Apple has introduced a new budget-friendly laptop called the MacBook Neo, priced at $599 in the United States, in an effort to offer more affordable options within its Mac product line. The 13-inch laptop can be pre-ordered starting Wednesday, with sales commencing on March 11 at Apple stores and authorized resellers across 30 countries, including the US, with an educational pricing starting at $499.
Unveiled at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, the MacBook Neo features an aluminum casing and comes in four color options: blush, indigo, silver, and citrus. Weighing 2.7lb, the laptop boasts a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2408-by-1506, 500 nits of brightness, and support for 1 billion colors, along with an anti-reflective coating.
Powered by the A18 Pro chip, the MacBook Neo is optimized for daily tasks like web browsing, document editing, photo manipulation, and streaming. Apple claims it delivers up to 50% faster performance for web browsing compared to a leading PC with an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, and up to three times faster for on-device AI tasks, based on internal testing conducted in January and February.
John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, emphasized that the MacBook Neo was designed to be more affordable for a wider audience, offering Apple silicon-powered performance and extended battery life lasting up to 16 hours on a single charge. The laptop is fanless, eliminating the need for an internal cooling fan, and includes features like a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones with directional beamforming, and side-firing speakers supporting Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.
In terms of connectivity, the MacBook Neo is equipped with two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 6, with external display support through the left USB-C port. The laptop comes with macOS Tahoe, integrated with Apple’s services and devices, featuring Continuity functions linking Macs and iPhones, along with Apple Intelligence features supporting tasks like writing assistance and live translation.
Apple highlighted the MacBook Neo as its most environmentally friendly MacBook yet, with 60% recycled content, including 90% recycled aluminum and 100% recycled cobalt in the battery. The packaging is fiber-based and recyclable, aligning with Apple’s commitment to sustainability.