[Updated] Apple’s Smaller and Cheaper MacBook May Launch in March

Apple will reportedly bring back a cheaper MacBook to its Mac lineup this year, and we may see it as soon as next month. In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman said that Apple is preparing a hardware event in March, with new MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, iPad Airs, and an entry-level iPad also coming very soon.

Gurman previously reported that Apple’s new entry-level MacBook will use an iPhone A-series chip instead of the more powerful M-series chips used on other Macs, as well as on iPad Airs and iPad Pros. The reporter also expects a smaller display that’s just under 13 inches. Moreover, Apple reportedly found a way to make its aluminum body cheaper to produce thanks to a new manufacturing process.

“Apple will market the machine to students and enterprise users and offer it in playful colors, going beyond the muted tones of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Over the past year, Apple has tested options such as light yellow, light green, blue, pink, classic silver and dark gray — though it’s unlikely all of these will ship,” Gurman wrote.

This new MacBook is expected to be priced “well under $1,000,” which is the current price of the base 13-inch MacBook Air. As you may remember, the 12-inch MacBook with an underpowered Intel chip and just one USB-C port launched at $1,299 back in 2015, and Apple discontinued it four years later.

Two years ago, Walmart teamed up with Apple to sell the company’s 2020 M1 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage at just $699. This model is currently out of stock, so it will be interesting to see if Apple’s upcoming A-series MacBook will be a better deal.

In his latest newsletter, Gurman also reported that Apple is still working with Tesla to make its CarPlay technology available in the company’s electric vehicles. This will require an iPhone running iOS 26, and CarPlay is expected to run in a windowed mode instead of overtaking Tesla’s OS.

Lastly, Gurman also reported that the upcoming iOS 27 update coming later this year may include code optimizations to improve battery life. “The company hopes that underlying code changes will result in efficiency gains that will end up giving users more juice,” Gurman wrote.

Update: Apple has now sent media invites for a “special Apple Experience” in New York, London, and Shanghai on March 4, 2026, at 9 AM ET.