Overview
- Preorders are live for the 13‑inch MacBook Neo, with first deliveries and in‑store availability confirmed for March 11 at $599 or $499 with education pricing.
- The Neo uses a binned A18 Pro (6‑core CPU, 5‑core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine), pairs it with non‑upgradeable 8GB unified memory, and offers 256GB or 512GB storage, with Touch ID included on the 512GB model.
- Hardware trade‑offs include two USB‑C ports (one limited to USB 2.0 speeds), a 3.5mm jack, Wi‑Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6, a 13‑inch 2408×1506 Liquid Retina display without a notch, a 1080p webcam, and a 36.5Wh battery rated by Apple for up to 11 hours of web browsing or 16 hours of video.
- Apple positions the Neo below MacBook Air to compete with mid‑range Windows laptops and premium Chromebooks, with hardware chief John Ternus saying it was built to be more affordable for more people; Trendforce expects the move to lift Mac shipments and market share this year.
- Regional pricing in India is set at Rs. 69,900 for 8GB/256GB and Rs. 79,900 for 512GB with a Rs. 10,000 student discount, while reports point to a higher‑end “MacBook Ultra” later this year and an analyst‑forecast Neo successor with a touchscreen around 2027.