New Entry-Level Mac Notebook Expected to Adopt Retina Display, Likely Launch at WWDC in June

Earlier this month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is expected to introduce a cheaper MacBook Air sometime during the second quarter of the year, and a few days later a second report backed up Kuo's claims with a claim of a price point starting at $799 or $899.

macbook air high sierra
DigiTimes is now reporting that Apple is planning to launch a new 13.3-inch "entry-level MacBook" late in the second quarter of the year, which suggests an introduction at WWDC in June. While DigiTimes calls the notebook a "MacBook," it is unclear whether it would be part of the MacBook or MacBook Air line, but the entry-level nature of the machine and the MacBook's positioning at a similar 12-inch size suggests this new machine might be part of a refreshed MacBook Air family.

However the new entry-level machine is marketed, DigiTimes says the pricing will be the same as or slightly higher than the current MacBook Air, which starts at $999, and the machine will include a Retina display.

The 13.3-inch a-Si panels for the new notebook feature the same resolution as Apple's 13.3-inch MacBook Pro at 2,560 by 1,600.

LG Display will begin supplying the panel in April with the new MacBook scheduled to enter mass production at the end of May or the beginning of June.

The report claims that Apple is targeting shipments of six million units of the new notebook through the end of the year, although DigiTimes analysts believe four million is a more likely figure considering the estimated pricing.

In addition to the new MacBook Air or MacBook, DigiTimes says Apple is also preparing updated entry-level iPad models for release in the second quarter and new iPad Pro models for the second half of the year.

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad Pro, MacBook Air
Related Forums: MacBook, iPad, MacBook Air

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Finder Siri Feature

Apple's New Siri Will Be Powered By Google Gemini

Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google. For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
ikea smart home devices

IKEA Debuts 21 HomeKit-Compatible Smart Bulbs, Sensors, and Controls

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered. There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple's 2026 Smart Home Revamp: All the Rumors

Wednesday November 5, 2025 3:54 pm PST by
It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. HomeKit and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026. Home Hub Apple is working on a home hub or "command center" that will serve as a...

Top Rated Comments

JoEw Avatar
100 months ago
Apples MacBook lineup is so screwed up lol
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sundog925 Avatar
100 months ago
oh how exciting! a NEW macbook with OLD hardware to justify a cheaper price. SIGN. ME. UP.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarpalMac Avatar
100 months ago
So I have a 2013 MBA

The keyboard issues with the MBP make those effectively a no go for me (unless you wanna budget in AppleCare it's basically a must for the machine).
...
There is just no upgrade path for me at the moment.

Maybe my next MacBook will be an Air (again):)
I really want a new MBPr to replace my 2015 MBPr as I under spec'ed it when I bought it but:

* No HDMI - used a lot for presentations and I am not going to start carrying around dongles. My bag is full enough.
* No magsafe - This has saved my laptop from flying across the room on no less than 5 occasions.
* A gimmicky touchbar that I'd be paying a premium for.
* "That" keyboard...

The pro moniker is frankly laughable at the moment.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
goshya Avatar
100 months ago
Confusing product line. :eek:
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike MA Avatar
100 months ago
The MacBook lineup is a mess since Tim took over. The strategy is purely aiming at profit, not a clear product portfolio or user experience. Good for the company, bad for customers as they don‘t want to research first, which device is available in which screen size but not lacking up to date internals. It‘s even worse than the heterogeneous iPad lineup. My view.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
caoimhin Avatar
100 months ago
Apples MacBook lineup is so screwed up lol
I have to agree. It honestly takes a bit of study to figure out how to differentiate these products. The differences seem kind of arbitrary (e.g., the current Air has the weaker display and hard disk at entry level, but has a superior selection of (now "legacy") ports that I use daily when compared to even the spec'ed up MB or MBP.) Then there's the matter of the keyboard on the new MB and MBP, but the more comfortable keyboard on the Air.

I'm beginning to think about replacing my 2013 MBP, and I haven't a clue which machine I should be looking at.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)