Apple has announced their most affordable MacBook yet, the MacBook Neo. It’s not the first time Apple has gone price-friendly on the MacBook line. Their M1-chip MacBook Air was as low as $699. So what’s good with the MacBook Neo? Here’s what stuck out to me.
The Basics on the MacBook Neo
The MacBook Neo is made to be accessible in pricing but not in features. It feels mostly targeted to a younger, student crowd who wants to stay in the Apple ecosystem, and the MacBook Neo checks those boxes. You get MacOS, FaceTime camera, and iPhone integration. The 13.3-inch display makes it portable but not too small, so work can get done. While the Neo is offered in silver, it’s offered in more fun, vibrant colors: citrus, blush, and indigo.
Since it’s running on an A18 Pro chip rather than an M-chip, you won’t get processing power. This mid-range laptop is meant to handle the mundane daily tasks of school life. Research online, writing, and editing papers. It lines up with the midrange Windows PCs and Chromebooks. It’s not meant to be a powerhouse, more like a get-it-done type of machine. Charging over usb-c at 20W and can last up to 16 hours.
Pricing and Availability of the MacBook Neo
The base model does not have TouchID. The 512GB version comes with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. The 8GB RAM cannot be upgraded. It has two usb-c ports, dual speakers, and a headphone jack. It’s available in four colors: blush, indigo, silver, and citrus.
For those who have an education discount, the MacBook Neo starts at $499. But if not, it starts at $599 with 256GB storage. For a $100 more, you can upgrade the Neo to 512GB storage. The MacBook Neo be preordered at apple.com and will be available on March 11.
APPLE MACBOOK NEO PRESS RELEASE
Apple today unveiled MacBook Neo, an all-new laptop that delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price, making it even more accessible to millions of people around the world. MacBook Neo starts with a beautiful Apple design, featuring a durable aluminum enclosure in an array of gorgeous colors — blush, indigo, silver, and a fresh new citrus. Its stunning 13-inch Liquid Retina display brings websites, photos, videos, and apps to life with high resolution and brightness, and support for 1 billion colors. Powered by A18 Pro, MacBook Neo can fly through everyday tasks, from browsing the web and streaming content to editing photos, exploring creative hobbies, or using AI capabilities across apps. In fact, it’s up to 50 percent faster for everyday tasks like web browsing,1 and up to 3x faster when running on-device AI workloads like applying advanced effects to photos,2 compared to the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5. Providing up to 16 hours of battery life, MacBook Neo allows users to go all day on a single charge.3 A 1080p FaceTime HD camera and dual mics make it easy to look and sound great, and the dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio deliver crisp, immersive sound.
MacBook Neo also features Apple’s renowned Magic Keyboard for comfortable and precise typing, and a large Multi-Touch trackpad with support for intuitive gestures, enabling smooth and precise control. Completing the MacBook Neo experience is macOS Tahoe, with powerful built-in apps like Messages, Pages, Calendar, and Safari; seamless integration with iPhone; Apple Intelligence; as well as broad compatibility with third-party apps.
And starting at just $599 and $499 for education, MacBook Neo is Apple’s most affordable laptop ever, providing an unprecedented combination of quality and value. MacBook Neo is available to pre-order starting today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.
“We’re incredibly excited to introduce MacBook Neo, which delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “Built from the ground up to be more affordable for even more people, MacBook Neo is a laptop only Apple could create. It features a durable aluminum design in four beautiful colors; a brilliant Liquid Retina display; Apple silicon-powered performance; all-day battery life; a high-quality camera, mics, and speakers; a Magic Keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad; and the intuitive and powerful features of macOS. There is simply no other laptop like it.”
