Mac Mini Now Starts at $1,099 After Apple Pulls 256GB Model
The base configuration of the M4 Mac Mini now supports only 16GB of RAM and 512GB of memory.
Apple Plans Budget MacBook Powered by an iPhone Chip: Report
Apple is planning a new low-cost MacBook that will run on the same chip powering the iPhone 16 Pro—the A18 Pro. That’s a big shift from what MacBooks usually use.
Normally, MacBooks run on Apple’s own M-series chips, like the M2 or M3. But this new model, expected to launch in late 2025 or early 2026, will reportedly use the A18 Pro, which is designed for iPhones. This could help Apple cut costs while still offering solid performance, especially for students or casual users.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the MacBook will likely have a 13-inch screen and may come in colours like silver, blue, pink, and yellow. Apple is hoping to ship 5–7 million of these cheaper MacBooks in 2026, helping push total MacBook sales back up to 25 million units—a level not seen since the pandemic boom.
By using the A18 Pro, Apple might be able to make MacBooks thinner, quieter (no fans), and more efficient — like an iPad with a keyboard but running full macOS. Is this supposed to be a Chromebook rival?
The chip’s real-world power in a laptop remains to be seen, but this move signals Apple is serious about blurring the line between Mac and iPhone performance. Right now, an entry MacBook Air starts at $1,399 in Canada. A budget MacBook? Let’s hope it starts below $1,000 at the very least if it’s powered by an A18 Pro.
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Maybe below $1000 CAD with the edu discount, which is the type of market I believe these will be targeted towards. I doubt the non edu MSRP would drop that low, but you never know.
Yes, it will also most likely lack thunderbolt and instead just be USB-C.
That wouldn't be the end of the world, although it could greatly affect external monitor support potentially, since traditionally Apple doesn't support display port alt mode, which would be essential for using a monitor via USB C only. But as long as it has TWO ports, or at least one plus MagSafe, that would be the most important thing I think.