Over the weekend, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo disclosed that Apple is developing a new MacBook model, likely intended as a successor to the contentious 12-inch variant introduced many years ago. Following this revelation, MacRumors uncovered internal references to this device, as it appears Apple is indeed working on a computer utilizing the A18 Pro chip.
By combining these two narratives, it seems plausible that Apple is committed to launching this new MacBook as soon as next year. With mass production anticipated in the final quarter of 2025, the device could make its debut at a March event in conjunction with the new iPhone 17e and other lighter Apple offerings.
However, there’s a challenge with this budget-friendly MacBook, the same one that affected the previous 12-inch model: all entry-level options are starting to resemble one another.
Analyzing entry-level MacBook options
Apple presently markets two laptops featuring the M4 chip: an Air and a Pro variant. The distinction lies in additional ports, a superior display, and a cooling fan. But if Apple introduces a MacBook with an iPhone chip, what really distinguishes it from a MacBook Air? A lone USB-C port and a less powerful chip?
Wouldn’t that render the Air unnecessary, or worse? It might retain the Air name, but if it’s not lighter or slimmer than the new model, especially in light of the former 12-inch version, what’s the incentive? Just as the iPad Pro is thinner, lighter, and more capable, what reason would one have to select an Air?
In the case of the MacBook, users would receive a better value with a thinner and lighter machine, which is precisely what most individuals desire. Unless Apple manages to make the A18 Pro perform like an outdated Intel Celeron, casual users likely won’t perceive any difference between an M4 device and one equipped with the A18 Pro.
That being said, now that Apple has successfully positioned the MacBook Air, is it truly set to release an even more affordable computer that’s thinner, lighter, and sufficiently capable for the majority of the Air’s intended users?
The answer: One MacBook must go
When Apple provides too many comparable products, the optimal strategy is to eliminate one. If consumers cannot clearly understand why they should spend more, they will simply opt for the least expensive option, and Apple probably doesn’t favor that outcome.
