Leaker Says Apple’s Low-Cost MacBook Will Have These 8 Limitations

Apple is expected to launch its long-rumored low-cost MacBook next week. Given that it will be more affordable, this MacBook model will obviously have reduced specs and compromises compared to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

While we’re waiting for Apple to announce the new MacBook, a leaker has shared eight suspected limitations, based on an internal version of Apple’s Kernel Debug Kit beta for macOS Tahoe, leaked online last year.

Here are the alleged restrictions they revealed in a post on the Chinese social media site Weibo and in an email to it MacRumors:

• High-low brightness of the display: The manufacturer said that the maximum brightness of the inexpensive MacBook may fall below the MacBook Air’s 500 nits.
• No True Tone: The low-cost MacBook will obviously lack True Tone, a feature that can adjust the color and size of the display to match the ambient light.
• No 1TB or 2TB storage capacity: The publisher expects that the low-cost MacBook will be available with storage capacities of 256GB and 512GB, and they mention a capacity of 128GB for educational institutions. Unlike the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the new MacBook will lack 1TB and higher storage options.
• Slow SSD speed: The flash storage in the new MacBook base model will apparently have slower read and write speeds compared to the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, possibly because Apple uses a single NAND chip.
• No fast charging: The new MacBook may not be able to “fast charge.”
• No backlit keyboard: The keyboard may lack backlit keys.
• No support for high-end headphones: You can plug high-impedance headphones directly into compatible Mac computers launched in 2021 or later, but the low-cost MacBook obviously won’t be one of them.
• No N1 chip: All iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models feature Apple’s custom N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Apple says the chip also improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. However, the low-cost MacBook will not use the N1 chip, the leaker said. Instead, the laptop will likely have a MediaTek chip for wireless connectivity.

The above information comes from the same leaker who said that the next Apple Studio Display could have a 90Hz refresh rate, that the next iPad mini will have an A20 Pro chip, and more. Many of their claims have yet to be tested, but we should get a better picture of this source’s track record as the products in question will be released in the coming months.

Although the leaked files are real, this source currently has no established track record, so these claims should still be treated with some skepticism. Some of the information mentioned above is not clearly stated in the files, but rather is based on leaked interpretations, so it is possible that not all claims will prove to be accurate.

The cheaper MacBook is expected to be powered by the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chip, instead of the M-series chip, and will reportedly have a smaller 12.9-inch display. Based on the specs of the A18 Pro, this MacBook will probably have 8GB of RAM, and the laptop will probably have regular USB-C ports instead of faster Thunderbolt ports.

Like the iBook of the early 2000s, it has been rumored that this MacBook will come in fun color options, such as yellow, green, blue, and/or pink.

The media may get a hands-on experience with the low-cost MacBook at the “Apple Experience” event in New York, London, and Shanghai on Wednesday, March 4 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. There is no live streaming of the Apple Event for this launch, and the new MacBook is expected to be announced at the press release.

How much will this MacBook cost? There are no firm rumors, but initial price estimates range from $599 to $799 in the United States.

After months and months of rumors, the announcement should be in less than a week.