Apple’s budget MacBook may run iPhone chip, come in fun colours, and launch as early as March

Apple’s most affordable MacBook in years could be just weeks away. The company is finalising a budget laptop that ditches the M-series chip for an iPhone-class processor, comes dressed in fun new colours, and is expected to retail well under $1,000, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in his latest Power On newsletter.Code-named J700, the MacBook will run on an A-series chip similar to those found in iPhones—a first for any modern Mac notebook. The display is expected to measure slightly under 13 inches, slotting it below the MacBook Air in both size and spec. Apple is targeting students and enterprise users with this one, taking direct aim at Chromebooks and budget Windows laptops that have had the affordable end of the market to themselves for years.The price may be lower, but the build isn’t going plastic. Apple is sticking with an aluminium chassis for the J700, and to keep costs in check, it has developed a new forging technique that makes the shells faster and cheaper to produce than the unibody enclosures on the Air and Pro. There’s a chance this method could eventually roll out to Apple’s pricier laptops too.That said, compromises will show up elsewhere. The MacBook is expected to ship with just 8GB of memory, fewer USB-C ports, and a lower-quality LCD panel. Analyst estimates place the final price somewhere in the $699 to $750 range.Where Apple is getting adventurous is colour. Gurman says the company has tested light yellow, light green, blue, pink, classic silver, and dark gray finishes over the past year—though not all will make the final cut. The playful palette takes a page from the 24-inch iMac’s colourful lineup and is a sharp departure from the muted tones MacBook buyers are used to.A March launch is looking likely, which would make the J700 Apple’s first real swing at the budget laptop market in a long time.