Company unveils cheapest laptop ever
Mark Gurman
Apple has made its biggest move yet into budget laptops, launching the $899 MacBook Neo and aiming to challenge Windows PCs and Chromebooks for budget-conscious shoppers.
The machine is cheaper than any next-generation laptop Apple has sold before and comes in at a fraction of the price of the MacBook Air. MacBook Neo will be available in citrus, silver, indigo and blush color options and has the potential to appeal to both students and mainstream consumers.
The MacBook has a 13.0-inch display, making it one of the company’s smallest laptops to date. On the contrary, MacBook Air offers a 13.6-inch screen. Another change: The Neo is powered by the iPhone A18 Pro chip, marking the first time Apple has used a smartphone processor in a Mac.
This release is a big change for Apple, which has been reluctant to release a low-end Mac laptop for decades. But the speed of iPhone processors has allowed the company to measurably lower its prices without significantly sacrificing performance.
Apple’s head of hardware engineering, John Ternus, said in a statement that the MacBook Neo was “entirely designed to be more affordable for more people.”
The base model includes 256 gigabytes of storage; The upgraded version doubles the capacity and adds Touch ID for logging in to the computer and apps, as well as approving payments.
Apple made the machine available for pre-order on Thursday and said first deliveries and in-store availability will occur on March 11.
The device has 16 hours of battery life; This compares with the 18-hour battery life of the latest MacBook Air, a model with an M5 chip. The screen runs at 500 nits of brightness and weighs 2.7 pounds, matching the 13-inch Air.
The machine comes with 8 gigabytes of memory or RAM, a 6-core CPU or main processor, and a 5-core GPU or graphics component, and no upgrades are available. The specifications are the same as the iPhone 16 Pro released in 2024.
Beyond targeting lower-tier customers, Apple will be able to offer the computer as an option for corporate and organizational buyers, given its lower price and compatibility with both Mac and iPhone apps.
Neo runs at speeds powerful enough for everyday tasks like web browsing, word processing, photo editing, and video conferencing. Even with the iPhone chip, the machine still runs the same macOS operating system found on other Macs.
MacBook Neo is still made from aluminum, the same premium material used in high-end Mac laptops and desktops. It also has a full keyboard and trackpad, WiFi 6E support and a 1080P FaceTime camera, specs that trail the Air and other Apple laptops. There is also Bluetooth 6 support.
The device has two USB-C ports and a headphone jack for connectivity. It comes with a 20-watt charger, similar to some iPhones. Bloomberg News reported that a lower-cost MacBook was in the works in November.
The machine is more expensive than most cheap Chromebooks and Windows PCs. However, compared to these products, the products offered by Apple are of much higher quality considering their design, features and internal components. The company says its machine runs three times faster in terms of artificial intelligence than rival PC laptops.
Apple is expecting an influx of new customers to its stores to try the new offer. Apple sees an opportunity to attract new customers to its product ecosystem. This could create more opportunities to sell additional devices such as iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches.
The California-based company is coming off a disappointing holiday season for the Mac, with sales of its computer line falling 6.7 percent to $US8.39 billion ($11.85 billion). Analysts had predicted a figure of over $9 billion.
The launch caps an extensive weeklong product launch from Apple, which launched the iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air on Monday and new versions of its MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Studio Display external monitors on Tuesday.
Towards the end of this year, Apple is preparing to break tradition again with plans for a touch-screen Mac. According to Bloomberg News, the company is also working on new iMacs, Mac Studios and Mac minis.
Bloomberg
Get news and reviews on tech, gadgets and games Our Technology Bulletin every Friday. Sign up here.
