Latest news with #M1MacBookAir
Geeky Gadgets
25-07-2025
- Geeky Gadgets
Apple's Budget MacBook: What We Know About the Rumored $649 Laptop
Apple is reportedly preparing to launch a budget-friendly MacBook with an estimated price range of $649 to $799. This new device is aimed at entry-level users, offering a balance of affordability and functionality. Designed with students, casual users, and those seeking a lightweight, everyday laptop in mind, this MacBook could mark a significant shift in Apple's approach to accessible computing. By targeting a broader audience, Apple appears to be addressing the growing demand for affordable yet reliable laptops. The video below from ZONEofTECH gives us more details about Apple's budget MacBook. Watch this video on YouTube. Performance Powered by the A18 Pro Chip At the heart of this MacBook is the A18 Pro chip, a processor adapted from Apple's iPhone 16 Pro series. While it may not match the power of Apple's M-series chips, the A18 Pro is expected to deliver performance comparable to the M1 chip. This makes it well-suited for everyday tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and streaming media. The device is rumored to offer 8GB or 16GB of RAM, making sure smooth multitasking for most users. However, it's important to note that this MacBook is not designed for power users or those requiring advanced computing capabilities. Instead, it focuses on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, making it an excellent choice for basic productivity and casual use. Design: Thin, Lightweight, and Practical The design of this MacBook is expected to emphasize portability and simplicity, aligning with Apple's minimalist aesthetic. It may reuse the chassis of the M1 MacBook Air or feature a slightly modified version. The device is rumored to include a 13-inch display with a brightness of around 400 nits, which is lower than the MacBook Air. To differentiate it from higher-end models, the screen might feature thicker bezels and omit the notch design seen in recent MacBooks. These design choices aim to strike a balance between affordability and functionality. While the display may lack some of the premium features found in higher-end models, it is expected to deliver a reliable and practical user experience. A Splash of Color In a move to appeal to younger audiences and those who value personalization, this MacBook is rumored to come in vibrant color options. In addition to the classic silver, potential color choices may include blue, pink, and yellow, similar to Apple's budget iPad lineup. This playful design approach adds a fresh, modern touch to the device, making it stand out in a market often dominated by neutral tones. By offering a variety of colors, Apple is likely aiming to attract a wider range of users who prioritize both functionality and style. Ports and Storage: Essentials Covered The MacBook is expected to include essential ports such as USB-C and a headphone jack, making sure compatibility with a wide range of accessories. However, it may lack Thunderbolt support, a feature typically reserved for Apple's higher-end models. This decision aligns with the device's focus on affordability while still covering the basic connectivity needs of most users. Storage options are likely to start at 256GB, using a single NAND chip to reduce costs. While this approach may result in slightly slower storage speeds compared to higher-end models, it is a practical trade-off for maintaining a lower price point. For users with basic storage needs, this configuration should be sufficient for everyday tasks. Battery Life: Efficient and Reliable Battery efficiency is expected to be a key feature of this MacBook, thanks to the energy-saving capabilities of the A18 Pro chip. While specific battery life figures have not been confirmed, the device is anticipated to perform well within its class. To avoid directly competing with the MacBook Air's 18-hour battery life, this model may feature a slightly smaller battery, offering enough power for a full day of moderate use. This makes it an ideal choice for students and professionals who need a reliable device for on-the-go productivity. Pricing and Release Timeline With an estimated price range of $649 to $799, this MacBook is positioned as an affordable entry point into Apple's laptop lineup. The device is expected to launch in late 2025 or early 2026, potentially during a spring Apple event. This pricing strategy reflects Apple's intent to attract budget-conscious consumers without compromising on quality. By offering a competitively priced MacBook, Apple could expand its reach in the entry-level laptop market, appealing to users who may have previously considered alternatives from other brands. Who Is This MacBook For? This MacBook is tailored for users who prioritize affordability, portability, and long battery life. It is particularly well-suited for: Students needing a reliable device for schoolwork, online learning, and light productivity tasks. needing a reliable device for schoolwork, online learning, and light productivity tasks. Professionals with basic computing needs, such as email, document editing, and video conferencing. with basic computing needs, such as email, document editing, and video conferencing. Casual users seeking a lightweight laptop for everyday activities like web browsing, streaming, and media consumption. However, it may not meet the needs of advanced users requiring high-performance hardware for demanding applications such as video editing, graphic design, or software development. For those users, Apple's higher-end MacBook models would remain the better choice. A New Era of Accessible Computing Apple's rumored budget MacBook represents a significant step toward making its laptops more accessible to a wider audience. By combining the A18 Pro chip, a lightweight design, vibrant color options, and a competitive price, this device could attract users seeking an affordable yet capable Apple laptop. If these rumors prove accurate, this MacBook has the potential to become a strong contender in the entry-level laptop market, offering a compelling alternative to the MacBook Air while maintaining Apple's reputation for quality and innovation. Expand your understanding of Budget MacBook with additional resources from our extensive library of articles. Source & Image Credit: ZONEofTECH Filed Under: Apple, Laptops, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
