In addition to refreshing its existing MacBook lineups, Apple introduced an all-new entry-level laptop: the MacBook Neo.
With a starting price of $600, the base model is $500 cheaper than the new M5-powered MacBook Air.
Unlike other MacBooks, the MacBook Neo is powered by an iPhone chip, the A18 Pro. The company’s A-series chips are typically reserved for its smartphones and entry-level iPads, while the M-series has been used within its laptops and its more premium tablet models like the iPad Pro and iPad Air. According to Apple, the A18 Pro is up to 50% faster for basic tasks such as web browsing and up to three times faster for running on-device AI tasks than an Intel Core Ultra 5.
Like other MacBooks, the MacBook Neo has an aluminum unibody, but it comes in fun color options like yellow-green (called citrus), light pink, and blue, along with the classic silver. The keyboards are color-matched, which is a very Apple detail that we appreciate.
The Neo has a 13-inch screen, a 1080p webcam, Touch ID support (but only in the pricier 512 GB configuration), two USB-C ports (one USB 3 and one USB 2), and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. You can choose between 256 GB or 512 GB of storage. Apple promises battery life of up to 16 hours.
To keep the cost low, however, Apple had to sacrifice some features that it typically includes on its pricier laptops. The display is smaller (the MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch display), and it lacks a True Tone sensor, which means the display won’t automatically adjust the color temperature based on ambient light. It also has only 8 GB of RAM, whereas the M5 MacBook Air has 16 GB.
Missing as well are keyboard backlighting, support for high-impedance headphones, and a MagSafe charging port. And the Neo supports only Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, rather than Wi-Fi 7 like the rest of the MacBook lineup.
We plan to put the Neo to the test to see how much those trade-offs actually matter for most people.
Still, our experts can see why now is a good time for Apple to release a budget-oriented laptop. The rapid growth of AI and the expansion of AI data centers have prompted a massive shortage of RAM (nicknamed “RAMageddon”), causing the price of PCs to skyrocket.
Previously, people who wanted an Apple laptop just for simple tasks like web browsing or light work had to opt for the MacBook Air (which now starts at $1,100), even if it meant that they wouldn’t take full advantage of its capabilities. The only other options were to wait for a sale or to buy a cheaper, refurbished version.
Apple is essentially adding an “SE” tier to the MacBook lineup, the same way it’s done for the iPhone and Apple Watch, signaling a shift from a uniformly premium brand to a more practical one with several price tiers.
“For many years, they’ve had this image that Apple is a great PC, but it’s not a great value … and that has really changed over the years,” Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at International Data Corporation, told us. “Now that they’ve captured the attention of everyone, they want to make sure that they’re also available and accessible to everyone.”
In person, the MacBook Neo looks and feels almost as premium as the MacBook Air, with an aluminum chassis and rounded corners, though the keyboard doesn’t quite feel as nice as that of a MacBook Pro. (Still, we doubt most people would notice the difference.) It weighs the same as the Air but is thicker, so it feels bulkier to use.
The color options are fun, though not quite as vibrant as the hues of previous iPads and iPhones. The 13-inch display is on the smaller end, and the bezel is thick, so people who need a laptop with a larger screen might find it too cramped. But the MacBook Neo is still a fun departure from the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, and we’re excited to see how it performs in real life.
The MacBook Neo starts at $600 for 256 GB of storage and will be available on March 11. It’s available to preorder now.
