There’s skepticism about the low-cost MacBook that’s reportedly launching soon because it reportedly will run on an Apple A18 processor — the same one in current iPhones. But this chip is more powerful than you might realize.
I compared the performance of the A18 to Apple’s M-series Mac chips, and I think you’ll be surprised by how well the iPhone processor performed.
Apple A series vs. M series: Performance comparison
Apple moved the Mac from Intel to the in-house M-series processors in 2020. It wasn’t hard to guess why: The first-generation M1 Macs easily outperformed the best Intel-based MacBooks right out of the gate.
The chip is so good, many of the people who bought M1 MacBooks back then don’t yet see a need to upgrade. Even four-plus years later, the processor still provides all the performance needed for a light-duty notebook. It’s quite capable of handling email, web browsing, word processing, etc.
While that’s wonderful for Mac users, it’s not so good for Apple. The company makes most of its money selling people new computers. Chips so powerful that 5-year-old ones run great provide a bit of a problem.
One option would be for Apple CEO Tim Cook to sneak into people’s homes and smash their old MacBooks, but that’s probably not practical. What Apple is apparently going to do instead is bring in new customers by appealing to those unable or unwilling to pay $1,000 for the lowest-priced MacBook Air.
Hence the rumored $599 MacBook. While a budget laptop is a win for consumers, this machine supposedly also will turn the excessively good performance of Apple processors into an advantage for the company, not a problem.
Low-cost MacBook supposedly will run on Apple A18 chip
Apple reportedly will use its A18 processor in the rumored budget MacBook — the same chip that powers the iPhone 16 series. At first glance, the idea of a MacBook running on an iPhone processor might sound ludicrous. But it’s really not.
The iPhone 16 running an A18 scores about 8,500 on the Geekbench benchmarking test. Maybe that doesn’t sound impressive when you hear that the M4-powered MacBook Air scores almost 15,000 on the same test. But here’s the important part: The M1-powered MacBook Air from 2020 comes in under 8,400 on Geekbench 6.
So an A18-based MacBook could (potentially) deliver better performance than an M1 MacBook Air … you know, the one that so many people don’t feel the need to upgrade from because it does everything they need, despite it being almost 5 years old.
Even the M2 chip only scores a 9,700 on Geekbench 6. So the A18 sounds somewhat competitive with the processor that powers MacBooks from 2022.
There’s a performance precedent
Obviously, iOS and macOS are very different — the desktop operating system is considerably more complex and runs on computers with far larger displays. The fact that the A18 does quite well running iOS isn’t a guarantee that a Mac with the same chip will do as well.
That said, we do have a precedent to inform this theory about the low-cost MacBook’s performance prospects. Back in 2020, right after the announcement that Apple silicon would replace Intel chips, Apple gave a select few people the Developer Test Kit, a special version of the Mac mini with macOS running on an A12Z processor. That chip, which debuted in the iPhone XS in 2018, gave the computer similar performance to a Mac with an Intel processor from 2013. So the A-series chip worked as well as one in a 5-year-old Mac. Sound familiar?
Considering that the rumored $599 MacBook won’t arrive until late 2025 or (more likely) early 2026, there’s time to put the A19 chip from the iPhone 17 series in the laptop. If that happens, it would further boost the budget laptop’s performance.
A18 is good enough for a budget MacBook
If your first thought when hearing about a low-cost MacBook is that an A18 chip would never be able to handle the coding you use a Mac for — or perhaps 3D rendering is your thing — then you misunderstand the target market for this rumored product.
It’s not for developers or creators. It’s for students, or anyone else who uses a notebook computer for very simple tasks. The A18 can handle online shopping and social networking. It’ll be perfect for email or typing out a History 101 report.
Because of the A18, the notebook likely won’t include features that entry-level users don’t need. It supposedly will come with a 13-inch screen — smaller than any current MacBook Pro or Air — and surely won’t offer Thunderbolt. Even support for a single external monitor seems unlikely.
That’s not criticism; low-cost notebooks aren‘t expected to come with all the bells and whistles.
In fact, I have a friend who’s the perfect candidate for this low-budget MacBook. Her ancient Intel-powered MacBook has never run any application that didn’t come preinstalled. It’s never had an external monitor attached, and my friend doesn’t even know what Thunderbolt is. But she loves her Mac. And she someday might be able to replace it with a zippy new one that costs less than $600.
Low-cost MacBook fixes a problem for Apple
Consumers who felt disappointed because a $1,000 MacBook Air is beyond their budget will be thrilled by the $599 MacBook. That’s a new group of buyers adding money to Apple’s bottom line. It’ll help make up for people who keep their M-series MacBooks for an extra-long time because Apple silicon is so good.
So really, the low-cost MacBook is a win all around. Customers will be happy because they can finally afford a MacBook. And Apple will be happy because it’s winning new fans — and making more money.
