Apple is reportedly working on a new low-cost 13-inch MacBook that could revolutionize the laptop market. According to tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the laptop will be powered by an A18 Pro chip, which also powers the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.
Many have questioned the decision to use a phone processor in a MacBook, but Kuo argues it would make sense for Apple. The A18 Pro chip is 46% faster than the M1 chip in single-core tasks, making it suitable for general laptop tasks like browsing the web and messaging.
Using a phone chip also offers benefits such as potentially longer battery life due to its newer 3-nanometer process, which allows for more transistors and better performance. This could lead to a laptop that lasts all day or even days on a single charge.
According to Kuo, this low-cost MacBook could help Apple sell around 25 million MacBooks annually, the company’s peak shipping figure. The new laptop may also come in fun colors like “silver, blue, pink, and yellow” and have a clamshell design that is thinner and lighter.
However, one downside to using the A18 Pro chip is that it would likely only support USB-C data speeds and not faster Thunderbolt. Despite this limitation, Kuo believes the tradeoff for incredible battery life and an affordable price would be worth it.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/a-cheap-macbook-with-an-iphone-chip-could-bring-battery-life-like-weve-never-seen-before-2000623308