Apple to introduce affordable MacBook laptop to compete with Chromebook
Apple introduced the new 15-inch MacBook Air laptop model earlier this year at its WWDC event held in June. In addition to the larger 15″ diagonal screen, the new MacBook also uses the Apple M2 version of the processor. Although the design is quite similar to the 13-inch MacBook variant, the price has gone up. The higher price of the laptop forced a large number of users to choose the smaller MacBook version. As a consequence of the previous events, information is reaching us that Apple is preparing to offer the market a cheap MacBook model that could see the light of day as early as next year.
Almost all current manufacturers of PC Windows laptops have cheaper Chromebook models in their offer, which are specially designed for school or jobs that do not require the raw power of built-in hardware. Apple, on the other hand, does not have a product in its MacBook line that offers a similar concept for the work of less demanding users.
Apple will launch a low-cost MacBook next year to beat Chromebooks
Although the iPad is a perfect alternative to Chromebook models, it's still not a laptop. Apple does offer Magic Keyboard cases for the iPad that allow the tablet to behave like a laptop. That said, Apple could do a lot of work on introducing a new product that sits right between the iPad and the MacBook. The well-informed DigiTimes reports that the company from Cupertino, due to all of the above, will launch a low-cost MacBook next year, but for now no one has more details about the upcoming device.
ShutterstockOne of the main concerns regarding the role of the Chromebook competitor could be taken over by the Apple iPad, does not relate to the power of the built-in hardware. The main problem is the software. If you remember, Apple once announced that it would create a combination of iOS and Mac OS operating systems as a universal software platform for its devices.
Users have long wanted an iPad with macOS or a hybrid of iPadOS and macOS operating systems. Apple has many options in this regard, if it already aims to present the MacBook as a better solution for Chromebook users. In the end, Apple could offer a lighter version of macOS on a cheap MacBook laptop model, or it could offer an interface similar to iPadOS on a classic laptop platform. The former option seems more realistic because iPadOS on a laptop is quite similar to an iPad attached to a Magic Keyboard.
The source suggests that the cheaper version of the Apple MacBook will still have a metal construction with different materials than those used on the current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. The budget MacBook will potentially be made of cheaper materials to keep costs down and the price more affordable for the end user.
We can see that from generation to generation MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are gradually getting more expensive. Because of this, Apple could lose a certain number of users and that only based on the higher price, which is certainly one of the key reasons why a cheap MacBook laptop actually makes sense.