First time using iPhone chips! Apple plans to launch a "budget" MacBook, possibly priced below $799.

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Apple plans to launch its first entry-level MacBook, which will feature an iPhone-level processor for the first time and may be priced under $799. This product is equipped with only 8GB of memory, half of the 16GB configuration of current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, but it is not expected to significantly affect operating smoothness, and it will support Apple's AI assistant, Apple Intelligence.

On Thursday, citing sources, Mirror Daily reported that Apple is highly confident in the sales prospects of this first low-cost entry-level laptop. Industry sources revealed that Apple expects annual shipments of this product to reach 5–8 million units, accounting for about 20% to 30% of last year's Mac sales.

In terms of the supply chain, Quanta will receive more than half of the orders, and Apple's long-term manufacturing partner Foxconn will handle the remaining orders. Despite rising memory prices, Apple has signed new DRAM and NAND supply agreements with memory manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Kioxia, which are expected to secure supply at least until the first half of 2026.

This product strategy highlights Apple's ability to offset cost pressure through high-margin services and self-developed chips, opening up new growth opportunities in the highly competitive entry-level laptop market.

Significant Reduction in Memory Configuration, Software-Hardware Integration Becomes Key

The 8GB memory configuration of this entry-level MacBook is only half that of existing models, but Apple relies on highly integrated design to achieve more efficient and flexible memory usage. According to reports, by contrast, Windows-based Wintel laptops using Intel hardware adopt an open architecture, with the operating system and hardware coming from different suppliers, which limits the degree of software-hardware integration and requires extra memory redundancy.

Sources say that despite the lower memory configuration, operating smoothness may not be noticeably affected. The device will also support Apple Intelligence, keeping it competitive among entry-level products.

Supply Chain Layout to Address Rising Memory Prices

On the supply side, sources revealed that Apple has signed new DRAM and NAND supply agreements with memory manufacturers including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Kioxia. These contracts are expected to secure supply at least until the first half of 2026. As supply issues are largely resolved, the report notes that the sharp memory price increases may have a relatively limited impact on Apple's financial performance.

In manufacturing, Quanta will receive more than half of the assembly orders, and Foxconn will handle the rest. This order allocation reflects Apple’s balanced strategy in supply chain management.

Service Business and In-House Chips Hedge Cost Pressure

The report notes that the impact of rising memory costs on Apple may be limited, as the company's high-margin service business continues to expand. Services include iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and the App Store, with gross profit margins of 70% to 80%. This sector accounted for 26.2% of revenue in fiscal year 2025, up from 24.5% in 2024, 22.2% in 2023, and 19.8% in 2022. The continually growing profitability provides a buffer against memory price pressures.

In addition, the report states that apart from memory, Apple also designs other key chips in-house, including the M series processors for laptops, A series processors for iPhones, S series Bluetooth chips, and C series 5G modem chips, and deploys them at a large enough scale to achieve economies of scale and significant cost savings. This entry-level MacBook will use an iPhone-level processor for the first time, further illustrating Apple's strategy to lower costs by reusing chips.

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