MacBook Neo: everything you need to know about Apple's £599 laptop

Apple has unveiled the MacBook Neo, a laptop running on its iPhone chip that comes in hundreds of pounds cheaper than its siblings at $599 (and £599 in the UK) – perhaps opening up the laptop market, in particular in education.

The Apple MacBook Neo is powered by the A18 Pro, an ARM-based system on a chip that's currently seen in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone Pro Max. Apple claims that MacBook Neo's A18 Pro is 50% faster at web browsing and three times faster at on-device workloads than existing PCs with the latest Intel Core Ultra 5.

There's two storage configurations: the default 256GB, and a 512GB edition for an additional $100/£100. Both versions feature the same 8GB of memory – and there's no RAM upgrade possible. Apple's other MacBooks all start at 16GB.

Asymco analyst Horace Dediu said on social media that the Neo's arrival was a "watershed event".

"First Mac with a mobile processor and the end of the disruptive arc of mobile computing," Dediu wrote. "From Motorola to Intel to Apple silicon M, now personal computing is an accessory to mobile computing. A sharp punctuation point."

MacBook Neo price targets rivals

John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, said in a statement that the laptop had been "built from the ground up to be more affordable for even more people," adding that the MacBook Neo "delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price."

And it's the price that's raising eyebrows, and that's no surprise given Apple has traditionally positioned its MacBook lineup as a "premium computing product," noted IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo.

"With such a product, Apple is aggressively aiming to grow market share while expanding the ecosystem," Jeronimo said. "Lowering the entry barrier to the Mac means Apple can bring more users into its services and device ecosystem, particularly students and first-time Mac buyers."

Indeed, the price point makes it a compelling option to draw into the Apple ecosystem any Microsoft users tired of Windows as well as a viable alternative to Google Chromebooks in education, helped by an additional $100/£100 discount for schools.

Ernest Wong, the head of research at Baskin Wealth, said on social media: "Every kid is going to want this to replace their Chromebook at school."

The MacBook Neo's price is a big step down compared to Apple's other laptops, though they are much more powerful in terms of performance. Alongside announcing the Neo, Apple also updated its MacBook Pro models. The 14in MacBook Pro with M5 now features 1TB of storage; prices start from $1,699 (£1,699 in the UK). The 14in MacBook Pro M5 Pro starts from $2,199 while the 14in MacBook Pro with M5 Max starts from $3,599.

A closer comparison is the MacBook Air, which now features the M5 in a 13in version with 16GB RAM starting from $1,099 (£1,099 in the UK) – but that's still a step up from the MacBook Neo.

MacBook Neo specs and availability

Beyond the aforementioned A18 chip, 256GB and 512GB storage, and 8GB of RAM, the MacBook Neo claims 16 hours of battery life, and weighs in at 1.2kg.

The MacBook Neo features a 13in Liquid Retina display, 1080p HD camera, and uses Apple's Magic Keyboard, with the multi-touch trackpad available in the 512GB edition that costs an extra £100. The MacBook Neo is available in four colours: blush, indigo, silver and "a fresh new" citrus; translated, those are pink, blue, silver and yellow.

Ternus said: "It features a durable aluminium design in four beautiful colours; a brilliant Liquid Retina display; Apple silicon-powered performance; all-day battery life; a high-quality camera, mics, and speakers; a Magic Keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad; and the intuitive and powerful features of macOS."

IDC's Jeronimo said the timing is intriguing, given it comes at a time of memory and storage shortages causing price increases across the market – meaning an entry-level laptop featuring less RAM could be a smart move. "By using a chip that has only been used on the iPhone and the iPad, the real question is not whether Apple can sell a MacBook at this price (because it will be one of the most sold Macs ever if they can deliver), but how it balances cost, performance, and brand positioning while maintaining the premium experience that defines the Mac," he added.

MacBook Neo preorders are already open and will be available from next week. Apple also unveiled updates to its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, as well as the iPad Air and introduced the iPhone i17e.