Apple is reportedly preparing a low-cost MacBook designed to compete directly with Chromebooks and budget Windows laptops, a move that could reshape the entry-level notebook market. The device, which would use an iPhone-class A-series chip instead of Apple’s higher-end M-series silicon, is said to carry a price tag well under $1,000 and target release in the first half of 2026. The timing is particularly significant: millions of Windows 10 users are now running an unsupported operating system, and cheap Windows PC makers could find themselves squeezed from a direction they never expected.
An iPhone Chip Inside a MacBook
The central surprise in this rumored product is not the price but the processor. According to a report from The Verge, Apple is testing a cheaper Mac laptop built around an A-series chip, the same family of processors that powers iPhones and iPads, rather than the M-series chips found in every current Mac. That trade-off would allow Apple to dramatically cut component costs while still delivering the tight hardware-software integration that distinguishes its products. A MacBook running an A-series chip would likely sacrifice raw performance compared to an M-series machine, but for web browsing, document editing, and streaming, it could match or exceed what most sub-$500 Windows laptops and Chromebooks offer.
The strategic logic is straightforward. Apple already controls the design of its chips, so repurposing a proven mobile processor for a laptop avoids the expensive R&D cycle of a new silicon line. Reporting from Bloomberg indicates that Apple is readying this low-cost laptop specifically to rival Chromebooks and Windows PCs, suggesting the company sees a real opening at the bottom of the market. If Apple can deliver macOS in a lightweight, fanless form factor at a price that undercuts the MacBook Air, it would be the first time in decades that an Apple notebook has seriously competed on price with the cheapest Windows hardware.
Mac Sales Are Already Climbing
Apple is not entering this fight from a position of weakness. The company’s own filings show that Mac net sales reached $33.708 billion in fiscal year 2025, which ended September 27, 2025, up from $29.984 billion in fiscal year 2024. That roughly 12.4 percent year over year jump came during a period when the broader PC market barely grew at all. The worldwide PC market closed out 2024 with only slight growth, according to IDC tracking data, which also noted mixed views on what 2025 would bring for the industry.
Apple’s ability to grow Mac revenue while the overall market stagnated points to something budget Windows PC makers should find uncomfortable. Consumers and businesses are already willing to pay more for Macs, and Apple is gaining share without even trying to compete on price. A sub-$1,000 MacBook would open the door to buyers who have never considered Apple because of cost, potentially pulling volume away from the Lenovo, HP, and Acer machines that dominate the low end. The financial cushion from a $33.708 billion Mac business also gives Apple room to absorb thinner margins on an entry-level product, a luxury that most Windows OEMs operating on razor-thin profits simply do not have.
Windows 10’s End Creates a Buyer Vacuum
The timing of this rumored MacBook could hardly be worse for budget Windows PC sellers. Microsoft officially ended mainstream support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, and its own documentation confirms that security updates have now stopped for an operating system that still runs on a huge installed base of older hardware. Many of those machines cannot meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11, which means their owners face a choice: buy a new Windows PC, pay for extended security updates where available, or switch platforms entirely.
That forced upgrade cycle is exactly the kind of disruption that creates openings for competitors. A buyer who needs to replace a five-year-old Windows laptop and sees a new MacBook priced well under $1,000 has a reason to reconsider brand loyalty, especially if the Apple option promises longer software support and better resale value. Education buyers, who have historically gravitated toward Chromebooks because of price, represent another target. As Macworld reports, the low-cost MacBook is being positioned to lure customers away from Chromebooks and entry-level Windows PCs, a strategy that makes the most sense when those customers are already being pushed to shop for something new.
What Budget PC Makers Stand to Lose
The entry-level laptop market has long been a volume game where margins are thin and brand differentiation is minimal. A $350 Lenovo IdeaPad and a $400 HP laptop running Windows 11 compete largely on specs and price, not on ecosystem appeal or software polish. Apple entering that tier with a recognizable brand, a tightly integrated operating system, and a chip architecture that has already proven its efficiency in iPhones and iPads changes the competitive math. Budget Windows OEMs would need to either cut prices further, eroding already slim profits, or find new ways to differentiate their products through design, software bundles, or specialized features.
Those responses come with their own risks. Aggressive price-cutting can trigger a race to the bottom that smaller manufacturers are poorly equipped to survive, especially if component costs rise or currency fluctuations hit importers. On the other hand, adding premium features to stand out can push systems into price brackets where they start competing with Apple’s existing MacBook Air and higher-end Windows ultrabooks, rather than the disposable-feeling laptops that dominate big-box shelves. In either case, a credible low-cost MacBook would force OEMs to rethink long-standing assumptions about how much value they need to deliver at the bottom of the market to keep customers from defecting to Apple.
How a Low-Cost MacBook Could Reshape the Market
If Apple follows through on these plans, the impact would extend beyond a single product line. A MacBook powered by an A-series chip would test how far Apple can stretch its mobile architecture into traditional PC workloads, potentially blurring the line between iPad and Mac. It would also pressure software developers to ensure their apps perform well on lower-power Apple silicon, reinforcing the company’s control over its own ecosystem. For schools and institutions that have standardized on web-based tools, the distinction between Chromebook, Windows laptop, and low-cost MacBook could narrow to a question of management tools, upfront cost, and perceived longevity.
For users, the calculus may come down to total cost of ownership rather than sticker price alone. If a sub-$1,000 MacBook offers several more years of operating system support than a similarly priced Windows machine, and holds a higher resale value at the end of its life, the effective cost per year could undercut many budget PCs even before factoring in security and reliability. That is the scenario that most worries Windows OEMs: not just losing a few high-end buyers to Apple, but watching Apple redefine what “entry level” means in laptops, convincing a new generation of users that a Mac is no longer a luxury purchase, but the default choice when it is time to replace an aging Windows 10 notebook.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
