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Budget MacBook won't suck
It's going to be more powerful than you think.
Leander Kahney
August 13, 2025
In partnership with
Right now, you can get a 13.6-inch MacBook Air with an M4 chip for $799 on Amazon — an insanely low price for this much computer. And it comes in sky blue, too!
But Apple’s busy prepping an even lower-cost MacBook, a budget machine that will likely debut at just $599 — or $399 with Apple’s education discount.
I remember when the first iPad came out for just $499 back in 2010, and thinking that was a bargain at the time. I can hardly believe Apple — famous for premium products, high prices and the so-called Apple tax — could peddle a brand-new MacBook these days in that same price range.
OK, yes, it allegedly will run on an Apple A18 processor, the same one in current iPhones.
But this chip is more powerful than you might realize.
We compared the performance of the A18 to Apple’s M-series Mac chips, and I think you’ll be surprised by how well the iPhone processor performed.
Also in today’s newsletter:
Uh oh: It looks like we should expect price increases for the iPhone 17 lineup.
If you have a MacBook, figuring out how many external monitors it supports will bake your noodle. It depends on multiple factors, including whether the lid is open or not!
On-ear headphones are great for sweaty gyms, and our headphone expert David Snow’s favorite pair is currently half off.
Here's how to play Quartiles, the daily word game for Apple News+ subscribers, plus tips on achieving the maximum score.
Today’s the day in Apple history that brought the Power Mac G4 Mirrored Drive Doors model, later nicknamed the “Wind Tunnel” because of its overactive fans.
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
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Tweets of the day
I am absolutely loving the new and improved fast animations in the latest iOS 26 Developer Beta.
120Hz should feel fast, and this is exactly what iOS was missing previously.
Using a Pro iPhone finally feels “fast”.
— sid (@immasiddx)
10:34 AM • Aug 13, 2025
Clear widgets in iOS 26 Beta 6 are now more frosted. Personally, I like this change.
— AppleLeaker (@LeakerApple)
11:11 PM • Aug 11, 2025
Wallpaper of the day
Are you interested in @timothyachumba wallpaper seen here? You can now download it below!
— Workspaces (@workspacesxyz)
7:26 PM • Feb 19, 2023
One more thing ...
Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion.
Today’s poll
How well has the Power Mac G4's design aged? |
Results from yesterday’s poll: Any iPad mini fans here?
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