Apple’s first ARM-powered MacBook might be its cheapest laptop yet, according to a new leak.
A rumor from Apple leaker iHacktu Pro (the tweet has since been deleted) and spotted by Apple Insider, claims Apple will debut a 12-inch MacBook powered by Apple Silicon at a special event on October 27, just weeks after it shows off the iPhone 12. While we’ve heard talk that the ARM-based device, which will allegedly pack a 5nm 12-core CPU, will be cheaper than Intel-based MacBooks, a new rumor claims it could be the cheapest MacBook yet.
Then, according to another leaker, @komiya_kj, Apple’s 12-inch MacBook will feature a starting price of just $799 (around £617, AU$1,115), making it $200 cheaper than the current entry-level MacBook Air.
ARM MacBook$799~MacBook Pro 13”$1099~(*idk about the exact price) https://t.co/aypv0pZhGBJuly 25, 2020
The tipster also claims that Apple will release a MacBook Pro 13 running on its new ARM chipsets. The laptop, which will reportedly feature a Touch Bar and a cooling fan, will apparently cost around $1,099 (£848, AU$1,535).
Currently, Apple’s cheapest 13-inch MacBook Pro model – which comes powered by an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor – is priced at $1,299.
Although they look like cheaper than Intel-powered MacBooks, Apple’s ARM-based laptops look set to come out on top in the performance stakes.
Apple’s A12Z-powered Developer Transition Kit recently made an appearance on Geekbench 5, where the ARM machine supposedly achieved a score of around 800 on the single-core test, and around 2600 on multi-core, all while running through the Rosetta 2 emulation layer.
While we’re still yet to see the final performance of Apple’s ARM-based CPUs, these leaked scores are significant’y higher than those racked up by the ARM-based Surface Pro X, which uses the SQ1 chip co-developed by Microsoft and Qualcomm.