Overview
- Apple’s MacBook Neo is now on sale in multiple markets, including India from March 11 at Rs. 69,900, with U.S. pricing starting at $599 or $499 for education buyers.
- Early reviews broadly praise value for everyday use, with most saying the fixed 8GB RAM suffices, battery tests around 13.5 hours for web browsing, and benchmarks showing single‑core performance near 3,400–3,500 and multi‑core around 8,600–9,000.
- Reviewers cite deliberate trade‑offs to hit the price, including a 256GB base SSD (up to 512GB), one USB‑C limited to USB 2.0, no MagSafe, and a non‑backlit keyboard on lower configs.
- ASUS CFO Nick Wu described the Neo as a “shock” given Apple’s usual pricing and said PC vendors, along with Microsoft, Intel and AMD, are discussing competitive responses.
- TrendForce warns DRAM, NAND and CPU inflation could lift mainstream laptop prices by nearly 40% in 2026, even as Apple widens its lineup with faster M5 MacBook Air and Pro models and in‑house silicon that buffers CPU cost swings.