MacBook Neo goes on sale as Apple's lowest-priced laptop

Apple's MacBook Neo laptop is now available to customers (as of 11th March), marking the arrival of Apple's lowest-priced MacBook and a new entry point into the company's laptop line-up.

The 13-inch device expands Apple's Mac portfolio with a model aimed at students, first-time Mac buyers and users focused on everyday computing. Apple is positioning the device as a lower-cost option within the MacBook range while retaining the company's aluminium laptop design and Apple silicon architecture.

MacBook Neo combines a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with Apple's A18 Pro chip and up to 16 hours of battery life. The device runs macOS Tahoe and includes built-in apps and Apple Intelligence features integrated across the operating system.

The model adds a new tier beneath Apple's existing MacBook products, targeting users who need a laptop for web browsing, document work, media streaming and light creative tasks.

A new price point

MacBook Neo is designed to broaden access to the Mac platform by lowering the entry price for Apple's laptop line-up.

Apple says the device was built to provide core Mac features while maintaining a more accessible price point than other MacBook models.

The company has emphasised the combination of macOS, Apple silicon performance and long battery life as key elements of the device's positioning.

The launch also reflects Apple's continuing strategy of designing custom processors across its computing products. Apple silicon now powers the entire Mac range.

Aluminium design

MacBook Neo features an aluminium enclosure and weighs 2.7 pounds. Apple says the chassis is designed with soft, rounded corners to create a lighter and more portable laptop.

The device is available in four colours: blush, indigo, silver and citrus.

Apple says the colours extend to the keyboard and wallpapers, creating a consistent visual theme across the device.

The laptop includes Apple's Magic Keyboard and a large Multi-Touch trackpad designed to support gesture navigation.

Some models also include Touch ID for authentication and purchase authorisation.

Display features

MacBook Neo includes a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2408 by 1506 pixels.

Apple says the screen supports 1 billion colours and reaches brightness of up to 500 nits. The display also includes an anti-reflective coating intended to improve viewing in a range of lighting conditions.

A 1080p FaceTime HD camera sits above the display for video calls.

Apple says the laptop includes dual microphones with directional beamforming designed to reduce background noise and isolate a user's voice.

Audio is delivered through dual side-firing speakers with support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.

Apple silicon

MacBook Neo runs on Apple's A18 Pro processor, which includes a six-core CPU, a five-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine.

Apple says the chip allows the laptop to handle everyday computing tasks including browsing, document editing and photo editing. The company also says the processor supports on-device artificial intelligence workloads.

The laptop uses a fanless design. Apple says this allows the system to operate without active cooling and run silently during use.

macOS Tahoe ships with the device and includes Apple Intelligence capabilities integrated across the operating system and applications.

Apple says the operating system also provides compatibility with a wide range of third-party applications.

Connectivity options

MacBook Neo includes two USB-C ports and a headphone jack for wired audio.

Both USB-C ports support charging. External display connectivity is supported through the left-side port.

Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6.

Apple says the device integrates with iPhone through Continuity features built into macOS. These include Handoff, Universal Clipboard and iPhone Mirroring.

These tools allow users to move tasks between devices and interact with an iPhone directly from the Mac.

Battery life

Apple says MacBook Neo provides up to 16 hours of battery life on a single charge.

The company's testing includes wireless web browsing and video streaming. Battery performance varies depending on configuration and usage.

Apple says the battery life is supported by the power efficiency of its Apple silicon processors.

Environmental design

Apple says MacBook Neo contains 60 per cent recycled content, the highest proportion used in an Apple product.

The company says the device includes recycled aluminium and recycled cobalt in the battery.

Apple also says the manufacturing process for the enclosure uses a material-efficient forming technique that requires less aluminium than traditional machining.

The device is produced using renewable electricity across parts of Apple's supply chain, according to the company.