Apple’s next MacBook could be a budget model to compete with mid-range Windows laptops (and high-end Chromebooks)

Apple’s laptop strategy has pretty much always been the same: offer premium products for customers willing to pay high prices for high-quality hardware designed to run the Mac software. While the company has occasionally toyed with offering “budget” models, that usually means selling previous-gen hardware at discounted prices.

But according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple may be planning to launch its first budget MacBook. Expected to launch in the first half of 2026, the new entry-level MacBook would likely sell for around $600 and target customers who might be looking for an alternative to Chromebooks and Windows PCs.

Apple’s cheapest current-gen MacBook have list prices starting at $999, although they often go on sale for $100 to $200 off. Gurman says the new budget model, which is code-named J700, would cut a few corners in order to sell for a lower price.

Among other things, it would feature a lower-quality LCD display with a screen size slightly smaller than the 13.6 inch displays that are currently Apple’s smallest MacBook screens. And instead of an Apple M series processor, the new laptop would have an A series chip that was originally designed for iPhones and iPads… although Gurman says people familiar with the hardware say that laptop still performs better than a MacBook with an older M1 processor.

Still, Apple wouldn’t be positioning this laptop as a model that offers bleeding edge performance. It’s not made for gaming or for video or graphics workstation use. Instead it’s made for users “who primarily browse the web, work on documents, or conduct light media editing.” In other words, folks who could probably get by with a Chromebook, but who may want a more full-featured desktop operating system.

While pricing hasn’t been finalized, Gurman says that Apple anticipates this laptop filling the same niche in the education market as an entry-level iPad + Magic Keyboard, which currently sells for around $600. At that price, this budget MacBook could be competitive with entry-level and mid-range Windows laptops, particularly at a time when Microsoft is encouraging many long-time users to consider buying a new PC or risk losing support for security, bug fix, and feature updates due to Windows 10 reaching end of life.

If you’re in the market for a new laptop and don’t want to make the move to Windows 11, maybe a MacBook is a viable alternative?

I’m a little more skeptical of the idea that a $600 laptop will be competitive with Chromebooks though. While there are Chrome OS laptops in this price range, they tend to be premium models aimed at folks who are already sold in the idea that Google’s browser-based operating system is all they need. A big part of the appeal of Chromebooks for everyone else is that they’re dirt cheap: you can find plenty of models with decent displays, acceptable keyboards, and just-good-enough performance for under $300. And I’d be shocked if Apple tried to compete in that space.

If Gurman’s sources are correct, we should find out what Apple really has planned early next year.