Apple's budget-friendly MacBook Neo is bursting with color and compromise
- Reference: 1772652031
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/03/04/apple_macbook_neo/
- Source link:
The [1]13-inch notebook is Apple's most affordable and colorful yet, with a design that closely resembles that of the pricier Air, which itself got an [2]M5 refresh earlier this week. The Neo is available in four shades of anodized aluminum: blush (pink), indigo (dark blue), citrus (yellow), and silver.
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Apple’s MacBook Neo may not be its fastest Mac, but it is cheap and colorful - Click to enlarge
While similar in design to the Air, the Neo is both thicker at 0.5 inches of z-height and smaller than the Air, which rocks a slightly larger 13.6-inch display.
Apple has clearly prioritized build quality with the Neo as most of the cost cutting measures necessary to hit the machine's comparatively frugal $599 price point are hidden on the inside.
The most obvious of these is the Neo's processor. Rather than its now famous M-series silicon, Apple grabbed an A18 Pro from its parts bin. As you may recall, the system on chip launched back in 2024 alongside the iPhone 16 Pro.
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Built on TSMC's 3 nm process tech, the chip packs two performance cores and four efficiency cores in a big-little arrangement. The CPU is complemented by a five-core GPU and a 16-core neural engine to power all of those Apple Intelligence features that Tim Cook is so proud of. The low power SoC means that, like the Air, the Neo is entirely fanless.
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While the Neo is by no means Apple's fastest Mac, the iGiant claims the A18 Pro is still "up to 50 percent faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5." Obviously, take those claims with a grain of salt, as Apple's footnotes are conspicuously devoid of detail to back those boasts up.
But, unlike its more expensive siblings, the Neo doesn't offer much in terms of upgradability. The A18 Pro is paired with 8 GB of unified memory with no option to upgrade even at the time of purchase.
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The machine's storage options are also quite limited. The base model comes with 256 GB of flash storage with the option to upgrade to 512 GB for an additional $100. If you need more than that, you'll need to upgrade to one of Apple's pricier Macs.
Apple's cost cutting also extends to I/O. If you thought the MacBook Air's I/O was limited, the Neo is positively spartan, with just two USB-C ports, only one of which supports USB 3 (10 Gbps) connectivity. The other is limited to USB 2.0 (480 Mbps). And since there's no MagSafe connector, only one of those ports is available for peripherals when charging, which you'll be doing a little more frequently than with a MacBook Air or Pro with the Neo boasting just 16 hours of battery life.
The sole USB 3 port also means the Neo is limited to a single external monitor up to 4K 60 Hz, which Apple says can be used simultaneously with the notebook's built-in display.
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Speaking of the display, the Neo features a 13-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 2408 by 1506 pixels and a brightness of 500 nits. While just as bright as the Air, the Neo lacks the P3 color gamut reproduction and Apple's True Tone technology.
The Neo also doesn't get the new N1 wireless chip found on Apple's new M5 Macs. As such, the Neo is limited to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 connectivity.
The cost cutting also extends to the Neo's webcam. Rather than the 12 MP affair found on the MacBook Air and Pro, Neo customers are stuck with a lower-res 1080p camera.
But the most noticeable and perhaps questionable cost cutting measure concerns security. Apple's Touch ID fingerprint reader is only available on the more expensive 512 GB SKU.
The Neo ships with a standard copy of macOS Tahoe and includes a bevy of free software including GarageBand, iMovie, Keynote, Pages, and Numbers.
With the Neo, Apple is clearly targeting a more casual, budget-oriented user base that may be willing to give up some premium features and performance if the price is right. Apple's marketing highlights productivity tasks like web browsing, note taking, light gaming and entertainment rather than the heavy duty content creation roles for which its products are prized.
[9]Apple jacks up MacBook pricing with M5 Pro, Max debut
[10]'Merica-made Mac Minis marked for manufacturing
[11]Nvidia superchip infusion finally coming to Windows PCs, report says
[12]PCs and phones to get more boring and expensive in 2026 thanks to memory drought
The MacBook Neo launches at a particularly inopportune time for PC vendors as ballooning memory prices continue to [13]drive up entry-level PC prices. IDC expects the PC market to decline by about 11 percent in 2026.
"Apple has always positioned the MacBook as a premium computing product, with entry prices typically starting near or above $999," IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo said in an email to El Reg . "Moving into the $600 range indicates that Apple's strategy is to expand the macOS installed base and compete more directly with Windows laptops and Chromebooks in education and price-sensitive segments."
Apple isn't immune to the memory crunch. On Tuesday, Apple used its M5 refresh as an excuse to [14]jack up the price of its MacBook Air and MacBook Pros.
The Neo is available for pre-order today starting at $599, with a $100 education discount for eligible students and faculty with general availability slated for March 11. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/say-hello-to-macbook-neo/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/03/apples_m5_pro_max_macbooks/
[3] https://regmedia.co.uk/2026/03/04/apple_macbook_neo.jpg
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aai5kjZQTyVFmzUcgkw65wAAAxY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aai5kjZQTyVFmzUcgkw65wAAAxY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aai5kjZQTyVFmzUcgkw65wAAAxY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aai5kjZQTyVFmzUcgkw65wAAAxY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aai5kjZQTyVFmzUcgkw65wAAAxY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/03/apples_m5_pro_max_macbooks/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/24/apple_mac_mini_us/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/23/nvidia_soc_pc/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/27/memory_drought_pcs_phones_suck/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/26/memory_price_hikes/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/03/apples_m5_pro_max_macbooks/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
+1, however, this might be the model that gets my mom off of Windows, 99% of what she does is browser based. In 2016, I paid more for the windows laptop she has now.