CNET
17-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
Walmart Deals of the Day: $50 Off the Most Affordable MacBook on the Market
Even though there aren't any major sales happening at the moment, the summer savings are still in full swing at Walmart. The tech and home retailer offers a rotating selection of serious bargains year-round, which means you won't have to wait until the next big shopping event to score some great deals. We've rounded up some of the best offers you can grab today, July 17, below, which includes $50 off the already affordable M1 MacBook Air, a versatile 12-in-1 Gourmia air fryer that's on sale for just $90 and over $40 off a 25-quart Igloo cooler that's perfect for summer adventures. We've also rounded up the best Amazon deals for today as well. Even though the 2021 M1 MacBook Air is a few generations old, it's still one of our overall favorite affordable laptops of 2025. Our reviewer hailed it for its great performance, long battery life and thin and lightweight design, making it an excellent value even at full price. It's a great option if you're mostly after the basics, and comes equipped with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It's by far the most affordable Apple laptop on the market, and right now you can grab all three color variants for even less. This Gourmia digital multicooker is a lot more than just an air fryer. It features twelve different preset cooking functions, including roast, bake, broil, reheat and many more. With 1,750 watts of power it preheats in just minutes, and it's got a substantial 14-quart capacity with two different levels so you can whip up entire meals, or make some snacks for a crowd. It even comes with rotisserie kit for the easiest roast chicken of your life. Plus, the baskets are dishwasher-safe, which helps make cleanup a breeze. This easy-to-carry Igloo cooler is perfect for camping trips, days at the beach and just about any other warm-weather adventures you have planned this summer. It boasts 25 quarts of storage space -- enough to hold up to 38 cans -- and has 1.5-inch foam insulation to keep its contents cool. It also has a locking lid, bail handle and a built-in bottle opener so you're always ready to party.
CNET
08-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
Put Apple's 13-Inch M1 MacBook Air on Your Desk for Just $599
You may be eyeing Apple's latest M4 MacBook Air, but you don't have to buy the newest model to get a great laptop. Instead, consider picking up the M1 MacBook Air, a model that ushered in the new era of Apple M-series chips in 2020. It has a gorgeous 13-inch display, a fast chip and a great keyboard. The best part? You can now get the device for just $599 at Walmart. That's $50 off the normal asking price. For more deals, explore our roundup of the best Prime Day deals and the best Prime Day deals on Apple products. And this deal isn't exclusive to Walmart Plus subscribers, it's open to everyone. Just add it to your cart and check out. The discount is available across all three colors, but we can't predict how long Walmart's MacBook Air stock will last. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. The M1 MacBook Air has an Apple M1 chip, which includes an eight-core CPU and a seven-core GPU. That chip is backed up by 8GB of RAM and a fast 256GB solid-state drive. And the thing you spend your time looking at, the 13.3-inch display, promises sharp text and vibrant colors, with a resolution of 2,560x1,600 pixels. This MacBook Air is silent because it lacks a fan and sports a long-lasting battery that can run for up to 18 hours between charges. Factor in support for Apple's latest MacOS software updates and tight integration with other Apple hardware, like the iPhone and iPad, and this extremely capable laptop is hard to beat at this price. It also makes a great option for teens or college students who want to be in the Apple ecosystem but don't want to spend the big bucks on the M4 models. Don't worry if this deal isn't for you, though. Feel free to peruse our other top laptop deals and check back often since we'll be updating these pages throughout this event. Best Prime Day Laptops Deals It's never too early to start shopping for an upgrade to your laptop, and our favorite Prime Day laptop deals are guaranteed to save you time and money. Check out the best savings here. See Now Why this deal matters The M1 MacBook Air is the best MacBook you can get on a budget. It marked the beginning of a new era for Apple, delivering significant performance and efficiency gains over its Intel-powered MacBooks. Although we've seen newer chips from Apple, the M1 is still powerful. It also has a thin, light and fan-less design and offers solid battery life. At under $600, it's difficult to find a laptop that will tick as many of the right boxes as this one.
