MacBook with A18 Pro first appeared in macOS 15 code

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Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited July 4

Apple's potential low-cost MacBook using the A18 Pro iPhone chip may have surfaced earlier than thought, with code references to the model apparently surfacing back in July 2024.

A laptop with a glowing screen, displaying a modern abstract design, situated in a cozy living room with slightly blurred background details.
A new MacBook could use an A-series chip



Early on Monday, commentary from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo advised that Apple was working on a MacBook that runs on an A-series processor instead of an M-series chip. Hours later, it seems that the model may have been teased quite a while ago.



According to posts shared by Aaron Perris via X in July 2024, code references in macOS 15.1 included a lot of iPhone, iPad, and Mac models. That list included a reference to "Mac17,1" a currently unused model identifier.

Practically 11 months later, on Monday, MacRumors claims that the Mac17.1 is the first spotted evidence in backend code of a MacBook running on an A18 Pro chip.

While the claim is timely considering the Kuo post, there is no other detail or evidence that directly links the Mac17.1 identifier to the A-series MacBook story.

A plausible cheaper MacBook



Earlier on Monday, Kuo's claims detailed a MacBook running on an A-series processor. Specifically, it would be running on an A18 Pro chip, the same one as used in the iPhone 16 Pro.

The model would also sport a 13-inch display, and ship in silver, blue, pink, and yellow colorways. Mass production was anticipated to start at the end of 2025 or the start of 2026.

While Kuo didn't propose how much the model will cost consumers, he did say that Apple plans to sell between five and seven million units in 2026. At that aggressive level, the price could be quite low to reach that goal.

Rumor Score: Possible

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    TeeJoroniteejoroni Posts: 10member
    Bringing back the 12” MacBook? Sub 2lb ultra portable
    Mac. 

    Would be cool to have like a PowerBook Duo type setup. 
    Studio display at $999 (down from $1299). 
    12.2” Macbook with A18 w 20 hour battery life $999. One thunderbolt one MagSafe and skip the 3.5 port. Pairing with monitor will allow better audio out or Beats/Airpods combo. 

    Basically the basic MacBook A18 like the iPad A16. 
    we have Mac Mini Mac Studio and Mac Pro (needs update power wise) for tiers. 

    While all this sounds cool it again feels niche. So we’ll see. 
    williamlondonTRAGRogue01
     1Like 2Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 7
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,486member
    As mentioned multiple times before it is probable that Apple has prototyped Macs (of many flavors) with A-series silicon for many years, probably a decade now. The A-series silicon has plenty of power: iPhones have been editing 4K video for a decade now. That's the heaviest normal workload for Joe Consumer. It's not like office suites, content consumption, web browsers, or e-mail clients need M-series cores.

    An A-series powered MacBook would make sense in enterprise/education models where 3D gaming performance isn't a metric.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 7
    ForumPostforumpost Posts: 119member
    If this A18 pro MacBook ships without AI, it will probably fitted with only 4GB of RAM. Let’s see
    williamlondon
     0Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 7
    leehericksleehericks Posts: 53member
    I just don’t see the point. M-series chips basically use the same cores but with features attuned to desktop computers. Maybe average users don’t care but I wouldn’t buy a MacBook with an A-series chip. That’s an iPad. Would they not be better having a “lite” M5 chip?
    williamlondon
     0Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 7
    Rogue01rogue01 Posts: 308member
    leehericks said:
    I just don’t see the point. M-series chips basically use the same cores but with features attuned to desktop computers. Maybe average users don’t care but I wouldn’t buy a MacBook with an A-series chip. That’s an iPad. Would they not be better having a “lite” M5 chip?
    You do know that iPads have M chips, right?
    muthuk_vanalingamnova_logic
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 7
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,679member
    leehericks said:
    I just don’t see the point. M-series chips basically use the same cores but with features attuned to desktop computers. Maybe average users don’t care but I wouldn’t buy a MacBook with an A-series chip. That’s an iPad. Would they not be better having a “lite” M5 chip?
    An M5 lite or mobile would make sense. 
    Maybe they could follow up OS26 alignment with M5 alignment in sizes XS, S, M, L, XL & XXL. Ultra being 2 max’s or XL’s bonded together anyway. 

    What makes sense between the A series is they make them in volume orders of magnitude higher than the M series at peek let alone in trailing products.
    williamlondon
     0Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 7
    nova_logicnova_logic Posts: 1member
    leehericks said:
    I just don’t see the point. M-series chips basically use the same cores but with features attuned to desktop computers. Maybe average users don’t care but I wouldn’t buy a MacBook with an A-series chip. That’s an iPad. Would they not be better having a “lite” M5 chip?
    There are iPad with M-series, but they do not became full mac because of iPadOS limitations, while they have plenty of power. BTW developer transition kit that was shipped to developers after apple introduced switch to apple silicon was based on A-series iPad chip. And it had plenty of power
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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