Apple’s upcoming MacBook might surprise us all by being powered by an iPhone chip. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, a respected industry analyst, the tech giant could be preparing to release a more affordable MacBook that relies on the A18 Pro chip – the same chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models.
This revelation comes alongside a new report from MacRumors, which suggests that clues about this mysterious device have been lurking in Apple’s backend code since last summer.
Details are still scarce, but it’s said that the new MacBook could feature a 13-inch screen and be available in a range of colors, including silver, blue, pink, and yellow. The device is reportedly identified by the codename “Mac17,1” and is expected to enter mass production either late in 2025 or early 2026. If true, this could mean we’ll see the device in the first half of next year.
What makes this MacBook particularly interesting is that it would be the first to use an iPhone chip, as all previous Apple Macs have been powered by the company’s M-series processors. These M-series chips offer higher core counts and larger memory support, making them ideal for laptops that need to handle heavy workloads and multiple tasks at once. On the other hand, the A18 Pro chip, which is already powering the latest iPhones, might not offer the same level of performance but could be perfect for a budget-friendly device.
While the details are still a bit hazy, we do know that this new MacBook would likely be priced lower than the current MacBook Air series, which starts at $999 for the base M4 configuration. How much cheaper it would be is anyone’s guess, but with the A18 Pro chip, we might finally see a budget-friendly MacBook that doesn’t sacrifice all the features Apple users love.