Your next MacBook could use an iPhone-class chip

By Paulo Vargas Published December 18, 2025

Apple may be inching toward an iPhone-class chip MacBook, and the trail starts in a place most people never see: internal kernel debug kit files used by its engineers. MacRumors reports that Apple accidentally posted the kit on its website earlier this year, then pulled it after details began leaking.

Inside the Mac-related listings, the files reference two unreleased MacBook setups. One uses the older A15, the other points to A18 Pro. The split matters because it suggests Apple tested the concept with whatever worked, then moved on to something that looks closer to a real product candidate.

The first listing describes an unreleased MacBook configuration running an A15 chip. It appears under the project label “mac14p” on a platform labeled H14P, and it likely corresponds to an internal codename, J267.

On its face, that sounds like “A15 MacBook,” but the age of the chip is the tell. The A15 is several generations old, and it would be surprising for Apple to ship a Mac built around it in 2026. A more sensible read is that the A15 was a test mule, similar to how Apple once used an iPad-class chip in an early Apple silicon transition kit.

The second reference is tied to the A18 Pro and is tagged with an identifier, J700. It also notes a “Sunrise” wireless subsystem attributed to MediaTek, which makes the entry feel less like a rough experiment and more like a sketched-out configuration.

Apple’s consumer Macs have stuck to M-series chips so far, so an A18 Pro-based MacBook showing up in internal files hints at a cheaper lane that could sit below today’s lineup, not replace it.

Rumors abuzz that a low-cost MacBook could launch next year with an A18 Pro chip, a 13-inch display, and silver, blue, pink, and yellow color options. If that happens, the A15 mention looks like groundwork, and A18 Pro is the thread worth pulling.

If you’re shopping now, don’t buy on this alone. The next meaningful sign will be a second source that matches these identifiers or specs, and does it consistently. If the leaks don’t convince you, check out the best MacBook you can buy now.