Apple is planning to launch a lower-end MacBook laptop for the first time, in an attempt to compete with affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
In what would have seemed like an unlikely move just a few years ago, Apple has reportedly decided to boost Mac sales by chasing a new market with a cheaper option than the MacBook Air.
According to the Bloomberg report, the model would run on an A-Series processor from the iPhone range, which would be a first for a macOS device. The report says the planned chip is more powerful than an M1 chip that powered Apple’s first-generation Apple Silicon MacBooks.
There’ll be a new design with a smaller display than the MacBook Air with 13.6-inches, which would also be a “lower-end LCD” display. The cheapest MacBook is currently the 13.6-inch MacBook Air M4 which costs $999/£999, but according to the report the company is looking to sell this one for “well under $1,000.”
Apple has traditionally focused on attracting premium users, but there’s an opportunity to attract a different clientele with a better value option. Mac sales are actually up at the moment. In a recent earnings report Apple announced it had sold 6.2 million Macs in the quarter, which is up from 5.6 million sales year on year.
Apple just launched new a new MacBook Pro with its latest M5 processor, but this would be an entirely different proposition. Given the end of Windows 10’s lifecycle is now upon us, there’ll be a lot of people in the market for a new machine in the next 12 months. Perhaps this machine can win them over to the Mac side?
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