This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: rumors of a cheaper ‘MacBook’ coming soon, Vision products roadmap, iPad Pro redesign, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.
New ‘MacBook’ rumor with A18 Pro chip
Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is preparing to ship a 13-inch MacBook featuring an iPhone processor.
The product will likely just be called ‘MacBook,’ and include an A18 Pro chip, available as a low-cost alternative to the MacBook Air with fun colors including blue, pink, yellow, and silver.
This new MacBook is expected to ship in late 2025 or early 2026, with pricing estimates in the $699-799 range.
My takeaways
The new MacBook was easily one of the standout rumors of the week. It’s a major new product that’s expected to ship fairly soon, but that had scarcely been leaked any time previously.
As I’ve written already, it sounds like Apple is following its iPad playbook with this new MacBook. Adding a low-cost entry model should lead to wider Mac adoption, especially among current iPhone users. The number of iPhone users who also own an iPad is significant, and Apple clearly hopes the Mac can follow the same trend in the years ahead.
Roadmap for new Vision products, Apple Glasses, more
Ming-Chi Kuo was also the source this week of a new roadmap outlining Apple’s plans for head-mounted devices in the years ahead. New products mentioned include:
- M5 Vision Pro later this year
- Vision Air in 2027
- Vision Pro 2 in 2028
- Apple Glasses in 2027
- XR Glasses in 2028
- and more
The M5 Vision Pro is expected to offer no significant changes, just a spec bump. But both the Vision Air and Vision Pro 2 should come with substantial weight reductions, per Kuo.
My takeaways
I had two immediate reactions to this leaked roadmap:
- Apple is clearly very serious about Vision-style products
- But it could be a long while yet before Vision goes mainstream
The former is no surprise, since this is an area Tim Cook is reportedly very passionate about.
I definitely have mixed feelings about the latter, though.
Vision Pro is too heavy and expensive today, and it sounds like we’ll have to wait at least two more years before that changes. In the grand scheme of things, I’m sure that time will fly by. But I’m ready for the Vision platform to start realizing its full potential, and I don’t think that will happen until the Vision Air arrives.
Future iPad Pro and iPad Fold updates
Apple is expected to launch an M5 iPad Pro this fall, but this week’s latest rumors involve two different iPad models.
A future iPad Pro, likely one with an M6 chip, will reportedly come with much slimmer bezels than ever before. The bezels will be similar in size to those of the Samsung Tab Ultra, but with no notch.
iPad Fold, meanwhile, has reportedly had its development put on pause. The expected 18.8-inch foldable iPad was once thought to be launching in late 2026, but more recent rumors suggested 2028—which is still very possible despite Apple’s new holding pattern.
My takeaways
I’m all for slimming down the bezels on the iPad Pro. It’s a natural next step for the device following its last big redesign with the M4 model.
It’s disappointing, though, that the iPad Fold likely won’t arrive any time soon. Before last month, I’m not sure how much I would have minded. My 13-inch M4 iPad Pro is great. But iPadOS 26 has made me want a larger iPad like never before, and now that sounds like it’s not in the cards for a while.
iPhone 17 logo and screen size changes
This week brought a couple updates regarding the upcoming iPhone 17 line.
Majin Bu reported that the Apple logo on iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will be slightly relocated. It’s moving further down the back of the device, likely to adjust for changes in magnet layouts.
Separately, Digital Chat Station corroborated a prior report on the base model iPhone 17. He said the iPhone 17 is getting a larger screen this year than prior base models, moving from a 6.1-inch display up to 6.3 inches. This will make it the same size as the iPhone 17 Pro.
My takeaways
I don’t think either of these moves is particularly significant. The relocation of the Apple logo will, I’m sure, look completely fine and bother hardly anyone.
The iPhone 17 getting larger is certainly more important, but as someone who’s used the iPhone 16 Pro for almost a year with the same screen size, I don’t think the extra screen real estate makes much difference.
I suspect Apple’s making this move partly to streamline its display lineup. But it also, importantly, differentiates iPhone 17 from the expected iPhone 17e next year. I’m sure the budget model will keep the smaller 6.1-inch size.
What are your takeaways from this week’s rumors about the MacBook, Vision line, and more? Let us know in the comments.
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