Apple reveals new MacBook’s impressive performance, insiders say 9to5Mac reports

Apple’s new low‑cost MacBook is powered by the A18 Pro chip, the same silicon that drives the iPhone 15 Pro line, and benchmark data shows it sits squarely between the M1‑based MacBook Air and the higher‑tier M5‑powered MacBook Pro. In Geekbench 6 single‑core tests the A18 Pro scores 3,409 points, outpacing the M1’s 2,369, while multi‑core results are essentially neck‑and‑neck (8,492 versus 8,576) [9to5Mac]. The chip’s AI‑accelerator also edges the M1 in neural‑network workloads, suggesting that everyday tasks that rely on on‑device machine‑learning—such as photo‑library tagging or real‑time video effects—will feel snappier on the new MacBook.

The performance envelope translates into a practical use case that Apple has deliberately targeted: users who need more than the “email‑and‑web‑browsing” capability of the entry‑level MacBook Air but do not require the bulk, price, or dedicated GPU of a MacBook Pro. 9to5Mac cites amateur photographers, hobbyist video editors, and multitrack musicians as the sweet spot. In real‑world testing, an M1‑based Air with 16 GB of RAM handled modest 4K video edits and photo‑processing without strain; the new MacBook, however, will ship with only 8 GB of unified memory due to the A18 Pro’s architecture [9to5Mac]. Early hands‑on impressions from a friend’s 8 GB M1 Air indicate that casual workloads remain fluid, though power‑users may notice the tighter memory ceiling when juggling several demanding apps simultaneously.

Apple’s pricing strategy reinforces the positioning. While the company has not disclosed the exact MSRP, analysts familiar with the launch window expect the low‑cost MacBook to undercut the current MacBook Air by roughly 15 % and sit about $200–$300 below the entry‑level MacBook Pro. The trade‑off is a slimmer chassis, a reduced color palette, and the aforementioned 8 GB RAM limit. According to 9to5Mac, the device’s design mirrors the classic “MacBook” line that Apple discontinued in 2019, offering a lightweight, aluminum body that appeals to students and mobile professionals who prioritize portability over raw horsepower.

From a market‑share perspective, the addition of a true entry‑level MacBook could broaden Apple’s laptop ecosystem, which currently funnels most budget‑conscious buyers into the Air. The Verge’s coverage of Apple’s recent “Mac week” notes that the company has been expanding its lineup without staging a formal product event, suggesting a confidence that incremental hardware updates can generate steady demand [The Verge]. If the A18 Pro‑based MacBook delivers the promised “impressive” performance, it may capture a segment of users who have been hesitant to adopt Apple Silicon due to cost concerns, thereby nudging the overall Mac market share upward in a competitive PC landscape.

Finally, the MacBook’s launch arrives at a time when Apple is preparing its next generation of higher‑end laptops, with rumors of M5‑powered MacBook Pros slated for the spring [The Verge, CNET]. By staking a claim in the mid‑range tier now, Apple can smooth the transition for customers who might otherwise leapfrog from an M1 Air to an M5 Pro, preserving brand loyalty and reducing upgrade churn. The A18 Pro’s performance parity with the M1, combined with its lower power envelope, also positions the new MacBook as a potentially more energy‑efficient option for enterprise fleets seeking to balance cost, performance, and sustainability goals.