Report Doubles Down On A Low-Cost Apple A18 MacBook Arriving Soon

The chorus of analysts and leakers crooning about a lower-cost MacBook coming to town is growing louder. Joining the fray is a fresh report by TrendForce, in which the market research firm outlined several reasons why it's downward adjusting its notebook shipment forecast for 2026. Those same reasons could compel to Apple to offer a cheaper MacBook.

You can probably guess one of the reasons—surging memory prices, which are "squeezing notebook brands' profit margins and pricing freedom." Sadly for consumers, memory makers are turning their focus towards more profitable data center clients as the rise of AI puts the squeeze on chip supplies. That's not just speculation, Micron basically said as much when it announced the end of its Crucial consumer brand after nearly three decades.

"Consequently, TrendForce has reduced its 2026 global projection for notebook shipments to a 5.4% YoY decrease, totaling around 173 million ...