- The low-cost MacBook could be missing a list of key features
- This includes True Tone, fast SSDs, Wi-Fi 7 support and much more.
- This would make it similar to the MacBook Air from 2017
We know that Apple’s low-cost MacBook – which is expected to arrive at Apple’s March 4 event – will be subject to some compromises. After all, Apple can’t magically reduce its price without omitting some features. But new information has just emerged, seemingly revealing the extent of Apple’s cost-cutting measures, and it means the upcoming laptop could be reminiscent of an Apple laptop from almost a decade ago.
The data surfaced on Chinese social media site Weibo, while media outlets AppleInsider and MacRumors both said they had seen the leaked material, either as part of a “technical analysis of an internal test build of macOS” or in an email sent by the leaker.
According to the leak, the new MacBook’s screen won’t benefit from Apple’s True Tone technology (which dynamically adjusts the color temperature of the screen) and could have lower brightness than the MacBook Air’s 500 nits, which would match a claim by Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman that the MacBook would feature a “low-end LCD screen.”
Storage will reportedly be limited to capacities of 256GB and 512GB, with a 128GB drive possibly available to educational institutions. This means no storage options of 1TB or more. Additionally, the device’s SSD speeds could be slower than existing MacBooks due to the use of a single NAND chip.
Elsewhere, the leak suggests the MacBook will lack fast charging, keyboard backlighting, and high-impedance headphone support. Finally, using an iPhone chip – expected to be an A18 Pro – means it won’t ship with Apple’s N1 wireless chip. The result is a lack of support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, as well as the absence of improved reliability for AirDrop and personal hotspots.
The retro MacBook?
All of this means that the MacBook – scheduled to arrive on March 4 – will feature many compromises compared to existing Apple laptops. But when the price is expected to be around $699, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
What’s interesting is that Apple’s concessions make the device somewhat similar to the MacBook Air from 2017. Like the low-cost MacBook that will be released in March, the MacBook Air 2017 lacked True Tone, had brightness below 500 nits (in this case it was 300 nits), and offered storage that topped out at 512 GB.
There are some differences, of course: The A18 Pro chip in March’s affordable MacBook is expected to run rings around the 2017 MacBook Air’s processor, while Apple’s laptop from a decade ago comes with a backlit keyboard that the new device is rumored to lack. But aside from the big performance differences, the two laptops might seem noticeably similar.
Of course, we won’t know how close they are until the affordable MacBook launches on March 4. Around this time, we might see some sort of return to the MacBooks of a decade ago, but with a much lower price.
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