599 dollars and MacBook are two terms you almost never see in the same sentence. Well, that’s until now, when Apple shook the Apple fanbase with a brand new product called the MacBook Neo. You heard that right. The MacBook family has grown—something I never imagined it would ever do.
You may look at the Neo as the MacBook replacement, only this time it is using Apple silicon. To be honest, it feels more like a smartphone or tablet running macOS. How so? It runs on a smartphone/tablet chip, the A18 Pro—the same chip that powers the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Even the battery is kind of smartphone-ish, packing just 16 hours of battery life between charges from its built-in 36.5-watt-hour lithium-ion battery.
The Neo is kind of like the polycarbonate MacBook all over again, except it is now sleeker with an aluminum design and weighs just 2.7 pounds (1.23 kilograms). More importantly, it has a major difference from the OG polycarbonate MacBook, and that’s the price. Ignoring inflation, with a starting price of US$599 (yes, really), the MacBook Neo is the most affordable laptop from Apple. Bar none.
You know what? Now that I think about it, this device actually feels more like an iPad—but without a touchscreen. So no, the rumored touchscreen MacBook did not happen.
Anyhoo, the new MacBook Neo is rocking a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones, dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio, and a large Multi-Touch trackpad with support for intuitive gestures. With color-coded feet and keyboard, plus fanciful colors, it is clear that Apple has its sights set on the youth. Though it is also good for anyone who wants a MacBook and the full macOS experience without burning a gaping hole in the pocket.
There are two versions to choose from: 256 GB SSD and 512 GB SSD, both with 8 GB of unified memory. Both versions are pretty modest on the I/Os, which include a 3.5 mm headphone jack and two USB ports. One is a USB 3 port with a Type-C interface for charging and DisplayPort output, and the other is a USB 2—also with a Type-C interface—which handles charging and data transfer.
Other spec sheet details include support for ProRes HDR with Dolby Vision, support for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos, Magic Keyboard, Touch ID (512 GB model only), Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 6. The MacBook Neo is supplied with a 20 W USB-C power adapter and a 1.5-m USB-C charge cable.
If anyone’s interested, it is available for preorder, with availability starting March 11, starting at US$599.
Images: Apple.