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When I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was find the nearest Apple Store to my hotel in Los Angeles. Thankfully, the Apple Store was just a few meters away from my hotel at the posh Beverly Center. As soon as the store opened its doors, I was among the first few people to walk in. And there it was: the MacBook Neo, Apple’s first “budget” Mac notebook in many years.
The MacBook Neo, in many ways, reminds me of the MacBook released in 2006. Powered by an Intel processor, the notebook featured a 13.3-inch glossy display and a chiclet-style keyboard in an all-new white plastic case, replacing the iBook G4. While it is still remembered as the affordable Mac notebook, the MacBook was an entirely new machine. And it was a huge success: it not only brought new consumers to the Mac but also introduced Intel processors to Apple computers, something I feel the iMac and MacBook Pro couldn’t.
I see a parallel between the MacBook and the MacBook Neo; the intention remains the same: to offer a Mac notebook at a never-before-seen price ($599/Rs 69,900) and to reach an audience of first-time Mac users.
No wonder, like many others, I have had a series of questions about the MacBook Neo: Is it a MacBook, or an iPad inside a notebook shell? Or a combination of the two? My curious mind couldn’t stop thinking.
I spent some time with the MacBook Neo at an Apple Store in Los Angeles to satisfy my curiosity, and here are my early impressions.
I walked into the Apple Store in Los Angeles to check out the newly launched MacBook Neo. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/ Indian Express)
Looks and feels like a MacBook — this time in fun colours
I wouldn’t be lying if I admitted that I thought the MacBook Neo would be a cheap notebook but I was so wrong. Before trying it out myself, I was under the impression that the Neo would be a low-cost netbook, those plastic-y laptops that were once all the rage, disguised as a MacBook. But no, the Neo feels like a regular MacBook. It has an aluminum chassis and looks very premium, much like a MacBook Air. In fact, I could open the lid of the Neo with a single hand. The notebook feels sturdy, has a nice heft to it, and is cold to the touch.
Unlike the MacBook Pro, which is a serious computer, the Neo is designed with a different intention and it shows. There are four colours to choose from, but my favorite remains the “Citrus” yellow, which perfectly encapsulates the spirit of summer. It has a tinge of lime green and gold and is brightest among the four colours. I think the Neo has more personality than any other Mac. It’s fun, youthful, energetic, and I am sure the Neo will be a hit with students and average consumers.
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Each MacBook Neo also comes with a colour-matching keyboard. The keycaps are lighter than the rest of the device, which gives it a distinct look. Meanwhile, the rounder corners of the display and chassis bring a little playfulness, which reminds me of the iBook G3 I have.
Interestingly, and to my surprise, the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air are very close in size. While the Neo is slightly thicker than the Air, they weigh the same at 1.2 kg. The only thing is that the MacBook Air is slightly deeper and wider than the Neo.
Sure, Apple has cut corners to make the Neo affordable, and I can’t ignore it. On the Neo, the headphone jack is on the left side, closer to the front, along with the two USB-C ports. It may sound fine until you start thinking about how those ports are used in everyday situations. The Neo lacks features like Thunderbolt connectivity and MagSafe charging. I understand these were not included to cut costs, but their absence also limits users who rely on external displays, docks, or high-speed storage.
Just imagine, out of two USB-C ports, one of which will often be occupied by the charging cable. That leaves only one port available for accessories like external drives, displays, or adapters. And the weird part is that the two ports don’t offer identical transfer speeds. Only one port supports USB 3 data transfer speeds and video output, while the other only runs at USB 2 speeds.
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The Neo’s keyboard uses the same layout as Apple’s other laptops. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Fantastic screen and sound for a budget notebook
I will be honest: I have never seen visuals this good or sound this impressive from a budget notebook. Some Xiaomi and Lenovo tablets do have stunning screens and speakers, but nothing comes close to what you get on the MacBook Neo. Thanks to the Neo’s 13-inch display, which has a resolution of 2408 x 1506 and maintains a high pixel density of 219 pixels per inch, it is on par with the 13-inch MacBook Air.
During the brief time I spent with the Neo at the Apple Store, I watched a few YouTube videos and short-form content, and everything looked bright and colorful. Even the speakers sounded much better than those I have tested on budget Windows notebooks over the years.
