Apple finally took the wraps off its long-rumored budget laptop. In simultaneous events in New York, London, and Shanghai, the company showed off the MacBook Neo, runs on the Apple A18 Pro processor, previously used to run the iPhone 16 Pro.
With this cheaper machine, Apple is taking aim at Chromebook and low-end Windows users, as well as those who may have wanted a MacBook but felt the price was out of reach. This new system, while still made of aluminum, comes in a variety of colors, including TK. They’re the most vibrant colors on an Apple laptop since the iBook G3 in 1999.
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The MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, 2 USB-C ports, Dolby Atmos side-firing speakers, and a multi-touch trackpad. It also has a 1080p webcam and a 3.5mm headphone jack, and some more expensive versions will be available with Touch ID. It’s a relatively light device, weighing just 2.7 pounds and measuring 0.5 inches thick. As for battery life, Apple says that the MacBook Neo can last for up to 16 hours per charge.
Apple says that the MacBook Neo will start at $599 for the 256GB version and will be available in silver, indigo, blush, and citrus. The 512GB version will come with Touch ID and be priced at $699. Preorders go live today, and systems will ship on March 11.
We’ve already had some hands-on time with the MacBook Neo, and we must say, the aluminum chassis feels really nice — especially at this price point. The trackpad is Apple-typical smooth, but there is no haptic feedback like in more expensive MacBook models. In addition, the keyboard is not backlit, which we take for granted on today’s laptops (although some features had to be left on the cutting-room floor to reach a starting price $500 below the new M5 MacBook Air).
