The MacBook Neo has been a huge hit for Apple, but the surge in demand has also led the company to rethink its chip production strategy. According to a WSJ report, Apple and Intel have just made a “preliminary” chipmaking deal through which Intel’s fabs will be used to manufacture some of the chips that power Apple devices, and that could also include the A27 chips powering the next-gen MacBook Neo.

Taiwanese chip giant TSMC has been exclusively manufacturing Apple chips for years, but its capacity remains tight due to unprecedented demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) chips. Therefore, Apple diversifying its chip production partners will help the brand secure additional supply for its entry-level and mainstream-focused chips.

The A18 chip that powers the MacBook Neo and iPhone 16 series is currently manufactured using TSMC’s N3B process technology. That too isn’t unaffected by the ongoing chip shortages, and this has led to a $100 increase in the MacBook Neo’s price, which is a big hike for a $599 product. The deal with Intel will help Apple ensure an optimal quantity of upcoming MacBook Neo laptops in the market.

Apple was also reportedly in talks with Samsung for its chip needs. That could be seen as a backup option in case the need arises. For Intel, this is less about reviving the ‘Intel Inside’ era and more about proving its factories can compete with the world’s best.

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Related stories:
1. TSMC ramps up 2nm production capacity with five fabs, targeting a major leap over 3nm capacity
2. Samsung’s next-gen 1.4nm Exynos under testing with a massive 96MB cache and higher clock speeds

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The MacBook Neo is Apple’s most affordable laptop and is designed to cater to specific types of users. It focuses on portability and value over performance and serves as an entry point to Apple’s ecosystem.

Students, first-time Mac users, casual consumers, and writers can find the Neo appealing, but it’s not for everyone. Here’s who should consider buying the MacBook Neo and why.

Students and Educators

If you’re always running between classes or hanging out in the library, the MacBook Neo is a no-brainer. It weighs just 1.23 kg, so you can toss it in your backpack and barely even feel it, a huge win for long days on campus. Plus, because it doesn’t have a fan, it stays totally silent, meaning you won’t be that person with the loud, whirring laptop in a quiet study room.

The Neo is absolutely great for writing essays, doing research, and hopping on Google Classroom or other school platforms. Sure, the A18 Pro chip isn’t meant for heavy-duty stuff like editing massive videos in Premiere or running AutoCAD, but it handles everyday schoolwork like a champ. Starting at $599, it’s the most affordable way to get a brand-new Mac without sacrificing that premium Apple build quality.

Casual Users

If your idea of a heavy workload is binge-watching Netflix, scrolling through social media, or doing some online shopping, you’re going to love this laptop. The 13-inch Liquid Retina display looks absolutely gorgeous, making all your favorite shows pop in stunning detail. And honestly, it still has that sleek aluminum body, so you aren’t giving up that premium feel just to save some cash.

It’s small, easy to carry around the house, and the battery lasts up to 15 hours for everyday stuff. So, if you just want a great screen for Safari, iMessage, and movie nights, the Neo is basically the ultimate couch companion and entertainment hub in disguise.

Writers and Journalists

For all the writers and journalists out there, the MacBook Neo hits the sweet spot between capability and price. The Magic Keyboard is incredibly comfortable, which is exactly what you need when you’re typing away for hours on end. And since there are no fans, you get total silence whether you’re working at your desk or chilling in a coffee shop.

If you pretty much live in your web browser or use apps like Microsoft Word and Google Docs, this laptop is a dream. It’s not made for intense creative projects like 4K video editing, but for getting words on a page and light multitasking, it’s an awesome little sidekick.

First-Time Mac Buyers

Thinking about making the jump from Windows or a Chromebook? The MacBook Neo is the perfect place to start. For under $600, you get to experience how smoothly everything works in the Apple ecosystem. If you already have an iPhone or iPad, you’ll love how easy it is to sync your messages, AirDrop files, and copy-paste between devices.

The A18 Pro chip feels super snappy and intuitive, especially if you’re used to mobile apps. It might not have the crazy power of the M-series Macs, but for your daily tasks and productivity needs, it’s more than enough to keep you happy.

