MacBook Neo review – Apple’s most affordable laptop punching well above its weight

The new MacBook Neo is a real breakthrough product for Apple.  Not only a breakthrough in terms of the affordable $899 price but a breakthrough that Apple is now competing in a segment previously dominated by only Windows laptops.

Tech Guide has been testing the MacBook Neo for the past week and we’ve found it really punches above its weight.

For what you’re paying you are getting a decent laptop. And the fact that it’s a Mac is probably one of its best features.

The MacBook Neo has a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with the resolution of 2408 x 1506 with support a billion colours and 500 nits brightness.

It even has an anti-reflective coating so you can comfortably view the screen in any light conditions including bright sunlight.

It is powered by the A18 Pro chip – the same silicon that was aboard the iPhone 16 Pro.

The device is running a full version of macOS Tahoe and offers impressive speed and performance to power through your everyday tasks.

Users can choose either the entry level memory capacity (256GB) for $899 or 512GB for $1,099 which also includes Touch ID.

It has 8GB of unified memory (what other computers call RAM) and has Apple Intelligence onboard.

There are two USB-C ports – they are not Thunderbolt compatible – one is USB 2.0 and the other USB 3.0. The USB-C 3.0 port is the one closest to the display on the left edge.

It also has a FaceTime HD camera for video and FaceTime calls.

The MacBook Neo is 1.27cm thick and weighs 1.23kg. Not quite as thin as the MacBook Air but thinner than the MacBook Pro.

Those dimensions mean it is slim and light enough to take anywhere.

And it’s available in four colours – silver, blush, citrus and indigo.

Up until now Apple never had a MacBook priced below $1000 and the cheapest MacBook was the MacBook Air at around $1500.

But that’s all changed now.

Apple is now an attractive choice for customers looking for an entry level laptop that can do the things they needed it to do.

But despite the fact this is the cheapest MacBook you can buy, it still has a range of attractive features, performance and speed to meet most user’s needs.

We’ve been using the MacBook Neo as our daily driver for a few days and it could handle every task in our regular workflow.

This included creating documents, emails, web browsing, picture editing, playing games, streaming content and using apps.

And the MacBook Neo, which is preloaded with iMovie, can also handle simple video editing as well.

We found the MacBook Neo could easily keep up with our tasks. The performance of the device that’s powered by an iPhone processor was truly impressive.

It just goes to show how powerful that iPhone chip actually is.

The keyboard is colour matched to the corresponding aluminium enclosure except for the silver model which has white keys.

They all have Apple’s Magic Keyboard but the keys are NOT backlit.

And the 256GB version does not have the Touch ID key. For that you need to go for the 512GB version.

We would recommend spending a couple of hundred dollars more because not only do you get more storage space, but you’ll also get really tired of having to type in your password every time the MacBook Neo goes to sleep.

We received the Silver 256GB model for our review and it made us appreciate the ability to unlock the MacBook with a simple and quick touch.

And while this is a capable laptop, you need be realistic with your expectations in terms of what it can do.

If you’re after a laptop that can handle complex video editing, running high end applications, playing the latest cutting edge games and using 3D rendering tools then the MacBook Neo is definitely not for you.

You would be more suited to the MacBook Pro.

On the battery side, the MacBook Neo offered up to 16 hours of video playback which easily handled more than a full day or work and the early hours of the next one.

If anything, releasing the MacBook Neo has made it easier for customers to clearly define each product in the lineup with a distinct good, better and best choice.

With the MacBook Neo, MacBook Air with M5 and now MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max you can now clearly see the Apple laptop that’s most appropriate for your use.

The MacBook Neo will be hugely popular among students at all levels and with customers who just want a simple and reliable laptop that’s fast enough to handle their day-to-day needs and allow them to use their email, browse the web, create documents and store and edit photos and videos.

When comparing the MacBook Neo with similarly priced Windows laptops the only major difference we found was larger 15-inch displays on the PCs but they had lower resolution than the MacBook Neo’s 13-inch Retina Display.

They also have memory card readers and more USB ports but shorter battery life.

So pound for pound, the MacBook Neo stacks up quite nicely and best of all – it’s a Mac.

The MacBook Neo is available now and is priced at $899 (256GB) and $1,099 (512GB and Touch ID). It is available in silver, blush, citrus and indigo.

VERDICT

Apple has packed in so many features into the MacBook Neo it offers tremendous value. But that value is backed by speed, performance and a fresh design that is now within reach of so many new customers who can now finally afford a Mac.