Apple’s upcoming budget MacBook might come with some serious trade-offs.
A new leak claims the low-cost model, powered by the Apple A18 Pro, will cut several features to keep the price down. The rumor reportedly comes from an unreleased version of macOS Tahoe, but the source is not fully verified.
According to the leak, the new MacBook will not support high-impedance headphones, will skip True Tone, and may even lack P3 wide color support. It is also said to have lower display brightness than the 500-nit screen on the MacBook Air.
Other reported compromises include no fast charging, slower SSD speeds, and possibly no backlit keyboard. The laptop is also tipped to use a MediaTek Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip instead of Apple’s in-house silicon.
Storage options are rumored to include 256GB and 512GB, with a possible 128GB version limited to education buyers. The device is also expected to ship with 8GB of RAM, though it is unclear if upgrades will be available.
Despite the cutbacks, the pricing could make it attractive. Reports suggest a starting price between $699 and $749, with Apple’s usual student discount potentially bringing the cost down even further.
Apple is expected to officially unveil the device next week. If the leaks are accurate, this MacBook could be Apple’s most affordable laptop in years — but buyers may need to decide if the compromises are worth the savings.