November 4, 2025
Cheap Mac, hot comment war
Cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone chip coming in 2026, per new report
Under-$1k iPhone-powered MacBook sparks 12-inch nostalgia and iPad-in-disguise fears
TLDR: Apple is testing a sub-$1,000 MacBook (J700) that uses an iPhone-style chip and a smaller screen, aiming for a 2026 launch. Commenters are split between cheering a 12-inch revival and warning it’ll be an iPad-in-disguise, while skeptics ask what’s actually cheaper and point to Walmart’s $649 M1 Air.
Apple may drop a sub-$1,000 MacBook in early 2026, code-named J700, and the comments are already on fire. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says it’ll use an iPhone-style chip and a smaller, cheaper screen, and the crowd instantly split. One camp cheers a tiny comeback — “renaissance of 12” laptops,” sighed znpy — while others fear an iPad in disguise if Apple limits software. gchamonlive fretted about a “cutdown version of the os like the iPads,” which would reignite the eternal “Why can’t my iPad do that?” fight.
Practical shoppers questioned the math: “Calling it an iPhone processor doesn’t explain anything… Is the screen cheaper? The keyboard? The SSD?” asked hyperhello, who suspects Apple wants to “beta test a base of new, cheaper, slower, less reliable …” The Walmart twist shocked people — yes, the M1 Air still lurks for $649 — sparking “Why not just buy that?” replies. Others pitched chaos: somethoughts floated a “MacPad” and “MacPhone” to dodge App Store walls. Big picture: fans want a real Mac that beats Chromebooks, not a homework-only machine. If Apple sells it direct, expect education-market fireworks. And yes, someone already nicknamed it the “Jetbook,” because this rumor took off fast on the internet.
Key Points
- •Bloomberg reports Apple is testing a lower-cost MacBook (code name J700) using an iPhone-class A-series chip, with launch targeted for the first half of 2026.
- •The device is expected to be priced well under $1,000 by using less-advanced components, including a lower-end LCD and a screen slightly smaller than 13.6 inches.
- •Ming-Chi Kuo previously said the laptop could use an A18 Pro chip and enter production in late 2025 or early 2026; Bloomberg doesn’t specify the exact processor.
- •Apple’s current affordable Macs include the M4 Mac mini ($599) and the M1 MacBook Air sold through Walmart ($649), while the M4 MacBook Air starts at $999 ($899 for education).
- •Apple recently rolled out M5-powered devices and is expected to release an M5 MacBook Air and first M6 Pro/Max hardware in early 2026, providing broader lineup context.