Apple Retail Braces for Major Rush Over New Budget MacBook

Apple has informed its retail store employees to brace for a surge of customers this week, as the company is set to unveil new products during the first half of the week, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.

In his Power On newsletter on Sunday, Gurman mentioned that some Apple retail employees have compared the preparations for the upcoming product launches to the excitement typically seen before the release of new iPhones in the fall. This anticipation suggests that at least one of the new Apple products will have significant mainstream appeal.

Apple kicked off the week by announcing the iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air, which turned out to be expected spec upgrades. While these announcements may not draw large crowds to Apple Stores, there are still more reveals to come. Among the rumored products, the lower-cost MacBook is expected to generate interest among Apple customers. Internally described as an “incredible value,” this MacBook is anticipated to attract switchers from Windows machines and Chromebooks.

Although the starting price of the new entry-level MacBook is yet to be officially announced, it is speculated to fall within the $599 to $799 range, with potential discounts for students and educators. The MacBook is likely to feature the A18 Pro chip, similar to the one in the iPhone 16 Pro, rather than the M-series chips used in other Mac models.

Featuring a 12.9-inch display and 8 GB of RAM, the new MacBook is designed to cater to budget-conscious buyers. It is expected to come in fun color options and sport an aluminum shell crafted using a new manufacturing process developed by Apple. However, it will not include Apple’s new N1 chip, high-capacity SSD options, or advanced features like high impedance headphone support and fast charging.

In addition to the iPhone 17e, M4 iPad Air, and lower-cost MacBook, Apple is rumored to unveil a base-model iPad with an A18 chip, the M5 MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The company may also introduce a new Apple Studio Display and Mac Studio, adding further excitement to the week’s announcements.

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