Apple may unveil MacBook Neo, a colourful budget laptop, as early as this week

Multiple reports suggest Apple is developing a lower-cost MacBook. This move would give the company a way to compete more directly in the market for affordable laptops for the first time. As Apple continues to roll out announcements this week about its newest iPhones and MacBooks, attention is now turning to whether this rumoured device could finally debut. If reports from MacRumors and Bloomberg are accurate, the cheaper MacBook, expected to come in several colour options, could be introduced as early as Wednesday.

According to MacRumors, Apple may have accidentally revealed the device's existence by posting a regulatory document on its website that references an as-yet-unannounced product called the MacBook Neo. It is still possible that Apple could surprise even the most closely followed leakers. Still, the available reports increasingly point to the release of a lower-cost MacBook aimed at rivalling Chromebooks.

While no firm technical details have been officially confirmed about this new entry in the MacBook lineup, the expectation is that it would run on an iPhone-class chip rather than one of Apple's more powerful M-series processors. There is also speculation that the device could arrive in several bold, playful colours, potentially including shades similar to the green, blue, and yellow featured in this week's Apple event branding.