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Cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone chip coming in 2026, per new report

9to5mac.com

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Re: Cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone chip coming in 2026, per new report

#21

Post by [deleted] »

kristianp wrote: post #9
_fzslm wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a gap in Apple's offerings. Casual computer users like students probably can't justify dropping nearly a K on a MacBook, so they go for these 400-600$ dell/hp laptops, or a Chromebook. This fits that hole. iPhone processor is surely cheaper from an economies of scale perspective, they are likely way easier to produce en masse and they already produce bajillions of them for the iPhone. Over time the price of…

> so they go for these 400-600$ dell/hp laptops I feel that these inexpensive macs will increase market share, perhaps this will pressure Microsoft to improve the Windows performance and ad bloat.

[deleted]

Re: Cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone chip coming in 2026, per new report

#22

Post by bluescrn »

brendoelfrendo wrote: post #12
gchamonlive wrote: post #3

Interesting. If they'll come with a cutdown version of the os like the iPads, it'll limit the target audience and the success of the device. On the other hand if it'll be powered by a fully fledged MacOS it'll make it more arbitrary the decision not to have the same features on iPads.

I already have an M3-powered iPad Air; Apple currently produces iPad hardware that could, theoretically, run full MacOS. The decision is already about as arbitrary as it gets.

Seems such a waste, such a powerful device held back by an OS chained to an App Store and still so touch-centric.

iPadOS has certainly got a lot better over recent updates, but there's no sign of 'apps' catching up with serious desktop software any time soon.

Re: Cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone chip coming in 2026, per new report

#24

Post by organsnyder »

hyperhello wrote: post #4

I don’t really get it, from a consumer perspective, unless the idea is mass education sales. They already sell enough Macs for economy of scale to kick in. Calling it an iPhone processor doesn’t explain anything by itself, and wouldn’t save much money. Is the screen cheaper? The keyboard? The SSD? I suppose the point would be to farm and beta test a base of new, cheaper, slower, less reliable components, and then fin…

My kid's high school provides each student with a MacBook while they're enrolled. I'm sure they'd be an ideal market for this.

Re: Cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone chip coming in 2026, per new report

#25

Post by Wowfunhappy »

_fzslm wrote: post #6
hyperhello wrote: post #4

I don’t really get it, from a consumer perspective, unless the idea is mass education sales. They already sell enough Macs for economy of scale to kick in. Calling it an iPhone processor doesn’t explain anything by itself, and wouldn’t save much money. Is the screen cheaper? The keyboard? The SSD? I suppose the point would be to farm and beta test a base of new, cheaper, slower, less reliable components, and then fin…

There is a gap in Apple's offerings. Casual computer users like students probably can't justify dropping nearly a K on a MacBook, so they go for these 400-600$ dell/hp laptops, or a Chromebook. This fits that hole. iPhone processor is surely cheaper from an economies of scale perspective, they are likely way easier to produce en masse and they already produce bajillions of them for the iPhone. Over time the price of…

> There is a gap in Apple's offerings. Casual computer users like students probably can't justify dropping nearly a K on a MacBook, so they go for these 400-600$ dell/hp laptops, or a Chromebook. This fits that hole.

I could say the same about their cell phone lineup. If I have $400 to spend on a phone, what can I get from Apple?

A $400 iPhone would certainly increase market share--but Apple does not seem to want that market. Too low margin, I would think, or maybe too high a risk of "cheapening" their overall brand. Or maybe both.

Why is a laptop different?

Re: Cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone chip coming in 2026, per new report

#28

Post by etchalon »

somethoughts wrote: post #16

I think the reverse offering on the Apple device roadmap would be interesting. A MacPad and a MacPhone. Given its eventually going to be completely the same silicon this would enable them to offer a non App Store experience for people who want to experiment with alternative app stores like Epic. In that way they could keep the average Apple target iPhone/iPad customer within the walled garden of iOS while being able…

The "MacPad" already exists. It's called the iPad Pro. It uses the M5 chip.

Re: Cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone chip coming in 2026, per new report

#30

Post by ggm »

epolanski wrote: post #23

What's the point? This would only cannibalize their higher tier sales with a low margin product. I don't get it. This company is visionless.

They're anything but visionless. This is a departure from an upwards sell trajectory but if it sold in volumes, it goes to the classic quote "quantity has a quality all of it's own" -usually taken in context it means giving up the quality drive, but in reality it's neutral to the other product line.

It may cannibalize SOME of the existing market, yes. all of it? I don't think my peers on M4 boxes with 32GB+ are going to go for this any more than they did when the Air came out and they had powerful boxes.

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