Apple decided to shake up the world of affordable laptops — and the results didn’t take long to appear.
The price? $599. For comparison, the cheapest MacBook Air costs $1,099. That’s almost double the difference, yet in terms of functionality, the Neo doesn’t fall far behind its bigger brother. Bloomberg notes that this is Apple’s first laptop that genuinely competes with affordable Windows PCs and Chromebooks — a revolution is near.
The Neo is slightly more compact than standard models: a 13-inch screen versus 13.6 inches on the Air. Screen brightness reaches 500 nits, delivering vivid images even under bright sunlight. The main secret? The iPhone A18 Pro chip powering the laptop. Yes, Apple managed to fit a smartphone processor into a full-fledged MacBook and cut the price nearly in half without losing significant performance.
The base configuration includes 256 GB of storage, while the $699 version doubles the capacity and adds Touch ID for logging in — because in 2026 it’s way more convenient to access your Mac with a finger than a password.
The chassis is aluminum, just like the higher-end models, with Wi‑Fi 6E, a 1080p camera, two USB‑C ports, and a headphone jack. The color options are striking: Citrus, Silver, Dark Blue, and Pink. For anyone who wants style without overspending, the Neo is an excellent choice.
