Low-cost MacBooks tipped for Apple’s March event

Apple is expected to debut its new lower-priced MacBooks at a recently confirmed “special experience” in early March.

Various in-person events are being held across New York, London, and Shanghai on 4 March, US time, a departure from Apple’s traditional keynote approach. As previously reported by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to launch a new range of cheaper MacBooks in March, which lines up with the event’s timing.

Gurman also noted that the colours included on Apple’s graphic for the event align with some of the speculated designs for the new MacBooks. Made from aluminium, the entry-level laptops are said to come in various bright colours, including yellow, green, and blue.

Previous reports suggested a sub-US$1,000 price for the MacBooks, but there’s no clarity beyond that at this stage. Overseas, the cheapest MacBook Air retails for US$999. Locally, the MacBook Air starts at $1,699. Based on Apple’s reported affordability approach, the new laptop will be cheap enough to differentiate itself from the Air.

Apple’s cost savings reportedly stem from cheaper internals. Instead of using its M-series system-on-a-chip found throughout recent Macs and iPads, the unannounced laptop will use an iPhone processor. It’s also expected to include a smaller sub-13-inch display, more compact than any other MacBook.

Cornering the student and lower-budget market could be Apple’s way of boosting its computer sales, which form a small part of its overall business. According to the company’s 2025 fiscal year report, Macs made up approximately eight per cent of its revenue, compared to 50 per cent from iPhones.

Adding to the lower-priced tech, Apple is also gearing up to launch the iPhone 17e, a follow-up to last year’s $999 iPhone 16e. Don’t be surprised if that one launches before the 4 March event, though, with an announcement expected any day now.

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