Apple’s upcoming budget MacBook is expected to feature a 12.9-inch screen from the iPad Air, offering cost-effectiveness and surprising power with its A18 chip, making it a compelling choice for users in 2026. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
Image: Michael Sherman/IOL
With Apple almost certainly about to release their new MacBook next week, there’s plenty of speculation about what it will look like and about the hardware inside the device, but I’ve become convinced that the screen might be the most interesting part of the computer.
According to all the reports, the screen will be 12.9”, which will be smaller than the 13.6” of the current M4 MacBook Air.
Now, if you follow the history of Apple’s design decisions, they will always try to reuse components from their other devices.
In fact, the processor in the new MacBook is believed to be the A18 chip, which is currently found in the iPhone 16. This means the laptop will be the first-ever laptop from Apple to feature an iPhone processor. That might lead people to believe that this low-cost laptop will be underpowered. However, that’s not the case as it will be more powerful than the iconic M1 MacBook Air, which is more than powerful enough for the vast majority of users in 2026.
But back to the screen. It’s significant that the screen is said to be exactly 12.9”, as that’s the same size as the bigger model of the current iPad Air. It’s also true that that version of the iPad Air is not the biggest seller, and Apple will therefore likely have a surplus of these screens.
Also, unlike the iPad Pro, the Air does not feature a ProMotion display that runs at 120Hz. The Air has the more budget 60Hz display, while still featuring a stunning display.
It means that it will be more economical for Apple to include this display in the new MacBook, although I’m sure the touch capabilities will be disabled as they wouldn’t allow their cheapest laptop a unique feature like this.