Apple again tipped to have a more affordable MacBook in the works

If you've ever looked at Apple's laptop lineup and wished that there was something cheaper to choose from, you might be in luck. Rumors of Apple working on a more affordable laptop have bubbled up here and there of late, and now they're back once again.

This time it's the well-connected and well-known supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who has mentioned the unconfirmed laptop, with the suggestion being that Apple could choose to add it to the mix in an attempt to drive sales that have so far been disappointing.

There have previously been claims that Apple intends to introduce a cheaper MacBook that will go head-to-head with Chromebooks, especially in the educational market. However, that isn't the tact that Kup goes with, saying that Apple might instead choose the cheaper route in an attempt to simply drive sales. It's thought that Apple is still deciding on whether to move forward with the laptop, but if it does it will be part of a larger push to try and increase sales that will include the launch of new M3-powered machines.

Apple's cheapest laptop right now is the M1 MacBook Air, a product that is now starting to show its age and is powered by an older M1 chip. Apple sells that machine for $999, but it does offer it for $899 via its education store. It's likely that any new budget machine would have to match that price or, preferably, somehow be available for even less money.

Right now the focus is on more capable machines, however. M3 MacBook Pros are on the horizon, with an event currently scheduled for October 30.