We already have a good idea how capable the new MacBook will be
We already have a good idea how capable the new MacBook will be
https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/23/we-already-have-a-good-idea-how-capable-the-new-macbook-will-be/
Publish Date: 2026-02-23 08:27:00
Source Domain: 9to5mac.com
Once the new low-cost MacBook launches this week, those wanting to buy a portable Mac will have a choice of three ranges: the MacBook, the MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro.
For those with very undemanding or demanding needs, the choice may be very obvious – the low-cost MacBook on the one hand, or a MacBook Pro on the other. But what about those who sit somewhere in the middle … ?
As we’ve noted before, a large slice of current MacBook Air buyers have extremely undemanding needs. Tasks like email, web browsing and writing don’t require anything much in the way of either CPU or GPU performance. It will be obvious to most of these buyers that the upcoming MacBook will do the job perfectly, and the only question is whether they can live with whatever choice of colors is offered.
But what if you are someone whose needs are somewhat more demanding, without taking you into MacBook Pro territory?
For example, you may be a keen amateur photographer who regularly does modest levels of photo editing on your machine. Perhaps you do some 4k video editing from time to time, but with relatively few tracks. Maybe you’re a musician who does a certain amount of multitrack audio editing. You’ve already decided your usage doesn’t justify the additional cost and bulk of a MacBook Pro, but how do you choose between the MacBook and MacBook Air?
Reviews of the new machine will help, of course, but comparing both benchmarks and usage of older MacBook Air models already gives us a good idea.
M1 versus A18 Pro
Although the idea of using a smartphone chip to power a laptop sounds somewhat controversial, this isn’t really the case in reality.
The first Apple Silicon MacBook Air model was powered by the M1 chip. This was widely praised for its combination of performance and power efficiency. The A18 Pro chip is remarkably similar to the M1, as the benchmarks show.
Geekbench 6, single-core
Yep, in single-core performance,…
