Overview
- Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Neo is now available for same-day pickup in many Apple Stores worldwide, starting at $599 ($499 for education), with a $699 option adding 512GB storage and Touch ID.
- Online orders show strong demand, with Blush and Citrus models and the 512GB/Touch ID configuration selling out or slipping to mid–late March delivery, while other stock remains broadly available.
- ASUS leaders called the Neo a “shock to the entire industry” and said Microsoft, Intel, AMD, and PC vendors are discussing responses, even as ASUS frames the 8GB model as a “content consumption” device.
- Early hands-on reports find A18 Pro performance comparable to M1-class Macs for everyday tasks, highlighting the fanless design, aluminum build, 500-nit display, and up to 16 hours of battery life.
- Apple issued a required day-one macOS Tahoe 26.3.2 update for new units, and macOS 26.4 beta brings Neo wallpapers to other Macs; analyst forecasts project 4.5–5 million Neo shipments in 2026 with Quanta as the primary assembler.