It’s looking likely that we’ll see a cheap MacBook sporting the A18 Pro chip at Apple’s event next week. But what will the Cupertino crew compromise to keep that price down? That’s a question one leaker reportedly has an answer to.
Because, of course, to enter the budget game, you have to make cuts. You see as much in any cheaper system, and it always becomes a game of striking the right balance. So can Apple navigate this tightrope? Let’s get into it.
What could be cut?
Shared in a post on Weibo, the leaker has shared eight potential limitations based on a leaked Debug Kit for macOS Tahoe.
- No backlit keyboard
- The display may have a lower max brightness
- No True Tone color adjustment for the display
- Slower SSD speeds
- No 1TB or 2TB storage capacity options
- No fast charging support
- No N1 chip (the chip used to improve performance and reliability of connectivity features like AirDrop)
- No high-impedance headphones support
We won’t know for sure whether this is true or not until the device is announced — possibly next week.
Trade-offs in the right places?
So, let’s entertain the idea that these are factual. The leaker doesn’t have an established track record, and while the leaked records exist, some of this detail is more the leaker’s interpretation, so take it with a pinch of salt.
But if true, are these dealbreakers? Honestly, in the world of cheaper laptops, no. The problematic ones here will come down to the usability of this system — no backlit keyboard would be a frustration, and a lower max brightness would make this tricky for outdoor use.
As for everything else on this list, that’s par for the course for cheaper systems. You normally see things like display quality, SSD read/write speeds, fast charging and premium headphone support get cut first. That way, the core experience is still there.
These don’t make me worried for the A18 Pro MacBook’s potential to be the go-to entry-level system for most folks.
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