The Neo has two ports, and they are just regular ports rather than Thunderbolt ports. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Excellent keyboard that feels almost on par with the MacBook Air
Despite being a low-cost Mac notebook, Apple didn’t ship a flimsy keyboard. In fact, the Neo has a low-profile Magic Keyboard that instantly feels familiar. The keyboard has vertical keys, which translates to comfortable typing. Sure, the trackpad isn’t the same Force Touch as on the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. It is something called a “Multi-Touch” touchpad that uses a mechanical switch, unlike the haptic touchpads on high-end MacBook Pros. What it does is click, instead of imitating a click with haptic feedback like the MacBook Air and Pro do. I really liked both the keyboard and the Multi-Touch trackpad on the Neo. The only caveat that annoys me is that there’s no keyboard backlighting. I need a backlit keyboard because I often work on a laptop during flights. But I guess many people won’t have an issue with a non-backlit keyboard.
The Neo ships with only 8GB of unified memory. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
A phone chip in a MacBook but does that really work?
Agreed, the Neo is a MacBook after all, but the chip powering the notebook is not the same as in the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. The MacBook Neo is powered not by an M-series chip designed for Macs, such as the M4 or M5, but by an iPhone chip. You hear it right. Inside the MacBook Neo is the A18 Pro, the same chip that’s also powering the iPhone 16 Pro Max. It’s a powerful mobile chip but now Apple is using that in a MacBook.
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It might sound like a somewhat strange decision on Apple’s part, and not everyone would agree, but I found the Neo reasonably capable for the tasks the average consumer buys a computer for things like browsing the web, writing an assignment, streaming Netflix, or casually editing photos and videos.
I browsed the indianexpress.com website and opened several tabs, and I didn’t find the Neo slowing down during my brief testing. However, I am concerned about how the Neo will perform in the long run. What bothers me is not the A18 Pro processor, which has already proven to be a powerful performer, but the Neo’s storage performance and memory. The speed of the Neo’s SSD is already slow; in fact, it is about half as fast as the SSD on the M1 MacBook Air. But the biggest concern with the Neo is the limited 8 GB of unified memory. With macOS becoming more memory-hungry with newer versions, I am concerned about whether the Neo will be able to handle demanding tasks, especially now that AI is entering the picture.
I couldn’t test the claims Apple is making about the Neo’s battery life. Apple promises that the notebook can deliver up to 16 hours of video playback and roughly 11 hours of web browsing. Of course, real-world performance will always depend on how you use the laptop, but even if the Neo is able to last through a school day or a long stretch of work without constant charging, I think that would be a win.
Runs a full-fledged macOS, not iPadOS or iOS
For me, the highlight of the MacBook Neo is that, in spite of its limitations, Apple is able to run macOS, even though the notebook sits at the entry level. That means the Neo supports a proper desktop-grade version of macOS and the same set of features you get on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Plus, it is deeply integrated with the broader Apple ecosystem. And if you happen to be an iPhone user, the integration is seamless. For example, you can move files between devices, photos stay synced through iCloud, and enhancements that boost day-to-day productivity. I think for first-time Mac buyers, the Neo is a gateway, the first step into the Apple ecosystem.
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The Neo comes in four colors, and each of them is a bit eye-catching. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Early outlook
To a large extent, Apple’s new entry-level MacBook Neo is a reboot of the budget computer, especially at a $599 price point, which is unheard of for an Apple computer. Even if you take its underwhelming aspects into consideration, the MacBook Neo is an absolute game changer. What should really be highlighted here is how Apple used a proven mobile processor to power a Mac and managed to bring the price of this new entry-level laptop down to as low as $599. I think the launch of the MacBook Neo will put a lot of pressure on laptop makers at large, forcing them to go back to the drawing board and think differently about how to get people back to Windows laptops.
FAQ
I am getting a lot of questions about what the MacBook Neo misses out on and what it doesn’t come with. For a start, there is no True Tone display and no ambient light sensor. The display is similar to the MacBook Air, but there’s no notch, so the screen has larger bezels. There is no keyboard backlighting, and there’s no Touch ID on the lower-end model. Ports are limited to two USB-C ports, one of which is USB 2.0. The trackpad uses a mechanical mechanism rather than the haptic one found on other MacBook laptops. Storage is limited to two options: 256GB and 512GB. The webcam has a 1080p resolution and doesn’t support Center Stage. The Neo is further limited to Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 6E.
