Apple is preparing a sub-$1,000 MacBook

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has shared a new round of insights on Apple — and a bit on Tesla as well. The key topics include delays to Tesla’s CarPlay rollout, another postponement of Apple’s upgraded Siri, and details about upcoming Apple products.

According to Gurman, the revamped Siri first announced in June 2024 has been delayed yet again. Apple had internally targeted a March 2026 launch alongside iOS 26.4, but testing uncovered additional issues. Siri does not always process requests accurately and can respond too slowly. Some features are now being pushed to iOS 26.5 (expected in May), while others are delayed until iOS 27 (September).

Gurman notes that this marks a two-year delay since the initial announcement — unusually long for a company of Apple’s scale. The new Siri is expected to gain access to personal data and on-screen content, along with more precise app control via voice. While Apple is still within its publicly stated 2026 window, internally the delay is viewed as significant.

iOS 27, codenamed Rave, is reportedly being built around two priorities: deeper AI integration with a chatbot-style Siri and a broader system “cleanup.” Apple plans to remove legacy code, rethink outdated features, and modernize core apps to improve performance. Minor interface tweaks are also planned, though nothing as sweeping as last year’s Liquid Glass redesign.

Budget MacBook

Sources say Apple is preparing a new budget MacBook priced well below $1,000, powered by an iPhone-class chip instead of an M-series processor.

The device, codenamed J700, will feature a display slightly under 13 inches and an aluminum body despite its lower price. Apple has reportedly developed a new manufacturing process that allows it to produce aluminum enclosures faster and at lower cost.

The laptop is aimed at students and enterprise customers and may launch in bright colors, including light yellow, light green, blue, pink, silver, and dark gray. The announcement is expected as early as March at a dedicated Apple event.

Tesla Delays CarPlay

Gurman’s sources also say Tesla had planned to introduce CarPlay support by late 2025, but the rollout has been delayed. The issue stems from compatibility problems between Apple Maps and Tesla’s proprietary navigation software used for Autopilot. Tesla’s turn-by-turn navigation did not sync properly with Apple Maps during autonomous driving, potentially confusing users.

Tesla reportedly asked Apple to adjust Maps for better compatibility. Apple implemented changes in iOS 26 and the latest CarPlay version. However, adoption of iOS 26 has been slower than previous releases — installed on 74% of iPhones released in the past four years as of Friday, compared to 76% for iOS 18 at the same point last year. Crucially, the required fixes were introduced in later iOS 26 updates, and it remains unclear how many users have installed them.

A Note on iPhone 18 Pro

Gurman also reports that the iPhone 18 Pro will not be a major redesign. Instead, it will bring incremental upgrades, including a new variable-aperture camera, the A20 chip, and Apple’s first in-house C2 modem capable of replacing Qualcomm components in high-end models.