Overview
- Bloomberg reports Apple aims to launch the budget notebook in the first half of 2026 at a price well under $1,000, with 9to5Mac noting it is code‑named J700 and is in active testing and early production.
- The laptop is expected to use an iPhone‑class A‑series processor, with analyst Ming‑Chi Kuo pointing to the A18 Pro, and to feature a lower‑end LCD that is slightly smaller than the 13.6‑inch MacBook Air display.
- The project is framed as a bid to compete with Chromebooks and inexpensive Windows PCs and could become an alternative to an iPad paired with a keyboard.
- Reports indicate the device would be sold alongside, not replace, existing Macs, including planned M5 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro updates early in 2026.
- Apple has not announced the product, and current pricing context places the entry Mac notebook at $999 for the MacBook Air, with the Mac mini starting at $599.