We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Apple products have a (deserved) reputation for being expensive. Often you’re paying more than you would for a seemingly similar device from another company. There are perks that come with those premiums, but when you can buy a Chromebook for $200, a $1,000 MacBook might be hard for some to justify.
That persistent sticker shock might be the fuel behind rumors suggesting Apple is working on an “affordable” MacBook that could be priced as low as $599 (the cheapest MacBook Air currently starts at $999 direct from Apple). According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, this Chromebook competitor will run on an A18 Pro chip, the same chip that Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro uses. It’d mark the first time Apple has built a MacBook with an iPhone A-series chip, and a departure from the M-series chips critics have lauded during the current Mac era.
The point of this machine isn’t to be a powerhouse; it’s to provide a simplistic macOS experience for a smaller price tag than a typical MacBook. That also includes a smaller footprint: Kuo suggests this new MacBook will have a 12.9-inch display, 0.7 inches smaller than the 13.6-inch display on the existing MacBook Air. DigiTimes also confirms Kuo’s reporting, and broke the story about that $599 price point—the cheapest MSRP ever for a MacBook, as far as I’m aware.
Rumors point to a late 2025 to early 2026 release for this as-yet-unnamed device, so if you’re price-sensitive and your current machine isn’t cutting it, it might seem like this new, cheaper MacBook could be the move.
If you ask me, you don’t need to wait to get a great $600 MacBook.
You can already get a great MacBook for less than $600
The thing is, you don’t need to wait until the “affordable” MacBook launches in order to buy a great MacBook at a reasonable price. It’s possible to buy one today. You wouldn’t think it’s be possible by visiting Apple’s website: The company will happily sell you an M4 MacBook Air for $999 ($899 from the education store), and while that’s a decent price for a great laptop, it’s objectively still on the expensive side. If $599 is the top of your budget, you’re never going to buy a new machine from Apple.
So don’t buy one from Apple. Instead, buy an older (but still new in the box) M-series Mac from a third-party retailer, like Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart. The M4 chip is great, but to be honest, all the M-series Macs are great. Apple really struck gold with this current crop of Macs, to the point where buying a nearly five year old laptop can still be a great decision in 2025.
If you’re tempted by the rumored “affordable” MacBook, I’d strongly recommend taking a look at an M1 MacBook Air. This is one of Apple’s original M-series laptops, and it still holds up today. If you’re looking for a MacBook that can handle basic tasks, like internet browsing, email, messaging, and running work programs, this is that machine. All varieties of M1 are still supported by Apple, and will be compatible with macOS 26 Tahoe when it drops this fall.
Right now, Walmart is selling the M1 new for that same $599. If you’re open to buying refurbished, you can fare even better: Walmart is selling the same M1 Air with double the RAM (16GB as opposed to 8GB) for $550. The 8GB machine will suit most people just fine, but if you can find a refurbished model with 16GB for a comparable price, jump on it, as the more RAM you have, the more processes you can run at the same time, which means the 16GB models will let you do more at once. Plus, as programs and software become more demanding, that additional RAM will come in handy. Someday, 8GB of RAM will hold you back, but there’s no telling when that day will come.
Other great MacBook deals right now
If you can push your budget a bit more, there are two other excellent Mac deals to consider. The M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM is only $699 at Best Buy right now. I’ve previously written about how this might be the best-valued MacBook on the market: It comes with that additional RAM, of course, but also the M2 chip, which is one generation newer than M1. You also get Apple’s latest MacBook Air design with a larger display with the notch, so the machine looks a bit more modern than the M1 Air.
Finally, if you can really push that budget, you can find a refurbished M1 Pro MacBook Pro for under $750 at Amazon right now. Not only does this machine come with 16GB of RAM, you get the M1 Pro chip, which is much more powerful than M1 (and the M2, for that matter). Plus, you get other MacBook Pro perks, like a larger mini-LED display, HDMI and SD card ports, and a dedicated fan for cooling.
Apple’s new budget machine might serve a purpose on paper, but if you aren’t buying new from an Apple Store, you have many more options.