Windows Users Tired of Budget PCs

Let’s be real, budget Windows laptops can sometimes be bulky, loud, and a bit laggy. If you’re tired of dealing with that, the MacBook Neo is a breath of fresh air. You get a sleek aluminum design, zero fan noise, and a super smooth macOS experience that you rarely see at this price point.

If you mostly use web apps like Google Docs, Slack, or YouTube, the Neo is going to feel way faster and more reliable than most sub-$600 Windows PCs. Plus, if you’re already an iPhone user, having a laptop that plays nicely with your phone is a huge bonus that gives you that seamless iPhone experience on a bigger screen.

Who Should Avoid the Neo?

Now, let’s keep it real, the MacBook Neo isn’t for everyone. If you’re a pro video editor, a developer, or someone who loves having dozens of tabs open while running heavy software, you’re going to hit a wall pretty fast with its 8GB RAM. It’s also not the best pick if you need to plug into multiple external monitors or use heavy-duty docking stations.

If that sounds like you, you’ll definitely want to save up for a MacBook Air M5 or a MacBook Pro. Those machines have the extra power, memory, and ports you’ll need for heavier workflows.

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After the god-tier M5 Max, the first benchmark results for the Apple MacBook Neo have surfaced online. The numbers suggest that the laptop’s CPU performance is very close to that of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro.

According to Apple’s official specifications, the MacBook Neo runs on the Apple A18 Pro chip, the same six-core processor found inside the iPhone 16 Pro.

However, the laptop version ships with a slightly reduced graphics configuration. While the iPhone 16 Pro has six GPU cores, the MacBook Neo includes five. The CPU cores are 6 on both. 

MacBook Neo Geekbench

With this setup, the MacBook Neo scored 3461 in single-core, 8668 in multi-core, and 31,286 in the Metal graphics test on Geekbench. For comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro posts 3445 single-core, 8624 multi-core, and 32,575 Metal.

These scores make the two devices nearly identical on the CPU side, which isn’t surprising given that they share the same chip architecture. The small gap in the Metal graphics score likely comes from the MacBook Neo’s reduced GPU core count.

The numbers also put the new laptop in an interesting position compared to older and newer Macs. For instance, the Apple MacBook Air (M1) scored 2346 single-core and 8342 multi-core in the same benchmark, meaning the MacBook Neo noticeably improves single-core performance while only slightly surpassing the M1 in multi-core tasks.

Meanwhile, the Apple MacBook Air M4 sits in a very different performance tier with 3696 single-core and 14,730 multi-core, far ahead in workloads that rely on multiple CPU cores.

The MacBook Neo also lands below devices like the Apple iPad Air (M3) in multi-core performance, which scores 11,678 points. However, it still outperforms more entry-level hardware, such as the Apple iPad (11th generation), which achieves 6036 points in multi-core performance.

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Apple just introduced the MacBook Neo as its most affordable laptop at $599. This is a Mac designed for people who might otherwise buy a Chromebook or a cheaper Windows laptop. And at first glance, it’s really captivating.

It has an aluminum chassis, weighs just 1.23kg, and comes in four bright colors. The laptop features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, dual speakers with Dolby Atmos, a 1080p webcam, and up to 16 hours of battery life.

But once you look past the bright colors and the relatively low price, the compromises start to show. To reach this price point, Apple has trimmed back several features that users might expect from a modern MacBook. Some of those changes may not matter much to casual users, but others stand out when you compare them with the company’s more expensive laptops.

Here are five limitations of the MacBook Neo that you must know before buying Apple’s new entry-level laptop.

It doesn’t use a full-power laptop chip

One of the most unusual aspects of the MacBook Neo is its processor.

Instead of using one of Apple’s laptop-focused chips, like those found in the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, Apple chose the A18 Pro, the same chip it used in the iPhone 16 Pro.

This choice alone makes it clear where Apple sees the Neo in its lineup. A-series chips are typically designed for iPhones and iPads, not laptops. While they’re powerful and efficient, they aren’t built with the same thermal headroom or performance expectations as Apple’s M-series processors.

The version of the chip used in the MacBook Neo is also slightly reduced. The iPhone version features a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, while the MacBook Neo ships with a 6-core CPU but only a 5-core GPU.

For basic tasks like browsing, document editing, or streaming, the chip should still be more than capable. Apple is also using a fanless design, which means the laptop operates completely silently. But for heavier workloads like video editing, the Neo may fall short compared with laptops powered by Apple’s M-series chips.