Forbes
12-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Apple's Subtle Push To Sell You A New MacBook Pro
Apple CEO Tim Cook looks away from a display of redesigned MacBook Air laptops (Photo by Justin ...) How do you sell a laptop like the MacBook Pro to consumers? There's a clear argument for high-end content creators and developers to look at the Apple SIlicon Pro and Ultra. Yet the consumer-focused MacBook Pro has to deal with the increased challenge of the MacBook Air. When the Mac platform ran on Intel silicon, it was easier to create a gap. The difference in performance from the lower-end to the higher-end chipsets in each generation ensured that the cheaper MacBook Air models with the low-end silicon offered far less performance than the more expensive, higher-priced silicon in the MacBook Pro models. Apple had separation built in, thanks to having Intel inside. The move to Apple Silicon allowed Tim Cook and his team to offer. Debuting in late 2020, the M1-powered MacBook Air offered benchmarking numbers that saw the processor offering x2 and x3 beneficial increases over the early 2020 Intel model. Yet the difference between the M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro was around fifteen to twenty percent; a value that the average consumer would have a hard time spotting, especially as the M1 MacBook Air offered such a leap over equivalent intel-powered laptops. In time, Apple would offer Pro and Ultra variants of the chipsets for professional users that would increase the performance, but the rubicon had been passed. The entry-level MacBook was now more than powerful enough for the average consumer. As the years passed, Apple Silicon improved, and more consumers entered a product buying cycle, Apple faced a problem. If the entry-level machine in 2020 was good enough and steadily improved over four years, how can we upsell consumers from the $999 base to the more expensive and profitable machines? Apple's answer is not to use performance as a differentiator. Instead, the differentiator is time. While the M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro launched simultaneously (alongside the Mac Mini), subsequent generations have seen Apple split the schedules by releasing the Pro laptops later than the Air laptop. We're now in the situation where the M4 MacBook Air has been launched almost a year after the M4 chipset was released. There's a slight wrinkle in Apple launching the M4 in the 'don't call it a tablet' iPad Pro with the MacBook Pro five months after that and the MacBook Air six months after that. While the base MacBook Pro and MacBook Air specs are similar—although that fifteen percent gap remains—the appeal of Apple has been built on owning the latest models. Be it fashion, fear of missing out, or frustration that there are no more options on sale in the Apple Store, consumers are being pulled towards the 'Pro' badged hardware. The Intel days were easier to understand. The numbers were clear; this laptop is better than that laptop. Today, the levers are more emotional thanks to a higher performance bar. The message of this laptop being better than that laptop is far more subtle but makes for a more straightforward upsell. It's hard to beat 'that's last year's model', even if they are all of the same generation. Now read the latest MacBook Pro, iPhone and iOS headlines in Forbes' weekly Apple news digest...
