Apple is preparing to introduce an entry-level MacBook priced between $599 and $699, according to supply-chain information reported by DigiTimes and echoed by several industry analysts. The notebook would mark Apple’s most aggressive move yet into the lower end of the laptop market, undercutting the $999 starting price of the MacBook Air by roughly 40 percent. The device is expected to feature a 12.9-inch display—slightly smaller than the Air’s 13.6-inch panel—and run on Apple’s A18 Pro system-on-a-chip, the processor slated for next year’s iPhone 17 Pro models. Using an A-series chip instead of an M-series design would allow a thinner, fanless chassis but may limit Thunderbolt connectivity and other pro-grade features. Component mass production is projected to begin in the third quarter of 2025, with final assembly at Quanta in the fourth quarter. Apple is said to be targeting a commercial launch in late 2025 or early 2026. Shipment estimates run between 5 million and 7 million units, which could lift Apple’s total MacBook volume by as much as 30–40 percent and intensify price competition for Chromebook and Windows PC makers. The budget model would arrive alongside a broader Mac roadmap that includes an M5 update to the MacBook Pro next spring and an OLED redesign with an M6 chip now expected in early 2027, according to separate reports. Apple declined to comment on the supply-chain claims.