The low-cost MacBook using iPhone chips may include a lower-powered model, with Apple said to be testing the A15 chip alongside the A18 Pro.

Apple is believed to be working on a new model of MacBook aimed at the budget end of the notebook market. While those rumors have said that Apple will be using chips from its iPhone line in the models, it may end up using quite earlier variants.

As part of a number of details revealed in an internal iOS build leak, Weibo leaker Kang and others have mentioned the budget-friendly MacBooks. It is claimed that Apple has tested the model using the A15 chip.

The A15 Bionic was launched in September 2021, with it being used in the iPhone 13 generation of devices, as well as the iPhone 14, third-gen iPhone SE, the sixth-gen iPad mini, and the third-generation Apple TV 4K.

It has a six-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores, clocked at 3.24GHz and 2.01GHz, respectively. It also has a 16-core Neural Engine capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second, and an Apple-designed 4- or 5-core GPU, depending on the product.

Two budget MacBook levels

The proposed use of the A15 is interesting, as one rumor from June by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a version was being worked on incorporating the A18 Pro. Kang mentions both chips in their post.

Apple's testing of two chips multiple generations apart could mean it is considering releasing two versions of the MacBook with different levels of performance. Though it may also simply be for testing purposes, to see whether the A15 is acceptable enough for use in a notebook.

In either case, the use of the chips should help lower the cost of the MacBook to compete against more budget-friendly options on the notebook market.

The budget model is currently expected to be available at a low cost compared to discounted earlier releases still available at retailers, possibly at around $700 at full retail cost. A release date in the first half of 2026 has also been inferred by Kuo.

While Weibo leakers don't have the best reputation when it comes to accuracy, Kang is both prominent and quite accurate with their posts. Accurate enough that they were sent a letter by Apple in 2021, warning them to stop leaking product details or potentially get sued.