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Forbes
Apple Loop: iPhone 17 Design Leaks, Apple's Gaming Problem, MacBook Air Special Offers
Taking a look back at this week's news and headlines from Apple, including WWDC dates, iPhone 17 Pro design leaks, Apple's foldable iPhone, MacBook Air special offer, AirPods Pro Max upgrades, solving Apple Arcade's visibility problem, and massive clean energy investment. Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes. Apple has announced the dates for this year's Worldwide Developer Conference. The annual get-together, split between physical and online events, will occur the week of June 9, 2025. Tim Cook and his team will have lots to show off and demonstrate, but no doubt the key attraction will be how he positions the weak and late generative AI offering that is Apple Intelligence: "Available for free to all developers, WWDC25 will spotlight the latest advancements in Apple software. As part of Apple's ongoing commitment to supporting developers, the conference will provide them with unique access to Apple experts, as well as insight into new tools, frameworks, and features." (Apple Newsroom). Following a leak of the CAD files, Maijin Bu has a closer look at the designs of the iPhone 17 family through the use of 3D printing. The different depths are clearly on show, with very little to tell the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max apart: The USB-C ports at the base of each phone can be seen on all the models. Apple has been considering going 'portless' for some time, and the fashionably thin iPhone 17 Air would have offered the perfect justification to launch such a phone. Alas, Apple's opportunity to innovate here has been passed over. (Maijin Bu). Another iPhone is in the wings, although it's unlikely to arrive in September. This is the foldable iPhone, and some more details on the manufacturing of the all-important hinge have been revealed this week. It is now expected to use metallic glass, which you'll see branded as 'liquid glass': "Unlike traditional metals that have a regular, repeating crystalline atomic structure, metallic glass features a disordered arrangement of atoms that is more resistant to bending, deformation, and denting. Achieved through rapid cooling techniques, its unique structure is 2.5x harder than titanium alloy. It also features a smooth, glossy finish that makes it aesthetically similar to stainless steel." (MacRumors). The launch of the M4 MacBook Air saw Apple clear out the portfolio of all other models. As a result, the totemic $999 price point is held by one of the M4 laptops. Curiously, this isn't the cheapest new MacBook Air out there… Apple has continued its deal with Walmart to offer 2020's M1 MacBook Air: "With the recent M4 MacBook Air launch, Walmart's offer has been updated. While the specs remain low—this is still the 8/256 option on the M1 MacBook Air—the sticker price has dropped to $649. The lowest-priced MacBook Air Apple currently offers is through its refurbished store. That's an M3 MacBook Air with 16 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage for $759." (Forbes). Apple has pre-announced an update to the AirPods Max, which should offer advantages for those looking to use the wireless headphones in production. Reducing latency and switching to lossless audio will smooth out the experience… although it does prove that sometimes you can't beat a cable: "Lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio enable music creators to fully utilise AirPods Max throughout their entire professional workflow on Logic Pro and other music creation apps. Using the USB-C cable, AirPods Max will become the only headphones that enable musicians to both create and mix in Personalised Spatial Audio with head tracking.1 By delivering lossless, high-resolution digital audio with low latency, artists can seamlessly record and mix with AirPods Max without compromising fidelity." (Apple Pressroom). What should Apple do with Apple Arcade? While Apple TV+ gets all the plaudits—even with its significant paper loss—the all-you-can-eat gaming service remains tucked away in the portfolio, gathering little attention from gamers, developers and apparently Apple management. Chris Brandrick has a proposal: "Discoverability is the key barrier for me. I'd suggest ripping Arcade out of the App Store and giving it its own dedicated app — if TV can have its own why not Arcade? You could roll the Game Center stuff in too and have a one-stop destination for pushing great new releases in front of a ton of eyeballs. Apple's own Game Pass." (Overkill). As part of its drive to go carbon neutral across its entire business, Apple has announced a near $100 million investment in Chinese clean energy, especially to provide this through its supply chain: "The investment will go towards the second phase of the China Clean Energy Fund, which aims to add approximately 550,000 megawatt-hours of wind and solar capacity to China's grid each year, according to Apple. The first phase added more than a gigawatt of new wind and solar projects across the country, the company said." (Apple China via MacRumors). Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don't forget to follow me so you don't miss any coverage in the future. Last week's Apple Loop can be read here, or this week's edition of Loop's sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
