Released in March 2026 and carrying a starting price of £599, the MacBook Neo is a budget-friendly addition to Apple’s line-up that’s more than capable of meeting the needs of many users.
What is the Apple MacBook Neo?
The MacBook Neo is a new laptop built around the A18 chip previously used in the iPhone 16 Pro, rather than the more powerful processors normally found in Apple’s iMac, Mac mini and MacBook ranges.
It’s available in two models: a £599 option offering 256GB of onboard SSD storage, and a £699 version that doubles that to 512GB and includes Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint recognition feature which can be used to unlock the device, authorise payments and automatically log into websites and apps.
Both models feature the same 13” LED screen with a 2408×1506 resolution, 219 pixels per inch and 500 nits of brightness, 8GB of RAM and a Full HD (1080p) camera for FaceTime and Zoom calls.
Neither the RAM or on-board storage can be upgraded though, in the case of the latter, the Neo connects seamlessly to Apple’s iCloud service which can be used to store files such as documents, photos and music in the cloud.
Like all Macs, Neo includes Apple’s standard array of productivity apps including its Pages word processor, the Numbers spreadsheet app and Keynote, its answer to Microsoft’s PowerPoint.
While the firm has introduced charges for some new advanced features within these apps as part of its recently launched ‘Apple Creator Studio’ service, their core functionality remains entirely free for all Mac owners.
Additionally Apple’s creativity apps such as iMovie and GarageBand are also pre-installed.
With its £599 starting price, Neo is £500 less than a baseline MacBook Air and £200 less than the entry-level Mac mini desktop, making it simultaneously the cheapest MacBook ever and the cheapest computer Apple currently sells.
Design and Appearance
Despite the low selling price, the Neo has the premium look and feel you’d associate with a MacBook thanks to Apple’s decision to retain the aluminium casing and design found on the rest of the line-up.
And the choice of four colour options – Silver, Blush, Citrus and Indigo – allows for a degree of personalisation without having to bulk out the device through the use of after-market cases.
The Neo also features the same ‘Magic Keyboard’ technology found in higher-end MacBooks which provides for a pleasant, light touch, no-effort typing experience that remains comfortable to use after hours of work.
On the downside there’s no backlighting for the keyboard – that’s fine for those working in a brightly lit environment but anyone planning on working in darker settings might find this a regressive step.
However the low selling price inevitably means some compromises have had to be made.
Another is to be found in the choice of trackpad where, instead of the all-glass haptic models found elsewhere in the MacBook range, Apple has included a more old-fashioned mechanical click type.
But the trackpad is fast, responsive and accurate and there are options within the Neo’s settings to make it even easier to use – these include ‘tap to click’ which lets you just tap anywhere on the pad to select an item or open an app without having to click down, and another which allows the right-click / secondary menu to be brought up by tapping with two fingers.
The screen offers a bright, colourful and crisp viewing experience that’s a marked step up from the lower resolution and dimmer screens often found on the Windows and Chromebook devices that Neo will be competing with.
However, it lacks some features to be found in other MacBooks, notably the ambient light sensor and True Tone technology.
Dual speakers which support Spatial Audio for music and Dolby Atmos on films and TV shows are located on either side of the bottom case in line with the trackpad and deliver a pleasant sound that easily encompasses the user during normal use.
Connectivity
Neo features 2 USB-C ports, both of which can be used to charge it and connect external devices.
The rearmost of these supports the USB 3 standard and so can also be used to connect an external monitor should you fancy working on a bigger screen.
Beyond a headphone jack, connectivity is otherwise limited to WiFi and Bluetooth.
Performance
Neo can easily handle browsing sessions with dozens of tabs open without showing any signs of slowing down, while opening and switching between apps is both speedy and effortless.
Playing videos from a selection of streaming services and Apple’s store was smooth and reliable.
Neo also coped well when playing Civilization 5 across multiple sessions, each of which lasted for several hours, and will be able to easily support many casual, lightweight or less demanding games.
However it’s clearly not built for playing newer AAA titles so regular gamers would probably want to look at higher specced options.
Battery Life
Apple claims a battery life of up to 16 hours when using the Neo for watching videos and up to 11 hours when web browsing.
Multiple factors – screen brightness, use of bluetooth, personal power settings, and the tasks the device is being used for – mean everyone’s experience here is going to differ.
However you’re unlikely to find yourself running out of power during a typical day.
Conclusion
The Neo is a compelling option for anyone needing a laptop for everyday tasks such as word-processing, browsing, streaming, plus basic image and video editing and casual gaming.
It has a nice premium look and feel and, while this has been achieved by making compromises compared to existing MacBooks, the end result is a computer which delivers outstanding value for money.
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