SK Hynix to Invest $13 Billion in Advanced Chip Packaging Plant as AI Memory Demand Surges 
China’s AI Models Narrow the Gap With the West, Says Google DeepMind CEO 
Anthropic Appoints Former Microsoft Executive Irina Ghose to Lead India Expansion 
Taiwan Issues Arrest Warrant for OnePlus CEO Over Alleged Illegal Recruitment Activities 
xAI Restricts Grok Image Editing After Sexualized AI Images Trigger Global Scrutiny 
Trump Pushes Tech Giants to Absorb AI Data Center Power Costs, Citing Microsoft Changes 
Federal Judge Clears Way for Jury Trial in Elon Musk’s Fraud Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft 
South Korea Sees Limited Impact From New U.S. Tariffs on Advanced AI Chips 
Anthropic Launches HIPAA-Compliant Healthcare Tools for Claude AI Amid Growing Competition 
Alphabet Stock Poised for Growth as Bank of America Sees Strong AI Momentum Into 2026 
Starlink Internet Remains Active in Iran Despite Nationwide Blackout 
TSMC Set to Post Record Q4 Profit as AI Chip Demand Accelerates 
Zhipu AI Launches GLM-Image Model Trained on Huawei Chips, Boosting China’s AI Self-Reliance Drive 
Nvidia Denies Upfront Payment Requirement for H200 AI Chips Amid China Export Scrutiny 
Elon Musk Seeks $134 Billion in Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft Over Alleged Wrongful Gains 
TikTok Expands AI Age-Detection Technology Across Europe Amid Rising Regulatory Pressure 
U.S. Lawmakers Raise Alarm Over Trump Approval of Nvidia AI Chip Sales to China 
The only hardware-related announcement Apple had at the WWDC 2020 last month was the confirmation that it is ditching Intel Core processors for its Mac computers. Now, a supposed leak claims the switch to ARM-based Apple Silicon chips would allow Apple to deliver the cheapest MacBook ever later this year.
MacBook 2020 price drastically changes with Apple Silicon chip
Thanks to the Apple Silicon announcement, the iPhone 12 is not the only exciting announcement fans are expecting from the tech giant this year. Previous reports have it that the first Mac computers powered by the Apple Silicon chips could be released before the end of the year.
When the Apple Silicon was announced, Apple did not mention anything about how it would affect the Mac pricing. Tech fans have been expecting some changes now that Apple does not have to buy processors from another company. But it was still quite a shock when Twitter leaker Komiya posted a price list suggesting that one of the first Apple Silicon MacBooks could also be the cheapest Apple laptop ever.
In their tweet, Komiya said an “ARM MacBook” will be priced around $799. Right now, Apple’s online store no longer advertises the 12-inch MacBook making the latest version of MacBook Air the cheapest Mac variant and even that costs $999 at the very least. The same source claimed a new 13-inch MacBook Pro would be priced around $1,099, which is cheaper by $200 than the current Intel Core-powered model. Meanwhile, it is unclear if the supposed $799 MacBook with Apple Silicon is a new MacBook Air or a successor of the 12-inch MacBook.
MacBook specs, release date: What to expect
What Apple announced at the latest WWDC is that Apple Silicon is their solution to deliver Mac computers that have more power but consume less power. In simpler terms, this is a promise that the future MacBook laptops should still be able to handle demanding tasks and high GPU requirements while still being a portable device.
Tech fans will have to keep imagining for now about how that will manifest in future Apple computers. On the bright side, there have been reports that the first Apple Silicon-powered MacBook laptops could be released sometime in late 2020, possibly in October.
Featured photo by ThoroughlyReviewed under Creative Commons license CC BY 2.0