Limited memory and slower memory bandwidth

Memory is another area where Apple has made clear compromises. The MacBook Neo comes with 8GB of RAM, and unlike many other Apple computers, users cannot upgrade it when ordering the device. That means buyers are locked into the base configuration.

By comparison, newer Mac models now start with 16GB of RAM, including updated versions of the MacBook Air.

Because Apple uses unified memory architecture — where the CPU and GPU share the same memory pool — the amount of RAM can affect multiple parts of the system at once. Lower memory limits may become noticeable when running many browser tabs, multitasking across apps, or working with large files.

There’s also a difference in memory bandwidth. The MacBook Neo offers 60GB/s, which is less than half of what the MacBook Air provides.

The display loses several premium features

Apple is still calling the screen on the MacBook Neo a Liquid Retina display, but it’s not the same type of panel used in the company’s other laptops.

The 13-inch display has a resolution of 2408 × 1506, supports 1 billion colors, and reaches 500 nits of brightness, which matches the brightness level of the MacBook Air. However, there are several missing features.

First, the display only covers the sRGB color gamut, rather than the wider P3 color space supported by the MacBook Air since it switched to Apple silicon in 2020.

The display also does not support True Tone, Apple’s technology that automatically adjusts color temperature based on ambient lighting.

And perhaps more surprisingly, the MacBook Neo doesn’t include an ambient light sensor at all. That means the system cannot automatically adjust screen brightness depending on the environment.

No Magnetic Charging

Finally, the MacBook Neo removes a few physical hardware features that are common on other MacBooks.

One of the biggest differences is charging. Unlike the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the Neo does not include a MagSafe magnetic charging port. 

Instead, it relies on two USB-C ports, both located on the left side of the laptop. One of these ports supports USB 3 speeds up to 10Gb/s, while the other is limited to USB 2 speeds up to 480Mb/s.

Using USB-C for charging is not unusual, but MagSafe has become a popular feature because it detaches easily if someone trips over the charging cable. Also, it clears the USB-C port for other tasks.

Keyboard without backlight

Last but not least, there are compromises in keyboard and trackpad, too.

The keyboard does not include backlighting. It been a standard for MacBooks to include a backlit keyboard, but Neo is an exception.

Meanwhile, the trackpad is a simpler physical multi-touch trackpad instead of Apple’s Force Touch design. That means it lacks pressure sensitivity, force click features, and pressure-sensitive drawing.

Even Touch ID is optional. The base 256GB model doesn’t include it, though it is available if users upgrade to the 512GB version.

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Apple may have unintentionally revealed the name of its rumored affordable MacBook ahead of its latest product announcements. A regulatory listing briefly appeared on Apple’s website referencing a device called the MacBook Neo. The listing disappeared soon after, but the brief appearance has fuelled speculation about a new entry-level Mac laptop.

MacBook Neo leak hints at Apple’s affordable Mac laptop

The reference was spotted in a regulatory compliance document linked to Apple’s European listings. While the document itself did not display the product name inside the file, the webpage URL contained the name “MacBook Neo” along with the model number A3404. Observers noticed the listing before Apple removed the page, suggesting the information may have been published earlier than intended.

Reports about a lower-cost MacBook have been circulating for several months. The device is believed to sit below the MacBook Air in Apple’s lineup and target students, first-time buyers and users who want access to macOS at a lower price point. If launched, the MacBook Neo could represent Apple’s attempt to expand its presence in the affordable laptop segment.

Rumours indicate that the laptop may not rely on Apple’s M-series processors used in existing Mac models. Instead, it could be powered by an iPhone-class chip such as the A18 Pro or a newer A-series processor. Such a shift could help Apple lower production costs while still delivering efficient performance and strong battery life for everyday tasks like browsing, document editing and streaming.

Early leaks suggest the MacBook Neo could feature a 12.9-inch display and come in multiple color options, including blue, green, yellow and pink. The design is expected to remain consistent with Apple’s minimalist aluminium build, but with a focus on portability and long battery life.

Pricing rumours currently place the device between $599 and $799. If accurate, it would become the most affordable MacBook available. Apple is expected to reveal more details during its ongoing product announcement week or through a newsroom update soon.

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