Pro > Air > Neo, that’s the updated hierarchy in Apple’s laptop lineup. Following months of leaks and rumors, Cupertino finally announced its first “budget MacBook” in over a decade. And the rumors were spot on, as it brings an iPhone chipset, fun colors and a $599/€699 starting price.
You’re getting pretty great specs, including a 13-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD with 2,408 x 1,506px resolution, 60Hz refresh rate and a 3:2 aspect ratio. The panel is rated at 500 nits peak brightness, and you get a 1080p FaceTime HD camera.
Apple’s Magic Keyboard is also here, though without backlighting. Touch ID is reserved for the version with 512GB storage. All versions get the same multi-touch trackpad, which lacks Force Touch haptic feedback. The chassis is made from 90% recycled aluminum, and the entire laptop weighs 1.23 kg.
MacBook Neo gets Magic Keyboard and side-firing speakers
The speakers are positioned on the side and support spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. The laptop is also equipped with a dual-mic array with directional beamforming.
Apple went with the A18 Pro chipset, which made its debut on the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max back in 2024. It is joined by 8GB of unified memory and 256 or 512GB storage. According to Apple, MacBook Neo is 50% faster at web browsing, and up to 3x faster when running on-device AI workloads compared to Windows laptops equipped with Intel’s Core Ultra 5 processor.
In terms of I/O, you get 2x USB-C ports with 1x offering USB 3 speeds and DisplayPort capability, while the second is a slower USB 2-rated one. The two USBs are joined by a 3.5mm headphone jack. Wireless is covered by Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 6. On the software side, MacBook Neo runs regular macOS 26 Tahoe with Apple Intelligence.
Apple also packed a 36.5Wh lithium‑ion battery, which is rated for up to 16 hours of video streaming or 11 hours of web browsing.
MacBook Neo comes in Silver, Blush (pink), Citrus (yellow), and Indigo (blue) colors. It starts at $599/€699/£599/₹69,900 for the 8/256GB trim and goes up to $699/€799/£699/₹79,900 for the 512GB storage model.
MacBook Neo color options
Education prices are even more affordable, with the base model starting at $499/€599/£499/₹59,900.
MacBook Neo is now on pre-order and will be available from March 11.