Apple is preparing a fresh entry in its laptop family, a new low-cost MacBook that is expected to sit below the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro while still benefiting from the company’s latest silicon and design language. Early reporting points to a machine aimed squarely at students, businesses, and casual users, with a focus on price, battery life, and colorful hardware rather than cutting-edge pro features. Taken together with a broader 2026 roadmap, the picture that emerges is of a Mac lineup that stretches from this budget notebook all the way up to OLED MacBook Pro models with touch support.
Rumors around this new MacBook have accelerated as Apple’s wider Mac plans for 2026 have come into focus, including M5 and M6 chips, OLED displays, and a spread of sizes from 13 inches to 16 inches. The new machine is expected to revive the simple “MacBook” name, and if the reports hold, it will be the most aggressive push Apple has made into the budget laptop space in years.
Where the new MacBook fits in Apple’s 2026 lineup
The clearest throughline in the current reporting is that Apple wants a true entry-level notebook that undercuts the MacBook Air on price while still feeling like a modern Mac. Multiple reports describe a Low Cost MacBook that is explicitly designed for students, businesses, and casual users, signaling that Apple is targeting buyers who might otherwise default to Chromebooks or low-end Windows laptops. A separate rundown of the four MacBooks Apple is expected to launch in 2026 reinforces that this machine is meant to be the first budget MacBook, with a 13 inch LCD display and a feature set tuned to everyday productivity rather than pro workflows, which aligns with the broader Low Cost roadmap that also includes higher end OLED machines.
At the same time, Apple is expected to refresh the MacBook Air with an M5 chip in Early 2026, which would keep the Air as the mainstream thin and light option while the new MacBook undercuts it on price. Reporting on Apple Mac computers expected in 2026 and beyond notes that the company last updated the MacBook Air in March 2025 with refreshed 13 inch and 15 inch models, and that an M5 MacBook Air is expected in Early 2026 as part of a broader plan that stretches to an M6 Max MacBook Pro. In that context, the new MacBook looks like the missing piece at the bottom of the stack, giving Apple a clearer ladder from budget notebook to high end OLED Pro.
Display, design, and colors
On the hardware side, the new MacBook is widely expected to use a 13 inch LCD panel rather than the OLED technology that is reserved for upcoming MacBook Pro models. A detailed breakdown of the four MacBooks Apple is expected to launch describes this budget machine as having a 13 inch LCD display, which should help keep costs down while still delivering the sharpness and color accuracy that recent Mac laptops have established. That stands in contrast to the OLED MacBook Pro models that are expected to arrive later, which are tipped to bring deeper blacks, better efficiency, and touch support to Apple’s pro notebooks, as outlined in reports on OLED Launch This Year.
Visually, the new MacBook is expected to lean into personality in a way that recent MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models have not. Reporting by Ryan Christoffel indicates that Apple is planning a variety of bold color options for this new Mac, which would echo the strategy used for the colorful iMac and older polycarbonate MacBooks. A separate video overview of Apple’s 2026 MacBook lineup describes a range that runs from a budget notebook around $699 up to high end OLED models, and highlights how Apple is using design and finishes to differentiate each tier, with the new MacBook positioned as the playful, approachable entry point in that Apple story.
Chip, performance, and connectivity
While Apple has not confirmed which chip will power the new MacBook, the broader silicon roadmap offers some clues. A report on Apple Mac computers expected in 2026 and beyond notes that the M5 chip is set to kick off a new wave of Mac refreshes, starting with consumer models before scaling to pro level devices, and that an M5 MacBook Air is planned for Early 2026 as part of a path that leads to an M6 Max MacBook Pro. Another analysis of Apple’s hardware timeline to 2026, which cites Further insights from MacRumors, reinforces that the M5 generation is expected to arrive in consumer models first, suggesting that the new MacBook could share silicon with the Air or use a slightly cut down variant to keep costs in check, as part of a broader Further Mac strategy.
On the higher end, Apple is expected to release MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips in early 2026, which helps frame where the new MacBook will sit in terms of performance. Detailed coverage of these pro machines notes that the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are expected to launch in early 2026 with significant CPU and GPU gains, while a separate report on MacBook Pro models receiving up to Six New Features by Next Year lists improved connectivity and other upgrades for these Pro machines. In that light, the new MacBook is likely to prioritize battery life and quiet operation over raw power, while still benefiting from the efficiency gains of Apple’s latest chips.
How the budget MacBook relates to OLED MacBook Pro plans
The new MacBook is only one part of a much larger MacBook story that is unfolding for 2026, and understanding its role means looking at the OLED MacBook Pro roadmap. Multiple reports state that Apple’s first MacBook Pro models with OLED displays are expected to launch in the fourth quarter of this year, with panel production ramping up in May and touch support included as part of the package, as detailed in a Report on Pro Launch This Year. Another overview of the most anticipated new features for the 2026 OLED MacBook Pro lists an even better display with touch screen capabilities, 5G connectivity, and improvements over previous iterations, underscoring how aggressively Apple is pushing the high end of the MacBook Pro line with Most Anticipated New OLED Pro and Even bolder hardware from Jos.
Timing is also important here, because it shapes how Apple can stagger announcements and avoid cannibalizing its own products. A detailed report on new MacBook Pros arriving in March states that New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as March, and that these machines are expected to feature OLED displays and touch support, as outlined in coverage by Hartley Charlton that specifies Sunday February 8, 2026 at 6:02 am PST. A separate version of that report reiterates that these New MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to bring OLED displays and touch support, again citing Hartley Charlton and Sunday February timing in Sunday February PST. In that environment, the new MacBook can be introduced either alongside or shortly after the pro machines, giving Apple a clean story that spans from budget LCD notebook to touch enabled OLED flagship.
