Capping off its week of product reveals, Apple announced its newest MacBook Neo on Wednesday morning. The company organized “experiences” in New York, Shanghai, and London to present the laptop to select media and influencers. Priced from $599, this is the most affordable MacBook Apple has ever introduced, and despite missing some features found in higher-end models, the company seems to have hit the mark with this release.
Equipped with the A18 Pro chip — the same processor found in the iPhone 16 Pro – this marks the first occasion Apple has integrated an iPhone processor into a computer. Previously, the company had gone the other way by incorporating Mac chips into the iPad, but this is the first instance of the A-series chip transitioning from a mobile device. The MacBook Neo also boasts 8GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID capabilities. This MacBook comes in silver, blush, citrus, and indigo colors, and is available solely in a 13-inch variant.
“We’re thrilled to present MacBook Neo, which brings the magic of the Mac at an unprecedented price,” stated John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “Designed from the ground up to be accessible to even more individuals, it features a sturdy aluminum build in four stunning colors; a stunning Liquid Retina display; Apple silicon-driven performance; all-day battery life; top-notch camera, mics, and speakers; as well as a Magic Keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad.”
MacBook Neo resembles an iPad with a keyboard
At first glance, the MacBook Neo closely resembles an iPad with a keyboard, and the reasoning is apparent: Apple is offering the same color options as the base model tablet. Additionally, it appears that the 13-inch display is akin to that of the iPad, as it doesn’t include DCI-P3, which enhances the color range on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
Constructed from aluminum and weighing 2.7 pounds, Apple claims this machine is up to 50% quicker for web browsing and up to 3x faster for on-device AI tasks compared to the “best-selling PC with the latest Intel Core Ultra 5.” Laptops using that chip may fall into a similar price range, yet Apple asserts its device can outshine them.
Among other notable features are the 1080p FaceTime camera, 16-hour battery life, dual mics with directional beamforming, dual side-firing speakers that support Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos, and two USB-C ports (one being a USB 3 port with speeds up to 10Gb/s and the other a USB 2 port with speeds up to 480Mb/s). In contrast to the other launches this week, this MacBook does not utilize Apple’s N1 chip for connectivity but supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6.
Who is this MacBook intended for?
For years, Apple has promoted the MacBook Air or an iPad with a Magic Keyboard as the top choices for students and budget-conscious consumers. However, this is the first time the company has rolled out a cost-effective laptop that can rival more economical Windows laptops and Chromebooks. While the iPad is becoming a more capable productivity tool, and iPadOS 26 introduces extra features, the Mac operating system will always provide superior functionality for work and education.
Currently, many questions remain regarding the MacBook Neo’s real-world performance. However, based on the shared information, it appears this could be the ideal Apple laptop for casual users and those interested in experiencing macOS for the first time.
Preorders for the MacBook Neo are now live, and the laptop is set to officially launch next week, on March 11. The company is also providing a $100 education discount (starting at $499), the option to trade in an old device for credit, and AppleCare plans for this product.