Apple’s Mac refresh moves the lineup further upmarket, pairing higher prices with faster performance in a push to give customers a reason to upgrade.

The long-awaited budget MacBook is real, and the $599 MacBook Neo isn’t just cheaper—it’s surprisingly slick. My first impression? Apple nailed it.

Apple's new low-cost MacBook Neo is equipped with the A18 Pro chip that Apple first used in the iPhone 16 Pro, and it's the first Mac that has an A-series chip. Using an iPhone chip in a Mac comes with some downsides,

Positioned below the MacBook Air as an entry-level machine, this new MacBook is the most affordable laptop the company has ever made, with a starting price of $599. While it's been possible to buy a new MacBook Air at lower prices—like the 2020 M1 MacBook Air Apple sold for several years for $699 exclusively through Walmart—this is officially the cheapest MacBook out the gate.

Apple has launched the MacBook Neo, a $599 aluminium laptop using its A18 Pro chip and targeting students and first‑time Mac buyers with full macOS support and education discounts.

Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo brings macOS to budget buyers, but heavy compromises in hardware and features make the MacBook Air a far more capable alternative.

Unlike the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro the MacBook Neo display is sRGB rather than Wide colour (P3) and it also lacks True Tone technology, which adjusts color temperature based on ambient light, e.g. to better suit outside on a sunny day, or inside in a lit room.

Everything you need to know to preorder a MacBook Neo, Apple's new colorful, modestly priced (and modestly powered) laptop.