Apple Announces the MacBook Neo, a Colorful $599 Laptop Powered by an iPhone Chip

Apple has taken the wraps disconnected a marque caller introduction to its MacBook enactment of laptops: the MacBook Neo. It volition travel successful 4 vibrant colors, diagnostic a 13-inch display, and beryllium driven by an A18 Pro chip, the aforesaid that powers the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. Best of all, it'll beryllium cheap: It starts astatine $599 (or $499 for those with acquisition discounts).

The terms and the information that this happening uses a smartphone spot alternatively of a laptop- and- desktop-class M-series Apple silicon spot are the evident headliners, putting the laptop successful contention with fund Windows machines and Chromebooks. But marque nary mistake: While this won't spell toe-to-toe with the finest gaming laptops, the A18 is nary slouch. Just looking astatine basal Geekbench scores, the A18 Pro successful an iPhone 16 Pro enactment up single-core show that’s wrong striking region of an M4 MacBook Air, and outdid the M1 MacBook Air successful multicore scores.

Apple says the Neo volition beryllium "up to 50 percent faster for mundane tasks similar web browsing and up to 3x faster erstwhile moving on-device AI workloads similar applying precocious effects to photos compared to the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5." It comes with either 256GB oregon 512GB of storage, 8GB of RAM (with Apple Intelligence support, to boot), and a 36.5-watt-hour artillery that Apple says is bully for up to 16 hours of usage astatine a go. The laptop comes with a 20W USB-C powerfulness adapter and USB-C charging cablegram (unless you're successful the UK oregon EU, wherever the adapter is not included).

The Neo volition measurement 2.7 pounds and travel successful a 0.50-inch heavy aluminum chassis – that's a interaction thicker than the 0.44-inch-thick MacBook Air – with 4 colors that Apple is calling Blush (pink), Citrus (yellow/green), Indigo (blue), and Silver (uh, silver). It won't person the MagSafe charging larboard from different MacBooks, but volition diagnostic 2 USB-C ports (one USB 3 and the different USB 2) for some charging and information – bully to spot Apple not repeating the single-port mistake it made with the 12-inch MacBook – leaving 1 for powerfulness and 1 unfastened for accessories. It'll person a color-matched Magic Keyboard, but you'll request to upgrade if you privation Touch ID, arsenic that's not disposable successful the basal model. Below the keyboard, a Magic Trackpad, which means multi-touch and motion support.

The retina show volition deficiency the notch from different MacBooks, meaning a thicker bezel, and volition diagnostic a 2408x1506 solution and 500-nit brightness. In the apical of the bezel, a 1080p webcam, and connected the broadside of the machine, a headphone jack and dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support. And, via the rear USB-C port, the laptop tin thrust an outer 4K show astatine 60Hz.

Apart from the A18 Pro, which has a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine for AI tasks, the MacBook Neo features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 compatibility. The MacBook Neo is successful preorder connected Apple's website now, and volition beryllium disposable to acquisition for $599 and up and starting March 11.

Wes is simply a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they telephone him) who has covered technology, gaming, and amusement steadily since 2020 astatine Gizmodo, Tom's Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and astir recently, The Verge. Inside of him determination are 2 wolves: 1 that thinks it wouldn't beryllium truthful atrocious to commencement collecting crippled consoles again, and the different who besides thinks this, but much strongly.