Apple is reportedly preparing a new budget MacBook that would ship with 8 GB of RAM and a price tag below 799 dollars, a configuration that would mark its most aggressive laptop pricing in years. The move is being framed not just as a play for students and first-time buyers, but as a response to a tightening global DRAM market that is already reshaping Apple’s hardware strategy. If the rumors hold, this entry-level machine could become the company’s main weapon against low-cost Windows notebooks and Chromebooks at a moment when memory costs are rising fast.
Instead of chasing headline-grabbing specs, Apple appears to be optimizing around what it can reliably source and sell at scale, even if that means sticking to 8 GB of RAM in an era when 16 GB is becoming common on midrange laptops. The question is whether that compromise, reportedly driven by a DRAM crunch, will be enough to keep performance credible while still hitting a sub-799 dollar price that undercuts today’s MacBook Air.
What the 8 GB budget MacBook is rumored to offer
The clearest picture so far comes from analyst chatter that points to an “entry-level MacBook” with 8 GB of unified memory and a price under 799 dollars, positioned below the current MacBook Air line. A post from analyst Jukan on X is cited as the source of the claim that this machine would be Apple’s new baseline laptop, with 8 GB set as the standard configuration rather than a configurable downgrade. That same reporting suggests Apple is targeting a design that still feels like a modern MacBook, not a plastic throwback, which would make a sub-799 dollar sticker unusually aggressive for the company and has been echoed in coverage of Apple’s entry-level plans.
Jukan’s comments also tie the configuration directly to Apple’s broader silicon roadmap, indicating that the company wants this low-cost MacBook to share as much architecture as possible with its other devices to simplify manufacturing. That would align with separate reporting that Apple intends to keep using the same DRAM types across its laptops and the chips used inside of its iPhones, a strategy that helps it negotiate better supply terms but also constrains how far it can push specs at the bottom of the lineup. The suggestion that the 8 GB figure is not just a cost choice but a supply necessity is reinforced in a follow up that describes the machine as part of Apple’s response to a DRAM crisis that is squeezing memory availability across its product lines.
How a DRAM crunch is shaping Apple’s hardware decisions
Behind the scenes, Apple is dealing with a memory market that is far less forgiving than it was when the first Apple Silicon Macs arrived. Reports of Apple negotiating long term DRAM contracts indicate that the company has secured enough supply only until the middle of 2026, with explicit warnings that price hikes are possible if additional agreements are not locked in. Those same reports describe how Apple’s DRAM supply agreements are structured to prioritize high volume products, which makes it easier to keep iPhones and flagship Macs fully stocked but leaves less room for generous memory allocations on a brand new budget laptop, as detailed in coverage of Apple’s reported DRAM.
In that context, keeping the entry-level MacBook at 8 GB looks less like stinginess and more like triage. If Apple were to standardize on 16 GB for even its cheapest laptop, it would effectively double the DRAM load for a product that is supposed to ship in large volumes and at a lower margin, right as suppliers are signaling that memory prices could climb further. By holding the line at 8 GB, Apple can stretch its existing DRAM commitments further into 2026, reserve higher capacity modules for premium devices, and still claim that the unified memory architecture in its chips delivers better real world performance than equivalent figures on traditional PCs, a point that has been central to its marketing since the first M1 Macs and is implicitly supported by the way Reports of Apple describe its supply strategy.
Why Apple is still pushing ahead with a low-cost MacBook
Even with DRAM prices rising, Apple appears determined to launch a cheaper MacBook in the first half of 2026, betting that it can absorb higher component costs through its control of the full stack. Reporting on Apple’s internal planning notes that, despite rising memory prices, Apple still plans to introduce an entry-level MacBook and is leaning on its in house chips and services revenue to cushion the impact. According to Mirror Daily, sources say the company sees this machine as a way to expand the Mac user base among students and emerging markets, using its own silicon to keep performance acceptable while holding the line on price, a strategy outlined in detail in analysis of how Despite rising memory the company is pressing ahead.
From a business perspective, I see this as Apple trying to solve two problems at once. On one side, it needs a credible answer to sub 800 dollar Windows laptops that are increasingly capable of running creative apps and light AI workloads. On the other, it must manage a DRAM environment where overcommitting to high capacity configurations could force price hikes across the lineup. By pairing a modest 8 GB baseline with its own chips and a growing services ecosystem, Apple can pitch the new MacBook as a gateway device, one that may not have the headroom of a MacBook Pro but is good enough for schoolwork, web apps like Google Docs, and mainstream tools like Microsoft Teams and Spotify, a positioning that is reinforced in follow up reporting that According to Mirror will be central to Apple’s marketing.
The logic, and limits, of an 8 GB Mac in 2026
Not everyone is convinced that an 8 GB MacBook makes sense in 2026, even at a lower price. Commentary on the rumored device has questioned whether Apple is trying to do too much with too little memory, especially if the machine is expected to support Apple Intelligence features that rely heavily on on device processing. One analysis asks whether the rumor implies two versions of the low cost MacBook, potentially including an A15 based prototype, or a single configuration that could struggle with future software demands, raising the possibility that Apple is prioritizing short term pricing optics over long term usability, a concern explored in depth in a critique of the low-cost MacBook rumor.
I read those doubts as a reflection of how quickly expectations have shifted rather than a sign that 8 GB is unusable. For everyday tasks, Apple’s unified memory architecture still squeezes more out of 8 GB than many Windows laptops manage with the same figure, particularly when paired with efficient chips and fast SSDs. The real risk is not today’s workloads but tomorrow’s, especially as more creative apps, from Adobe Lightroom to DaVinci Resolve, lean on AI assisted features that keep models resident in memory. If Apple wants this MacBook to be a long lived machine rather than a short term bargain, it will need to be clear about which Apple Intelligence features are supported and where the 8 GB ceiling becomes a constraint, a tension that is implicit in the way Jukan links the configuration to Apple’s broader AI ambitions.
What this means for buyers and the broader PC market
If Apple does ship a sub 799 dollar MacBook with 8 GB of RAM, it will immediately reset expectations for what a “cheap” Mac looks like and force rivals to respond. Windows OEMs that have been competing on price with plastic chassis and low end Intel or AMD chips would suddenly be facing a fanless, metal Mac that runs Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, even if only in lighter workflows. That could pressure them to improve build quality or cut prices further, especially in education channels where Chromebooks and entry level Windows laptops have long dominated, a shift that is hinted at in broader coverage of Apple’s entry-level MacBook strategy.
