Igeekphone News, November 5th: Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman reported today that Apple is planning to enter the low-price laptop market. This will be the first time it has launched a laptop product targeting the mass market. An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on this.
According to its informants, this device, code-named J700, is currently undergoing internal testing at Apple and is in the early stage of mass production in overseas supply chains. It is expected that Apple will officially release it as early as the first half of 2026.
It is claimed that this new product from Apple is targeted at students, enterprises and daily users, mainly catering to basic needs such as web browsing, document processing and light media editing. This device is also regarded as attractive to potential consumers who prefer the traditional notebook experience over the iPad.
Strategic shift: From high-end to mass market
This move marks a major adjustment in Apple’s product strategy. For a long time, Apple has always focused on high-end devices with high profit margins and publicly stated that it will not compete for market share with low-priced products. However, in the face of the sales growth of Google Chromebook and the dissatisfaction of some Windows users, Apple is seeking new market space.
Since Microsoft launched Windows 11, some users of old systems have left because they couldn’t obtain security updates, presenting a potential opportunity for Apple. After the news broke, HP’s share price once dropped to its lowest point of the day, falling by about 2% along with Dell’s, while Apple’s share price rose slightly by less than 1%.
Hardware configuration and pricing
He said that the price of this low-priced Mac would be significantly lower than $1,000 (IT Home Note: The current exchange rate is approximately 7,122 yuan), but it is obvious that the hardware will not be very high-end either.
This device will use the same processor as the iPhone instead of the M-series chips specifically designed for Mac. This is the first time that Apple has used a mobile phone chip on a Mac, but internal tests show that its performance is better than that of the M1 chip from a few years ago.
In addition, this new model will be equipped with a low-end LCD screen, which is slightly smaller than the 13.6 inches of the MacBook Air.
Previously, Apple had sold the M1 MacBook Air at a price of less than $700 (about 4,985 yuan at the current exchange rate) through retailers such as Walmart. However, this time the product will adopt a brand-new design instead of the old discounted model.
Currently, the cheapest Mac from Apple is the M4 MacBook Air at $999 (approximately 7,115 yuan at the current exchange rate), and the educational discount price is $899 (approximately 6,402 yuan at the current exchange rate). In contrast, Chromebooks are priced at only a few hundred dollars, with the highest being around 600 dollars (approximately 4,273 yuan at the current exchange rate).
Education and entry-level market: Complementary to iPad
In the field of education, Apple’s existing entry-level iPad with the Magic Keyboard Folio package costs approximately $600 (about 4,273 yuan at the current exchange rate). The price range of the new Mac will be close to it, but it can offer longer battery life, flexibility of the macOS system and an integrated keyboard. It is expected to be attractive to students and general consumers.
According to IDC data, Apple’s global PC market share was approximately 9% in the third quarter of 2025, ranking fourth, only behind Lenovo, HP and Dell. Analysts believe that a low-cost Mac that maintains Apple’s design standards and can seamlessly collaborate with ecosystem products such as the iPhone is expected to drive a new round of growth for Macs in the US market.
Subsequent product planning
Apple’s Mac business grew by 13% to $8.73 billion in the last quarter, making it its fastest-growing hardware category. Although growth is expected to slow down this quarter, the company has planned several new products for 2026, including:
MacBook Air equipped with M5 chip (expected to be released in early 2026);
M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro
M5 and M5 Pro Mac mini;
M5 Max and M5 Ultra Mac Studio;
The brand-new MacBook Pro, equipped with an OLED touchscreen similar to that of the iPhone and featuring the M6 chip (expected to be released by the end of 2026 or early 2027).
Apple also plans to launch two new external displays.