The MacBook was a Mac ‘Book sold by Apple between Mid-2006 and Mid-2019, existing for most of the Intel era. The final model was a Mid-2017 12″ with the original butterfly keyboard design, and was succeeded by the MacBook Air in the entry level category.

Of course, the last known MacBook was an endearing work of art, but it was overwhelmed with what it was trying to be. Thin, light, and ahead of its time, the MacBook needed further steady iterations in Silicon to achieve the vision with performance. Apple Silicon is poised for a much better execution to the idea, so it brings up a valid question:
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What if Apple announces a new MacBook for 2026?

It’s been speculated and dreamt about before since the outgoing MacBook was discontinued, but there are sources and hints strongly suggesting the possibility of its existence. There’s much chatter amongst people in online forums about how well a MacBook would fit into today’s lineup, and it makes sense:

• More of a focus on the education sector, targeting the ChromeBook market.
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• Many individuals are interested in the idea of a tiny, ultra-portable Mac. Some would even buy such a Mac just for the form factor.
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• If it targets the Low End Pricing sector specifically as a “MacBook”, we could possibly see a slightly more expensive MacBook Air in the future.
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• The A18 Pro is newer than the M1, so it will receive software support for far longer than the M1.
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• But what if: (Gasp).. it only runs iPadOS..? Or it’s called a MacBook Air, too?

Apple Silicon made it possible to put performance into form factors and packages we couldn’t think of before. It completely changed the game.
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Key Details:

• Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. He has often made accurate predictions about future products.
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• Mac17,1 spotted in Apple Code (along with other upcoming Macs).
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• 13-Inch Screen size. May not even be named a MacBook when it is unveiled.
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  • Could it be a cut-down entry-level MacBook Air..?
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• An A18 Pro chip for its SOC over an M-series chip. This can be seen as a reflection of:
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  • Hardware costs coming down
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  • A recognition that an A18 Pro is “good” enough for a no frills (but no compromise) Macintosh desktop experience. The single core performance matches current-gen AS, with multicore scores rivaling M1 chips.
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  • While there’s no way to tell now, production lines may or may not also be “maxed out” making M-chips, and the A18 Pro could perhaps be a situational alternative.
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• Possible Color Options: Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow.
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(Pictured: Aaron from X shared a tweet on 7/29/24 revealing new Mac models)
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A18 Pro Chip Specs

• See: Apple silicon, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – A18 Pro chip specs
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• See in the Low End Mac CPU Hardware Index: Apple M1 chip Specs

Based on the information above, we can conclude the A18 Pro would be plenty enough for an entry level Mac. Even if it has half the memory bandwidth, it still has the exact same LPDDR5X-7500 at 3750 MHz RAM as the Apple M4 chip!

Since it’s a newer chip, it’ll have far better single core performance, much like that of the M4 chip. The Multicore performance will hang around the likes of the M1, which is good enough for many things. A great device to get so much done, and if you want extra oomph you could go for the MacBook Air.