Kuo: Apple plans to launch a cheaper, ~13" MacBook powered by iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip, expected to enter mass production in late Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026
9to5mac.com/2025/06/30/f... [embedded post] Ernie Smith / @ernie.tedium.co : Interesting. I sort of struggle to see why Apple would want to ruin the separation between the M series and the A series but it would allow them to keep the price high on the M series while leaning into the M1 MacBook Air's goldilocks status. — 9to5mac.com/2025/06/30/c... Rich Stroffolino / @mranthropology : Based off Geekbench, this would give you roughly M1 performance on multicore and metal, but with significantly higher single core clocks (>40%). Honestly just shows how good that initial Apple silicon release was. [embedded post] Chris Edwards / @chrisedwards01 : Fucking finally Lauri Donahue / @lauridonahue : I have a 2020 M1 MacBook Air, and wonder if I even need that much oomph since it's mainly for word processing and the occasional spreadsheet. [embedded post] Threads: Sung Kim / @sung.kim.mw : I'm confused. For Apple, the cost difference between a base M-series processor and an A-series processor is nominal - maybe few dollars more. Are they lowering their margins to sell more MacBooks with 8GB of RAM? @filipe.esposito : Regarding this rumored MacBook with A18: remember that an “M” chip is just an iPhone chip with more cores and RAM. At first we thought iPad Pro would have an A14X chip - because that's what the M1 is. In fact, the A18 Pro has similar performance as the M1, but probably consumes much less power because it's based on a newer architecture. … X: @mingchikuo : Everwin Set to Benefit from All-New More-Affordable MacBook & Apple's 2027 Smart Glasses Jukan Choi / @jukanlosreve : Oh My God... Affordable MacBook????????? [image] @thatboyravel : @appltrack ... The only part that seems weird to be is the powered by an iPhone chip. Why would apple use one of them when they probably have M3 or M2 chips still around chilling, but also if its a way to get the prices down and we get the 12 inch MacBook back then so be it! Whatever it takes! Saran / @saranbyte : Hope this launches later this year for $699, would sell like hot cakes @lafaiel : iPhone and Mac chips share same architecture There's a reason why the M chip can go into iPads. If they release a Mac with an A chip, people will probably be surprised at how good than they thought CPU tasks might feel snappier than an M1/M2-based mac Steve Moser / @stevemoser : If all new Macs must ship with at least 16 GB of RAM then A18 will be the first iPhone processor with 16 GB of RAM. I imagine they could reuse it for an iPad down the line too. Forums: r/mac : New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code r/hardware : Kuo: Apple to release cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone processor r/apple : Kuo: Apple to release cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone processor Msmash / Slashdot : Apple Plans First Sub-$999 MacBook Using iPhone Chip, Analyst Says MacRumors Forums : Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip
Context & Ripple Effects
The report would extend Apple’s Mac chip strategy beyond the M-series path that began with the first M1 Mac silicon launch. Apple has also been testing newer M-series configurations, including an M3 configuration found in developer logs, underscoring that the rumored A18 Pro model would sit alongside rather than replace that roadmap.
What matters is the proposed use of an iPhone-derived chip in a lower-cost, roughly 13-inch MacBook. It creates a clearer potential separation between entry-level Mac hardware and machines built around M-series chips.
First-order effects
- If Apple proceeds, it gains a lower-cost MacBook configuration using the A18 Pro, while preserving M-series Macs as a separate product tier.
- The A18 Pro would move from iPhone 16 Pro hardware into a MacBook product, broadening the chip’s role within Apple’s device lineup.
Second-order effects
- A distinct A-series MacBook tier could sharpen Apple’s MacBook segmentation: buyers weighing price against M-series capabilities would face a more explicit trade-off.
- MacBook component and software planning would need to accommodate another Apple-silicon configuration, rather than treating the M series as the sole Mac chip family.
Third-order effects
- If this pattern continues, Apple could increasingly reuse mobile silicon across device categories while reserving M-series designs for higher-tier Macs—a more granular form of vertical product segmentation.
- The long-term question is whether chip-family boundaries remain a useful customer-facing distinction or become mainly a way to manage performance and pricing tiers.
The trend: This is a potential step toward Apple using its in-house silicon portfolio to create finer price and performance tiers across computing devices.