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If Apple's new budget MacBook is true, I'm worried for Chromebooks and Windows laptops

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Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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ZDNET's key takeaways

Apple could be developing a new budget-friendly MacBook for around $599.

It would reportedly house the A18 Pro chipset found in the iPhone 16 Pro.

Production changes have pushed the release of this lightweight MacBook to 2026.

This summer, rumors surfaced that Apple was developing a lightweight MacBook running on iPhone hardware. Notable Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo supported the rumors in a post on X in July, claiming the company was currently working on a "more-affordable MacBook" running on the A18 Pro chipset -- the same one found in the iPhone 16 Pro -- instead of an M-series processor.

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We haven't heard much since those early reports -- until recently. Notable industry insider Mark Gurman of Bloomberg published a brief report providing insight into Apple's vision for this lightweight MacBook, including the company's goals.

Codenamed J700, the device is being "designed for students, businesses, and casual users," groups that primarily use laptops for browsing the internet, working on documents, as well as light media editing.

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