A low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip is coming, starting at $599
DigiTimes, citing 'supply chain sources,' reports that the affordable MacBook will start at $699 (or Rs 61,113), or $599 (or Rs 52,370) with an education discount. If true, this would mark the first time the company has ever offered a MacBook for less than $999. In fact, the initial stage of production is reportedly scheduled to begin sometime next month, with full-scale manufacturing potentially underway by the end of the year.
This isn't the first time we have heard that Apple is working on a low-cost MacBook. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously claimed that Cupertino has been developing a budget MacBook designed specifically for developing markets.
The entry-level notebook will feature a 12.9-inch screen, slightly smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air. Interestingly, the laptop will not use an M-series chip but will instead be powered by the A18 Pro, the same chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro. This means that while an A18 Pro MacBook will be fast and even support Apple Intelligence, it will still be slower compared to the M4 MacBook Air. The $599 MacBook will be available in blue, pink, silver, and yellow colour options, reminiscent of the iBook G3, which was also offered in fun, candy-like colours.
https://youtube.com/shorts/UHSDO9C7WMw?si=8gXy27HPDB4eIOuA
A low-cost MacBook has been rumoured for years, but Apple has never brought it to market, possibly due to concerns that it could cannibalise iPad sales. The $599 MacBook is also likely to impact MacBook Air sales, especially in markets like India, where consumers will have an additional option to choose from: one that runs a full-fledged version of macOS. However, it's likely that Apple will use different casing materials or colours to differentiate it.
All said and done, the idea behind the $599 MacBook could be aimed at capturing some market share from Windows laptops. With Windows 10 reaching end-of-support in October this year, many consumers are expected to purchase new notebooks. If Apple is able to offer a $599 MacBook, it could prove beneficial for Cupertino.
In recent quarters, Apple's growth has been the highest among its key competitors. According to IDC, Cupertino was the fourth biggest PC vendor in the world in Q2 2025, with a market share of 9.1 per cent.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Apple ramps up India footprint with new office and store deals
Bengaluru: Apple Inc is expanding its India presence, having leased several office and retail store spaces across Mumbai and Bengaluru over the last two years, underscoring the country's growing importance as both a consumption hub and manufacturing base for the iPhone maker. According to lease documents reviewed by ET, Apple and its partners have leased or committed to leasing almost a million square feet of prime real estate in marquee business districts and shopping centres since 2023. These include large-format office campuses in Bengaluru, premium mall stores in Mumbai and renewal of existing deals. Bengaluru has emerged as Apple's largest operational hub outside its headquarters at Cupertino, California. The southern city has witnessed a flurry of leasing activity by Apple over the past two years. In the latest deal, the company last month leased 268,737 sq ft at Embassy Zenith on Sankey Road in North Bengaluru for office operations, with a lock-in period of 10 years. In March this year, it took up 11,000 sq ft for a new Apple Store at Phoenix Mall of Asia at Hebbal in North Bengaluru. Its largest transaction came in 2023, when Apple signed a long-term lease for over 410,000 sq ft at Prestige Mink Square, Cubbon Road in the central business district, making it one of the city's biggest corporate occupancies at a single location. In Mumbai, it leased 18,023 sq ft at Borivali's Oberoi Skycity Mall this May, marking its retail push into suburban consumption markets. In December 2024, the company had signed up 6,520 sq ft at Maker Maxity 5 at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). Apple did not reply to an email seeking comment.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
TN to offer subsidies, grant & infrastructure for chip design firms
CHENNAI: The govt has decided to provide subsidies and grants to fabless design firms and set up common testing facilities, under the state's semiconductor Mission 2030, to become competitive in the chip value chain. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The state plans to provide financial incentives to 'Tamil Nadu-based entities' engaged in semiconductor design for integrated circuits (ICs), chipsets, system on chips (SoCs), as per a govt order. It also plans to provide incentives such as payroll subsidy (with a ceiling of Rs5 crore per firm), 50% subsidy (not exceeding Rs 20 crore) for design software and intellectual property sourcing, prototyping, testing, certification and others . This could complement the Union govt's design-linked incentives for chips and Tamil Nadu's broader efforts to build a semiconductor ecosystem. According to a release from the office of state industries minister T R B Rajaa on Monday, the Tamil Nadu govt is also establishing a centre of excellence to provide infrastructure for chip design, testing and validation. The CoE will be set up as a special purpose vehicle, promoted by TIDCO with a private sector or academic partner and is expected to provide project grants and land free of cost. The state's semiconductor design promotion scheme has a budgetary outlay of Rs 250 crore, testing infrastructure component has a Rs 75 crore outlay, out of Rs 500 crore chip mission announced in the state budget. It is understood that the govt may increase the allocation after the initial stages of implementation. