Introduced three years ago in April 2015, the MacBook (Apple dropped any prefix or suffix so it's just the 'MacBook') is the successor to the 11.6-inch MacBook Air due to its thinness (0.52-inch at its thickest point) and remarkably light weight (2 pounds, making it still one of the lightest laptops you can buy).īecause the design itself cannot be made cheaply (compared to, for example, the MBA) and because Apple has it spec'd at the entry point with a Retina display, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, and 7th Gen Intel Y series processors, its $1,300 ($1,299) price is high.

Or Apple could replace the MBA with another MacBook, as a Digitimes report seemed to indicate on March 12.Ģ018 MacBook (12-inch) - internal upgrade The truth is, lots of consumers don't care about Touch Bars or the latest and greatest specs and would jump at the opportunity to buy a new 13-inch MacBook directly from Apple for, let's say, $899 or $799. Of course, Apple could also update the silicon and display (among other things) but a spec overall would be hard for Apple to pull off if it lowers the price (though Apple could make minor changes like newer silicon). So, what else can Apple do with the MacBook Air? Well, make it even cheaper, as reports this month say may happen. Even ten years later (2018), it's still remarkably light and sleek for a 13-inch laptop and the latest version can be had for as little as $799 (and probably less if you look hard). So, what keeps it going? Low price and a tried-and-true design have made it perennially popular. You can thank Steve Jobs for its staying power ( Jobs introduced the MBA - along with the late Intel CEO Paul Otellini who also took the stage - in 2008 ).

And the silicon is pretty creaky too: a 5th gen Intel Core i5 launched back in 2015. How lagging edge? The display hasn't really changed (13.3-inch, 1,440-by-900) in 8 years, ditto the design. It's still around despite being the epitome of lagging-edge (everything about it is dated, both inside and outside).

Apple macbook pro 2018 rumors