A Budget Apple MacBook? Here Are The Rumours
For years, Apple has traded on being a premium product for those who liked the finer things in life. Yet in this economy, that’s a shrinking number. So it makes sense to introduce a new budget MacBook to their range of laptops – especially as the entry price for a MacBook Air is £999, yet rivals like Google Chromebooks and Windows laptops begin around £229.
While official sources remain silent, sources close to the company have leaked details of this entry-level laptop that brings together Apple’s sleek design with an affordable price – just like we’ve seen in the iPhone ‘e’ range.
Read on to find out the details of this much-anticipated laptop – and when you can get your hands on it.
Video calls
While it’s yet to be confirmed, the laptop camera might be a feature that’s traded off in favour of price: its current range has a 1080p resolution, so on a budget model we can expect 720p. This could be acceptable as it matches older MacBooks and entry level competitors, plus video chat doesn’t need precision. Existing MacBooks have cool Apple functionality like Centre Stage, which keeps you at the centre of your frame even when you move about, and that’s likely to cross over to the budget option.
Battery performance
There’s high expectations for its battery as one of the stand-out features of the MacBook range. Current MacBook Airs offer an industry-leading performance of up to 18 hours of video playback, and we expect similar with this budget version.
To compare, a budget Windows laptop or Chromebook might only manage around 10 hours of real-world use.
This point of difference will be extremely important, as it means students and remote workers could go a day or two without having to recharge their laptop.
Design and display
Apple never needs to stray too far from its contemporary look, and the budget laptop will be no different.
What’s changing – for the better – is the colour range. Rather than the varying shades of grey of current MacBooks, this range will also come in fun colours like blue, pink and yellow that mirror the palette of the iMac, its desktop computer range.
While MacBook Airs are characterised by being thin and light, as a budget laptop, this might be a tad bulkier. But with the impressive battery performance and smaller screen size (rumoured to be a 13” LCD display, compared to the standard 13.6” screen on the MacBook Air), the trade-offs would be about right.
Tech and features
One of the best things about a MacBook is its macOS operating system, which is adored for its ease and slickness. That should be replicated on the budget MacBook, especially with the A18 Pro processor keeping things running smoothly. In fact, it will be the first time they’ll use an iPhone chip on a MacBook as tests proved that it worked better than the M- chips traditionally used in MacBooks. There’s a chance they could even use the new A19 chip to improve the performance even more.
For those with iPhones, this budget MacBook should also see Apple apps like iMessages, FaceTime and Apple Music work seamlessly across devices. It’s likely to have full access to the MacBook’s app library, making it a useful-for-everything laptop as opposed to the limited functionality of an iPad.
It also has the technical set-up to support Apple Intelligence, so it should have AI-powered features like advanced writing tools and Siri capabilities.
In terms of its memory, the entry-level version of the laptop is expected to include 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage, which is acceptable, but means owners will probably need to store things on the iCloud eventually.
Price and availability
The big question is: how much will it cost? Prices are yet to be confirmed, but to appeal to a different market, it will be well under the £999 mark of a MacBook Air – so perhaps £599 or £699. That might be double the price of its competitors, but an Apple laptop with a premium feel, ease of use, and extended battery life, is likely to tempt many.
It’s expected to be released at the end of March or April, so keep your eyes peeled.
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