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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

#31

Post by leptons »

etchalon wrote: post #28
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.

Except it doesn't run MacOS, and it doesn't allow you to install any application you want to - only those that Apple allows you to. And you're still forced to use Safari in every browser you install.

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

#32

Post by Reason077 »

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.

People who buy high-end MacBook Pros are still going to buy MacBook Pros. The idea here is to pick up sales that would otherwise go to cheaper PC laptop brands, by competing at a lower price point than the MacBook Air currently does.

Right now, Apple still (quietly) sells the MacBook Air M1 at $599 to keep a toe in that lower-end market, but I doubt many people who are considering a Pro or an M4 Air are persuaded to choose that instead.

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

#33

Post by freedomben »

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…

Offering something like that would be tantamount to admitting that they were wrong (or lying) about their motivation for locking the system down with no user choice, that it's for the protection of the user. I don't see that happening.

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

#34

Post by uxp100 »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #25
_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…

> 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 tha…

One thing that is different is that carriers regularly subsidize phones. I paid 0 for my current phone, an iPhone 13 mini (when it was relatively new), partner paid nothing for theirs, latest pixel.

Now, lower cost carriers do less of this, and you need to get the high end plan, so it’s not good advice for everyone to get the free phone deal. It is one way a laptop is different. A decent chunk of people aren’t directly paying for their phone.

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

#35

Post by Retric »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #25
_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…

> 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 tha…

Without trade in AT&T has iPhone 16 @ 11$/month * 36 months = 396$. iPhone 16e @ 6$/month * 36 months = 216$. https://www.att.com/buy/phones/browse/apple/

Without any contracts an unlocked (renewed) iPhone 15 through Amazon 400 - 500$.

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

#37

Post by spurgu »

jrockway wrote: post #7
kristianp wrote: post #5

Surprising to read the the original M1 Air is still sold through Walmart.

Honestly, I'm not even an Apple fangirl and that thing is a great computer. I bought one for work and it served me better than any other $999 computer ever did. It's apparently $599 now? Great value, in my opinion.

Very much so. I still have my M1 bought in 2021, haven't felt like there is any need to upgrade to any of the newer ones.

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

#39

Post by walterbell »

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.

JIT workaround helps UTM VMs and iSH/ashell (Linux emulation), https://onejailbreak.com/blog/stikdebug-ios/

> StikDebug works around those restrictions by using a local VPN profile to manage the JIT process securely within the app. Once you approve the VPN configuration, StikDebug can communicate with sideloaded apps and activate JIT automatically when you launch them. This means that users on iOS 26 can finally enjoy the same performance benefits that developers used to unlock only through Xcode or jailbreaking.

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

#40

Post by spurgu »

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.

It doesn't change anything with their higher tier sales. Those are bought for a reason that a lower tier device cannot satisfy.

My worry (from Apple's POV) is that all the people who buy the cheapest Mac (currently for $1k) will instead go for this new "base model". And I suspect there's a large cohort of people who "just want a Mac".

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