Apple Unveils $599 MacBook Neo Powered by A18 Pro Chip

Apple has introduced MacBook Neo, a brand-new entry-level laptop designed to make the Mac ecosystem more accessible, with a starting price of $599 in the United States and $499 for education customers.

The device represents Apple’s most affordable MacBook to date and aims to compete with lower-cost Windows laptops and Chromebooks, particularly among students and first-time buyers. 

MacBook Neo slots below the MacBook Air in Apple’s line-up while maintaining many of the design and ecosystem features that define the Mac platform.

Instead of using Apple’s M-series processors, the MacBook Neo is powered by the A18 Pro chip, the same processor used in recent iPhone Pro models. 

The chip features a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, along with a 16-core Neural Engine designed to accelerate artificial-intelligence tasks such as photo editing, text summarization, and image processing directly on the device.

According to Apple, the laptop can be up to 50% faster for everyday tasks like web browsing compared with many mainstream PCs equipped with Intel Core Ultra 5 processors.

The Neural Engine also enables improved performance for on-device AI workloads, which Apple says can run up to three times faster than comparable PCs in certain scenarios. 

MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with support for one billion colors and brightness levels of around 500 nits, delivering a vivid viewing experience for everyday computing tasks. 

Apple designed the laptop with a durable aluminium chassis and a lightweight profile of roughly 1.23 kg, making it suitable for students and mobile users who need a portable machine. 

The company is also introducing the device in four distinctive colours:

• Blush
• Indigo
• Silver
• Citrus

These brighter finishes echo Apple’s earlier consumer-focused designs and signal the device’s positioning as a youthful and accessible MacBook. 

Thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon, MacBook Neo delivers up to 16 hours of battery life on a single charge. 

The laptop is also fanless, allowing it to run completely silently during everyday workloads such as browsing the web, writing documents, or streaming video. 

Despite its lower price, the device still includes several core Mac features, including:

• Magic Keyboard
• Large Multi-Touch trackpad
• 1080p FaceTime camera
• Spatial audio speakers with Dolby Atmos
• Two USB-C ports and a headphone jack

These components ensure the laptop maintains the standard macOS experience while targeting entry-level users. 

MacBook Neo runs macOS Tahoe, Apple’s latest desktop operating system, which includes built-in apps such as Safari, Messages, and Pages along with deep integration with iPhone features. 

The device also supports Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI features designed to assist with tasks like note summarization, writing suggestions, and photo editing while maintaining on-device privacy protections. 

MacBook Neo starts at $599 for the 256GB model, with higher-capacity configurations available for users who need more storage. 

Apple says pre-orders are open immediately, with shipments and in-store availability beginning March 11 in several markets. 

With MacBook Neo, Apple appears to be expanding its reach into the budget laptop market for the first time in years offering a lower-cost entry point into macOS while maintaining the company’s design language and ecosystem features.