Cheap MacBook: More expensive than Apple initially planned – market development brings problems | News

According to numerous reports, it will only be a few days before entry into Apple’s notebook world becomes cheaper. The presentation of a new model series, probably simply called “MacBook”, should take place before the start of the Apple events on March 4th. However, according to a report, current market developments prevented the original goals from being achieved. Accordingly, Apple actually wanted to compete with a base price of $599, which would have corresponded exactly to the entry-level model of the Mac mini. As is well known, an unbridled price increase can currently be observed, especially when it comes to storage – not quite as dramatic, but noticeably, and higher costs for batteries are also noticeable.

$599 was untenable
For this reason, the stated target of just 599 euros could not be maintained, as DigiTimes explains. Instead, you probably have to be prepared for $699 or even $749, which would still be well below the $999 for the cheapest notebook. You are also likely to receive further discounts from third-party providers, so this will definitely be an offer that shakes up the market. Chromebooks in the mid-price segment in particular are coming under pressure as a result – market observers believe that Apple has a good chance of recapturing that sector in the education market.

Choosing a chip and display saves costs – and there is upselling
One of the most important adjustments to reduce costs is the decision to install an A18 Pro instead of a much more complex M chip. There are no exact figures, but estimates suggest that this alone could mean up to $100 less in purchases for Apple. There are also simpler display panels with less color space and brightness, number of ports and simpler microphones/speakers. Apple certainly doesn’t have the usual generous margins for the basic configuration, but upselling factors such as limited memory play an important role as usual. There’s also the factor that a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro could suddenly look more attractive than before if “sensible” configurations of the basic MacBook are several hundred euros above the low starting price and are no longer that far off from more expensive devices.