Apple is making a cheap MacBook — that's bad news for Windows

Apple is reportedly developing a cheap MacBook that will be powered by an iPhone chip and is expected to debut sometime next year. If true, Apple may be about to introduce the most value for money laptop in the world, one that Windows laptops just won't be able to compete with.

Apple Silicon has been incredible for Apple and the Mac. Since 2020, Apple has single-handedly forced the rest of the PC industry to up their game when it comes to chip design. Even today, Apple is often one step ahead of the competition when it comes to silicon performance and efficiency.

Windows has been lucky so far, as Apple hasn't ever offered a laptop in the price bracket where most Windows users shop.

A lot of Windows laptops are midrange devices, costing anywhere between $600 and $800 for the most part. Anything more expensive, and those laptops start competing head-to-head with the MacBook Air.

Because of this, we haven't really seen any innovation in the midrange PC space in some time. Midrange Windows PCs are notorious for their plastic exteriors, lackluster displays, lower-than-ideal performance or efficiency, and overall less appealing form factor.

They're tools for people to get work done, and nobody pretends they're anything else.

So, if Apple really is making a cheap MacBook that costs anywhere between $600 and $800, that's really bad news for Windows OEMs operating in this price range. Windows laptop makers shipping laptops anywhere near the cheap MacBook's price tag are going to need to up their game to remain competitive in this market.

But the more I think about it, the more I believe it's not possible for Windows OEMs to do this enough to be truly competitive with a cheap MacBook.

Apple is uniquely positioned to deliver a sub-$800 device that offers a combination of sex appeal, performance, and battery life in a way that Windows PCs in this same range can't match.

The current rumor is that the cheap MacBook will use the same chip that's found in the current iPhone 16 Pro, the A18 Pro. This is a great choice, offering incredible efficiency and good enough performance that outranks the ever-popular M1 chip found in the 2020 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

Admittedly, this likely won't beat Qualcomm's Snapdragon X SoC in performance, which is the only Windows SoC you can find in this price range currently. But the difference will be negligible to the point where it won't really matter, especially if you're getting better battery life as a result.

This cheap MacBook will be designed for people who are looking for an affordable PC with good battery life and an appealing design. Raw performance is unlikely to be a consideration for the majority of buyers interested in an entry-level sub-$800 MacBook.

The fact that it's a MacBook alone will probably be the deciding factor for most people over a Windows PC.

And that's ultimately the problem for Windows OEMs. Up until now, these PC makers have been able to get away with making boring, cheap laptops that do the bare essentials to get the job done. Because that's what everyone else in this price range was doing.

Apple will come along and build something that people actually want to buy in this price range.

That's great news for consumers, but terrible news for Windows OEMs, who are now going to have to actually build devices that people want to buy at a sub-$800 price point.

There are two ways this could go: either we're about to see some of the best midrange Windows PCs ever built, or Windows OEMs will struggle to compete and concede more market share to the Mac.

Of course, we still don't know all the details about this new MacBook. It could be made of cheap plastic just like other midrange Windows PCs — harking back to the old white or Black MacBook — but I think that's highly unlikely.

We know Apple will to do everything it can to maintain that premium aesthetic it's known for on its sub-$800 laptop.

In fact, the only other rumor we have about this new MacBook is that it's likely to be available in a range of fun colors, similar to the base model iPad and iPhone. That alone tells me the company will try to appeal to audiences through design alone on this device, a right call as their strongest asset.

The other reason why I think a cheap MacBook will be a slam dunk is the current state of Windows itself. It's fair to say that Windows doesn't have a great reputation right now, especially with all the ads, privacy concerns, and bugs that plague Windows 11 across the board.

For many people, macOS is what they want to use instead of Windows, but they can't really afford it.

Obviously, a cheap MacBook would solve this for many people, allowing them to drop Windows entirely for "better pastures." I personally don't agree that macOS is better than Windows today, but I understand this opinion isn't shared by the majority.

Ultimately, if Apple really is coming for the midrange PC market, it's not just Windows OEMs that need to up their game. Windows itself needs to improve, focusing more on quality and ease of use, and reducing user-hostile features and changes.

More people than ever are willing to jump ship to something else, and Microsoft and its hardware partners need to do everything they can to convince users to stay.