Other than the Vision Pro headset, the year 2024 could witness the arrival of a low-cost MacBook series to compete with the likes of Chromebooks. According to a report from DigiTimes ,citing industry sources, Apple is working on a new MacBook series focused on the education sector and it could launch as early as the second half of 2024.
Apple is expected to introduce a new product line to set it apart from the existing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro machines. The alleged MacBook series is expected to lower the costs of mechanical components and use "different materials" for its outer metal casing.
As per the publication, over 13.9 million Chromebook shipments happened in 2019; the numbers increased to 30.4 million in 2020 and 33.5 million in 2021 respectively. Chromebook is a name used to refer to computers that are powered by ChromeOS, a Linux-based operating system developed by Google.
The very first Chromebooks arrived back in 2011 from the likes of Samsung and Acer. Those were sub-$500 machines packed with 3G capabilities, Intel Atom processor, faster boot times, and a battery life of up to 7 hours. In 2023, the Chromebook ecosystem now offers users a variety of choices.
For instance, with Acer Chromebook Flip CX5, users can pick an Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD. Meanwhile, those looking for a cheaper option can have a look at the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3. For a price tag of $269, users can get a Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor coupled with 4GB RAM and 128GB eMMC storage.
Over the years, Apple has had a strong eye on the education sector as the Cupertino giant regularly runs Back To School education discounts on its products and services. Students and teachers are able to buy Mac computers, iPads, Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, Apple Music, etc. at cheaper rates.
As per Apple"s website, students can buy the 13-inch M1 MacBook Air for as low as $899. It remains to be seen how much the alleged MacBook series will cost in order to position itself as a rival to Chromebooks.
Source: DigitTimes (paywall) via Macrumors