As reported by our pals over at iMore, there's a rumor afoot that Apple will finally embrace lower-cost laptops. Not just in the sense of keeping around older models and slashing the price, either.
The rumor claims that Apple will make an all-new MacBook with an equally new, more wallet-friendly price. Its target? The massive education market. It's a sector where Google has an enormous foothold with its Chromebooks.
But here's the thing: I don't think it's Chromebooks that would start to suffer in sales if such a laptop emerges. Unless Apple only sells this cheaper MacBook to education customers, the cheaper mid-tier Windows laptop market could be the one to feel a pinch.
Brand appeal at a friendlier price
Apple's brand appeal is undeniable. While there are plenty of long-time Mac users, plenty out there are attracted only to the badge — the very same one from their phones and tablets. Apple's ecosystem is extremely strong, and if you've bought into one device, it's incredibly easy to buy into the rest.
It's a bit of a meme, but how often do you go into a coffee shop and see countless people typing away on a Mac? Personally, I'm not convinced that everyone buying these things does it because they like macOS.
The issue for a lot of would-be MacBook buyers is the price. The current cheapest MacBook Air is a whopping $999. That's a lot. If Apple takes an axe to that number and puts out something significantly more affordable, the competition will have more of a problem.
Windows could suffer more than Chromebooks
The report on this rumored cheaper MacBook states:
"(Apple) is reportedly developing a low-cost MacBook series to compete with Chromebook models in the education sector that could be released as early as the second half of 2024."
That's all well and good, and Apple may indeed be targeting education primarily. But there's no chance that a MacBook will be as cheap as the most popular Chromebooks out there. Google Chromebooks that cost under $300 are plentiful, able to undercut even the iPad, as well as a heap of Windows laptops.
Apple's idea of 'low cost' doesn't match with basically anyone else's. So, I don't think Google will be too worried. But Microsoft? Well, that's a little different.
The cheapest Windows laptops usually aren't very good, Surface Go aside. Even the education-focused Surface Laptop SE never really gained much traction. But options start to look better in the mid-tier, around the $500-and-up space. Realistically, this is the segment that a new, cheaper MacBook would drop into.
OS preferences aside, who wouldn't be interested in a MacBook? It'll run some form of Apple Silicon, which is undeniably impressive and leagues ahead of any Windows ARM-powered machine. I spent some time with an M1-powered Mac Mini in 2022, and if it ran something other than macOS, I'd still be using it.
Interesting times ahead
If this thing exists at all, it's unlikely we'll see anything before at least Q2 2024. And in laptop terms, that's an age away. There's plenty of opportunity for new portable Windows machines in that time, and we're expecting Intel's 14th Gen CPUs to come along soon.
But a lower-priced MacBook could certainly spice things up. Unless it was exclusive to education buyers, it's hard to see how it wouldn't be a smash hit. The iPad just isn't a viable replacement for a proper laptop in many scenarios, no matter how hard Apple wants it to be. A cheaper MacBook could easily be a winner during the 2024 back-to-school season.
There are interesting times ahead, for sure. With advancements from Intel and Qualcomm on the horizon for the Windows market to look forward to, we don't really know for sure what this rumored MacBook could be going up against. But I'm absolutely convinced it's more of a competitor and, as such, more of a worry for those making Windows laptops over Chromebooks. Google still has a value offering others can't really touch, and Apple has an enormous brand appeal.
Windows may well be the dominant force, but it sounds like it could have a big new challenger in a year's time.
