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

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

#61

Post by leptons »

highwaylights wrote: post #41
leptons wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Fairly confident the CPU has never been the reason you can't install whatever you want on an iOS/iPadOS device. Also not the reason you can't install macOS on it either. If you want macOS, you buy a Mac. You want iPadOS, you buy an iPad. And if you want an iPad Pro that can double up as a Mac in a pinch, you feel awkward while Tim Cook death stares at you until you empty your pockets. In all seriousness though, I hav…

>Fairly confident the CPU has never been the reason you can't install whatever you want on an iOS/iPadOS device. Also not the reason you can't install macOS on it either.

Are you lost? Did you reply to the wrong comment? My comment says nothing about CPU or anything about hardware, at all.

The thread above my comment is talking about a "MacPad" which means running MacOS on Apple tablets and phones.

Of course Apple prevents this even though it's entirely possible to do it, because Apple is going to do Apple things.

>In all seriousness though, I have an iPad Pro and a MacBook (as a lot of people here do I'm sure)

Reality distortion field in effect?

> and it would make a poor laptop.

Uh... all you would need to do is add a keyboard and mouse and it's a laptop, and all of that is already possible to do and has been possible for a very long time.

>(actually I'd rather just have the MacBook as the iPad sits largely idle, as I'm also sure a lot of people's do).

You seem to be sure about a lot of things.

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

#62

Post by epolanski »

Reason077 wrote: post #32
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…

People who bought MacBooks and were forced into MBPs now can go back to MacBooks.

The argument goes both ways.

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

#63

Post by epolanski »

ruralfam wrote: post #51
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.

Not disagreeing re: vision for quality software and new products. However this segmentation is pretty good. Most everyone buying a Macbook today wants "M" performance. Most everyone who does not care about "benchmarks" and is price sensitive (likely a surprisingly large number of folks), is put off by MB pricing. So you gimp the processor, lower the price, take a bit of a margin hit on net profit for hware, but captu…

"Most everyone" is pointless anecdotal talk. Most of the people I know have a mbp cuz their company buys it and they couldn't care less about a powerful computer if it wasn't for working or gaming (but that's not Apple's turf anyway).

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

#64

Post by epolanski »

tim333 wrote: post #59
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.

I'm guessing firstly it won't be a lot cheaper and secondly it may appeal to the very large number of people who buy cheaper windows laptops.

And who cares about such a segment? There's very little money to make there.

It's highly competitive, the audience is budget oriented, in fact not sure if they are why would they consider the cheap but sure pricier MacBook.

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

#65

Post by risingsubmarine »

An 11" version of this proposed A-series chip Macbook is exactly what I would want to see, and would more likely expect to see from Apple's sales perspective, than an iPad that is capable of running MacOS.

A tiny Macbook that I can slip into a sling bag is more preferable to me than an iPad for many tasks.

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

#67

Post by laurencerowe »

Retric wrote: post #60
laurencerowe wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That off requires committing to a $65/month plan for 36 months instead of paying $25/month with someone like Visible for an equivalent plan. So really you're paying $1836 for that iPhone 16.

Hardly, you could do a one time payment of 500$ in a new iPhone 16e or 730$ for a iPhone 16 with AT&T’s prepaid annual 20$/month plan. https://www.att.com/buy/prepaid-phones/browse/apple/ There’s no free lunch here, cheap plans are noticeably worse in various ways, but like cable companies carriers don’t want to give you a good plan without bundling phone upgrades. Visible’s $25/month plan mentions unlimited Hotspot…

There are definitely folks who need that hotspot speed but many who don’t. I’m on WiFi most of the time nowadays so switched to MobileX and spend about $5 a month on my mobile plan.

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

#68

Post by highwaylights »

leptons wrote: post #61
highwaylights wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fairly confident the CPU has never been the reason you can't install whatever you want on an iOS/iPadOS device. Also not the reason you can't install macOS on it either. If you want macOS, you buy a Mac. You want iPadOS, you buy an iPad. And if you want an iPad Pro that can double up as a Mac in a pinch, you feel awkward while Tim Cook death stares at you until you empty your pockets. In all seriousness though, I hav…

>Fairly confident the CPU has never been the reason you can't install whatever you want on an iOS/iPadOS device. Also not the reason you can't install macOS on it either. Are you lost? Did you reply to the wrong comment? My comment says nothing about CPU or anything about hardware, at all. The thread above my comment is talking about a "MacPad" which means running MacOS on Apple tablets and phones. Of course Apple pr…

Daddy chill. I was continuing the thread.

If you have a look around on the interwebs there are longstanding criticisms of how overpowered the iPad is relative to what you're actually empowered to do with it, and by extension the question of who is it supposed to be for. Like you said, Apple doing Apple.

I'm sure a lot of them sit idle because a constant complaint people have (again all over the interwebs) with them is that they aren't good at much besides media consumption, and are rarely people's first choice for that due to convenience.

Whatever though? It hardly matters. Enjoy your iPad I guess(?)

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

#69

Post by bluescrn »

rcarmo wrote: post #66

At this rate, someday the iPad will be the more powerful “computer” by default :)

Yet something like the Raspberry Pi will still have more 'power' to actually get useful things done, as it's not chained to an App Store, allows you to compile code, etc

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

#70

Post by jonwinstanley »

uxp100 wrote: post #34
Wowfunhappy wrote: post #25

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. 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 direct…

When you say you paid 0, presumably your just paid for it via a monthly contract over several years?
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