Apple put an iPhone chip in a MacBook and priced it at $599
by Ellsworth Toohey · Boing BoingApple finally built a cheap MacBook. The MacBook Neo starts at $599 — $499 for education buyers, making it the least expensive Mac laptop the company has ever sold. To get there, Apple is using the A18 Pro, the same chip inside the iPhone 16 Pro, not the M-series silicon that powers every other Mac in the lineup.
That phone-grade processor keeps things thin and fanless at 2.7 pounds, with 16 hours of battery life. Apple says it's 50% faster than an Intel Core Ultra 5 PC at everyday tasks and three times faster at on-device AI workloads. Its 13-inch screen — a Liquid Retina panel at 500 nits and a billion colors — outclasses most laptops at this price. It comes in blush, indigo, silver, and citrus.
You get 8GB of RAM with no upgrade path. Two USB-C ports sit on opposite sides, but only the left one supports USB 3 speeds and external displays. There's no MagSafe. The base model reportedly lacks a backlit keyboard.
None of that matters much if you're a student writing papers in a browser, a traveler who wants something light for email and streaming, or a parent buying a first laptop that isn't a Chromebook. That's who this is for. Pre-orders are open now, and it ships on March 11.
Previously: