Apple's new 'cheap' MacBook aims at the budget market, but there's a deeper motive

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's key takeaways

• Apple could announce the launch of a new "cheap" MacBook on March 4.
• It will likely come with the A18 chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro. 
• Prices will start around $599. 

Rumors of a new "cheap" MacBook have been circulating for years, but it looks like the laptop could finally launch in the next few weeks. On March 4, Apple is set to make a series of product announcements at a "special experience" here in New York, where I'm betting we'll hear more.

Apple's new affordable 13-inch MacBook is rumored to feature a low-power A18 processor -- the same chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro -- rather than the typical M-series processors used in MacBooks. This would allow it to keep costs low, particularly if paired with more modest hardware ...