Ever used one?
Have you ever used an Apple silicon Mac with 8GB of ram? My wife still uses a 2020 M1, and it's fine for most things. It's not for everyone's use cases, but you might be surprised how okay it is.
8GB is double what you need to run macOS if you turn off apple intelligence, I wouldn’t run logic pro or Shake or Maya, pro tools... but audacity /garage band/even reaper, iMovie, shotcut, and possibly davinci resolve(slowly) would all work, I'm not saying I'd choose this spec for them but if it's all you can afford and you get a year of support to make it work that's actually not that bad. Also the average user at this price point will use safari or install chrome or Firefox, The old iTunes broken into Music, TV, Podcasts... and maybe pages or numbers occasionally as well as mail. If they are a non media/it student or this is a personal device that's it if they work remotely they might use citrix workspace or the azure rdp thing or VMware horizon or some browser based client to hook into a desktop as a a service from work, even if they are a linux server admin or cloud admin who gets VPN creds they will use browser GUIs VS Code and terminal. It will not be the most fun mac or even as smooth as a $2000 windows 11 box but it's $600 and it will likely just work. I am not saying I would get this a PC that doesn’t hit the windows 11 spec from eBay or back market with twice the ram for half the money and debian/ubuntu/freebsd or Fedora or Arch if you want it to be a 2nd job would do me fine if i was on a budget but if you want a years support you can extend if you need it and apple logo and to be on one of the 2 commercial platforms nearly everything supports this'll do. And with 8GB RAM rather than 4 you can even turn on apple intelligence I wouldn't but again I am not the target for this thing.
Never look a gift-horse in the mouth
My wife has a really old Intel MacBook... 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD.
The battery is shot ($500 to replace?)
The power supply died (using an old Dell USB-C brick now)
It only has one USB-C port (not two)
So for those budget-minded among us, this may be an interesting option.
Re: Never look a gift-horse in the mouth
@Mickaroo: Third-party replacement MacBook batteries can be bought on eBay for £60 or £70. And the older your wife's MacBook is, the easier it is to replace...
[1]YouTube: MacBook battery replacement
[1] https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=macbook+battery+replacement
8GB is fine
For the market it is targeting - students, and casual users who basically use their PCs only for browsing and email.
I think Apple felt it was more important to hit the $599 price point than to satisfy everyone's complaints about the amount of RAM, lack of P3/TruTone, missing fingerprint reader, and so forth.
Swap
It should be called MacBook Swap with that 8GB of RAM.
Down with the cool kids
I could be tempted at that price, especially if my student email still works and I can get a discount. I'll be able to be seen with an Apple, sadly never will be cool though.
Re: Down with the cool kids
If you don't mind refurbished, MacBook Airs starting at £365 and MacBook Pros starting at £425...
[1]https://www.hoxtonmacs.co.uk/collections/refurbished-macbook-air
[1] https://www.hoxtonmacs.co.uk/collections/refurbished-macbook-air
I use an iPad when I'm travelling. The battery is just about shot and I've been looking at buying a new one. I'm off to the Apple shop this weekend to have a look at the Neo as a potential replacement instead. It's chunkier, obviously, but it's a proper PC, with a proper keyboard and it will be mostly used for browsing - and it's about the same price. If it came with a SIM it could be perfect as a travel PC.
Lots of tablet + keyboard covers fill this role and can be much lighter and less bulky. In saying that it doesn't feel the same.
I looked at an iPad with the Folio Keyboard last week (I'm deep in the Apple garden, no escape for me yet). It was OK-ish, but not sure about using it on my lap and the keyboard is £250. So the cheapest iPad (128GB, no SIM) + keyboard is £578. For another £20 the base Neo starts to look good. I need to see it in the flesh, but I don't think I'll buy one soon. I prefer to be a late adopter to make sure that Apple haven't cut too many corners on build quality, particularly the keyboard. Lack of magsafe puts me off a bit too - but now I'm comparing it to a Mac instead of an iPad.
Why would it need a SIM?
Doesn't everyone's phone plan support tethering these days?
Not a fan of MacOS...
....but if I still used Apple kit I could definitely see the appeal of a lightweight fanless laptop. If I was shopping for a new device $599 doesn't look too bad when compared to a premium-priced Chromebook, without all the tied-to-google cloudy stuff.
Curious to see what repairability score it gets on iFixit, though!
Not sure how heavy Apple's latest OS release is but if it's footprint is similar to Ubuntu GNOME then 8GB ram is likely enough for the average user. This thing is effectively a 13" iPad with a keyboard and hinge glued to it to make it into a laptop. Personally I prefer that form factor over a tablet and still miss Netbooks.
Apart from a totally dead battery and being rather crap with modern bloated websites my 10" Samsung NC10 can still be a very useful lightweight travel machine for stuff like document writing. I power it off a USB-C powerbank via an adapter, and at 18 years old it's hardly worth nicking.
8GB - good luck!