, and MacBook Pro models with M5 Max and M5 Pro, the entry-level MacBook is at the top of the release list for many observers. Here are the details that are already known.
Background: The 12-inch MacBook
Between 2015 and 2019, Apple had a model series on the market that had many fans due to its comparatively low price, low weight, and compact dimensions: the 12-inch MacBook. The internal hardware alone was only conditionally good: thanks to sluggish, power-saving Intel chips without a fan, the compact notebook was primarily a surfing and office machine. In 2019, the series was withdrawn from the market. After Apple announced the switch to ARM processors for the Mac in 2020, the 12-inch MacBook was considered one of the first good candidates for the technology.
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Thanks to Apple Silicon, the machine could not only have been compact and light, but also sufficiently fast. But then nothing happened: Apple brought MacBook Air and MacBook Pro into the ARM era, the old compact form factor remained in the archive. Since then, fans of the 12-inch MacBook have hoped that it would be resurrected – after all, it was even more compact and lighter than an iPad Pro with a keyboard.
What the new entry-level MacBook should be capable of
The new entry-level notebook will likely be somewhat different from the 12-inch MacBook with an Intel chip, at least according to well-informed rumor mongers and Apple supply chain observers. The screen diagonal is said to increase from 12 to 13 inches – it is unclear how much it will differ from the already compact MacBook Air M4. The price is likely to be well under 1000 US dollars, although around 1000 euros is expected in Europe. Apple is reportedly planning to color the aluminum hardware in various colors; Weibo leaker Instant Digital believes in yellow, green (!), and blue – Apple is also using these colors in the invitation to the event.
The heart of the new MacBook is reportedly an A18 Pro, which Apple used in the iPhone 16 Pro. This won't allow for gigantic leaps, but it's sufficient for a compact notebook. Now, however, we have to wait and see: Currently, it is expected that the new machines will be presented on March 4th – the actual day of the "Experience".
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