Apple has officially introduced MacBook Neo, a brand-new laptop designed to bring the Mac experience to more people at a lower price than ever before. Starting at $599 — or $499 for education customers — MacBook Neo becomes the most affordable Mac laptop Apple has ever released.
The new laptop features a lightweight aluminum design available in four colours: blush, indigo, silver and a new citrus finish. Apple says the machine weighs just 2.7 pounds, making it easy to carry for students, commuters and anyone who needs a portable laptop.
MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2408 by 1506, 500 nits of brightness and support for one billion colours. Apple says the display is brighter and higher resolution than most laptops in the same price range, offering a better experience for watching videos, editing photos or browsing the web.
Powering the laptop is Apple’s A18 Pro chip, the same class of processor originally developed for the iPhone lineup. Apple says the chip delivers up to 50 percent faster everyday performance compared to the best-selling PC laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, and up to three times faster performance for on-device AI workloads. The chip also includes a 16-core Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence features and a 5-core GPU for graphics tasks and casual gaming.
Despite its compact design, Apple says MacBook Neo can deliver up to 16 hours of battery life on a single charge thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. The laptop is also completely fanless, meaning it runs silently during everyday tasks.
MacBook Neo includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camera for video calls, dual microphones with directional beamforming and dual side-firing speakers with support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. Apple has also included its Magic Keyboard for comfortable typing and a large Multi-Touch trackpad that supports macOS gestures.
Connectivity includes two USB-C ports that can be used for charging or accessories, alongside a headphone jack for wired audio. The laptop also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 for wireless connections.
MacBook Neo ships with macOS Tahoe, which includes Apple Intelligence features such as writing tools, translation capabilities and deeper integration across Apple apps. The system also includes Continuity features that allow users to seamlessly work between Mac and iPhone, including Handoff, Universal Clipboard and iPhone Mirroring.
Apple says MacBook Neo was designed with sustainability in mind and includes 60 percent recycled materials, including recycled aluminum in the enclosure and recycled cobalt in the battery.
Customers can pre-order MacBook Neo starting today, with availability beginning March 11 in Apple Store locations and through authorized resellers.