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu plans to roll out a workforce development programme to train 1,000 engineering students from the state on platforms such as India Semiconductor Workforce Development Programme (ISWDP), a partnership among IISc, Synopsys and Samsung Semiconductor India Research. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As part of this, the govt will sponsor candidates to reputable training facilities outside the country, the release said. Rajaa said targeted subsidies and prototyping grants will provide fabless design firms the critical early stage support. 'The centres of excellence will anchor research, industry and academia collaboration. By supporting design-led innovation and enabling home-grown IP, we are laying the foundation for Tamil Nadu to become a global hub for tech products and solutions,' he said. 'By combining subsidies for design firms, investments in infrastructure and parks, enabling a pilot fabrication facility and a skilling programme, we are creating a self-sustaining semiconductor value chain, ' said V , state industries secretary. Recently, the govt announced the setting up of a small-scale production-grade fab in partnership with IIT-M, to train 4,500 technicians across fabrication, testing and packaging. The govt is also progressing with chip equipment manufacturing parks in Sulur and near Palladam, both spanning 100 acres of land.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Brutal CEO cut 80% of workers who rejected AI - 2 years later he says he would do it again
When most leaders cautiously tested AI, Eric Vaughan, the CEO of IgniteTech, took a gamble that shocked the tech world. The IgniteTech CEO replaced nearly 80% of his staff in a bold move to make artificial intelligence the company's foundation. His decision, controversial yet transformative, shows the brutal reality of adapting to disruption. Vaughan's story shows that businesses must change their culture, not just their technology, to thrive in the AI era. In early 2023, IgniteTech CEO Eric Vaughan faced one of his toughest decisions. Convinced that artificial intelligence was not just a tool but an existential shift for every business, he dismantled his company's traditional structure. ALSO READ: Orca attack mystery: What really happened to marine trainer Jessica Radcliffe Why did IgniteTech face resistance to AI? Live Events When Vaughan first pushed the company to use AI, he spent a lot of money on training. Mondays turned into "AI Mondays," which were only for learning new skills, trying out new tools, and starting pilot projects. IgniteTech paid for employees to take AI-related courses and even brought in outside experts to help with adoption, as per a report by Fortune. However, resistance emerged rapidly. It was surprising that the most pushback came from technical employees, not sales or marketing. A lot of people were doubtful about what AI could do, focusing on what it couldn't do instead of what it could do. Some people openly refused to take part, while others worked against the projects. Vaughan said that the resistance was so strong that it was almost sabotage. His experience is backed up by research. According to a 2025 report on enterprise AI adoption, one in three workers said they were against or even sabotaging AI projects, usually because they were afraid of losing their jobs or were frustrated with tools that weren't fully developed, as per a report by Fortune. ALSO READ: Apple iPhone 17 Air and Pro get surprise release date change — here's the new timeline How did Vaughan rebuild the company? Vaughan came to the conclusion that believing in AI was not up for debate. Instead of making his current employees change, he started hiring new people who shared his vision. He called these new hires "AI innovation specialists." This change affected every department, including sales and finance, as per a report by Fortune. Thibault Bridel-Bertomeu, IgniteTech's new chief AI officer, was a key hire. Vaughan reorganized the company so that every division reported to AI after he joined. This centralization stopped things from being done twice and made it easier for people to work together, which is a common problem when companies use AI. The change was expensive, disruptive, and emotionally draining, but Vaughan says it had to said, "It was harder to change minds than to add skills,' as per a report by Fortune. What can other companies learn from this? Even though it hurt, IgniteTech got a lot of benefits. By the end of 2024, it had released two AI solutions that were still in the patent process. One of them was Eloquens AI, an email automation platform. Revenue remained in the nine-figure range, with profit margins near 75% Ebitda. During the chaos, the company even made a big purchase. ALSO READ: Alien Attack in November? Harvard scientists warn mysterious space object could be advanced technology Vaughan's story teaches us a crucial lesson: using AI is as much about culture as it is about technology. While companies like Ikea focus on augmenting workers instead of replacing them, Vaughan chose radical restructuring to ensure alignment. Both methods show how hard it is for businesses to find a balance between trust and innovation. FAQs Why did Eric Vaughan fire so many people at IgniteTech? He thought that people who didn't want to use AI would hurt the company's future, so he decided to rebuild with people who shared his vision. What happened after IgniteTech changed its AI? The company introduced new AI products, set up a central AI division, and made more money, even though the change was hard.
