I think I know why Apple is developing a MacBook with an iPhone chip

Summary

Apple is expected to ship a MacBook with an iPhone processor by mid-2026.
Personally, I’ll probably avoid it, since I want the power to run any app I like when I choose a laptop.
The product could make serious inroads into cost-sensitive markets, though, particularly schools and businesses.

Apple rumors tend not to surprise me that often. I’ve been covering the company since 2006, so trends tend to be obvious. Before the Vision Pro was on the horizon, for example, it was pretty clear that Tim Cook was obsessed with augmented reality — and there aren’t many directions for that sort of interest to go. Likewise, the company was struggling with the Apple Car project for years before it was finally canceled in early 2024.

Honestly though, I didn’t have “MacBook with an iPhone processor” anywhere in my notes. And it’s not just a rumor — MacRumors says that references to the device have existed in Apple code for some time. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that production could start as soon as Q4 2025, in which case we might see something on shelves by the middle of 2026.

It seems like we’re going to get this homunculus of a laptop in short order. It doesn’t sound that interesting to me personally, but it could take the Mac market in interesting new directions.

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The risks are usually very low, but you need to be aware of them.

What might this new MacBook look like?

Familiar yet strange

Both Kuo and MacRumors suggest that the machine will use an A18 Pro chip. That’s the same one found in the iPhone 16 Pro, so it’s clear that Apple isn’t aiming for state-of-the-art performance, even within the context of iPhone tech. By the time spring 2026 rolls around, the A18 series should be old news, replaced with the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

Otherwise, not much is known. Kuo claims that the laptop will have a 13-inch display, and ship in silver, blue, pink, and yellow. Notably, those color choices are consistent with how Apple tends to spice up its cheapest devices, like entry-level iPads and the iMac. For whatever reason, the company assumes that its richest shoppers prefer shades of black, white, or gray, with little room for deviation.

Assuming this gadget is a budget computer, I wouldn’t expect much in the way of ports or other frills. Choosing an iPhone processor suggests that Apple wants to strip things to the bone — I wouldn’t be surprised if we got something with just two or three USB-C connections, one of them intended mostly for wall power. Expect docks to become a popular accessory, if so.

Not all USB speeds are created equal (and yes, the numbers complicate things)

Confused by the various flavors of USB? So are we sometimes, but there is hard data out there.

Why I’m probably going to skip an iPhone-based Mac

A giant step backwards

A visualization of the A18 Pro chip inside the iPhone 16 Pro. — Apple

Apple

As I’ve implied, using an iPhone processor is a step backwards in performance. Even at their cheapest, M-series chips are made to be more robust, handling everything from console-quality game graphics to 4K video projects in Final Cut. You can see this split in action in the iPad lineup. Although the base iPad uses an A16 chip, it’s just the M-series models that can push Stage Manager windows to external displays, or run processor-hungry apps like Final Cut at all.

App access is a big deal. It’s the main reason most people use a laptop or desktop.

App access is a big deal. It’s the main reason most people use a laptop or desktop, since even iPads now support a mouse, keyboard, and gigantic external display if you need any of those things. Presumably, an A18 Pro-based Mac will be able to run a lot of apps — but possibly even fewer than an M1-based MacBook Air, which just doesn’t have any appeal to me as a power user. Heck, I’m bothered by the lack of game compatibility with Apple’s most expensive M-series Macs, never mind worrying about whether my daily work software will run.

The company could conceivably try other tricks to make the new model appealing, like making it thinner and lighter than current MacBooks. But I’m not clamoring for that, and I doubt anyone else is either. Yes, the MacBook Air’s 2.7 pounds (1.24kg) is still substantially heavier in the hands than an iPad Pro — but no one holds a laptop in their hands when they’re using it, and 2.7 pounds is barely anything in a bag or backpack.

27-inch iMac Retina 5K, 2020 with a thinking face.

Apple’s iMac hasn’t made sense for a long time

It does have its niches, but chances are, there’s a better Mac for what you’re trying to do.

So why is Apple making this Mac?

The silent majority

An M4 MacBook Air on a desk with earbuds.

If you’re a tech aficionado of any stripe, it’s easy to forget that the majority of people aren’t searching for the most powerful device they can get their hands on. Mostly, they’re shopping for something that does the things they want at an affordable price. Game consoles are a prime example — specs-wise, the PlayStation 5 Pro blows the Switch 2 out of the water, but the Switch 2 has a handheld mode, and access to exclusive game lineups like Mario and Zelda. A parent probably isn’t going to persuade their kid that Gran Turismo and The Last of Us are perfect substitutes for Mario Kart World and Tears of the Kingdom, so it’s no wonder the Switch 2 is flying off the shelves.

The real killers could be the school and enterprise markets.

An iPhone-based MacBook will be good enough to browse the web, check email, and run a few basic work apps like Excel or Slack. It should also be good enough for media streaming, and at least some games, even if they’re more likely to be older titles rather than the latest and greatest. Assuming Apple can deliver that for $200 less than a MacBook Air, it might have a hit on its hands, particularly in countries where the cost of any Mac can be daunting. The Air starts at ₹99900 in India — more than many people in the country will make in an entire year.

The real killers could be the school and enterprise markets. While you will find iPads in K-12 schools — my son’s Grade 1 class had a bunch — they’re vastly outnumbered by Chromebooks, which are both cheap and easy to manage. A MacBook closer to the Chromebook’s value proposition could make real inroads, since people often complain about the build quality of budget Chromebooks, and their inability to run apps people use elsewhere.

Will Apple seize on these opportunities? Perhaps. Apple used to be a titan in education, and there’s a contingent of businesses that would love to deploy MacBooks to everyone. But it’s too early to say — for now, I’ll just be patient and wait for the inevitable stream of rumors towards the end of 2025.