The latest MacBook Neo, as Apple calls it, isn’t like other MacBooks. For starters, it ditches the M-based chipset that typically lives inside Apple’s laptops and swaps it out for one you’d usually find in an iPhone. We’re not talking about the iPhone 17 Pro, or even the base iPhone 17. We’re talking about the iPhone 16 (Pro, to be fair).
That’s how Apple hopes to get its low-cost MacBook ambitions off the ground. Sticking a 2024 chipset inside a MacBook chassis, pairing it up with only 8GB of RAM, and calling it a day. We can’t blame ’em. Apple’s kept a level head regarding pricing, with the all-new MacBook Neo starting at $600 for the base 256GB model. The new $600 iPhone 17e, which landed locally for R14,600, tells us the MacBook Neo should land in a similar fashion.
Taking on Chromebook
Our favourite bit of the trailer was when Apple said it “reimagined how to build a laptop from the ground up,” before hurriedly taking us back to a time when… ports were a thing? We still have trouble seeing how Apple reimagined this laptop, other than building around a different chipset.
Apple’s dubious marketing aside, the MacBook Neo might actually work out for the Fruit Company. It’s working with a 13in Liquid Retina display that’ll conk out at 500 nits of brightness. It’s surrounded by an aluminium chassis that’s slightly thicker than you’re used to. It houses two USB-C ports, one of which supports 480Mb/s, while the USB 3 port ramps that up to 10Gb/s. It’s there you’ll find DisplayPort 1.4 support for a 4K 60Hz monitor.
Read More: Apple unleashes the M5 Pro and Max chips as new pricier MacBook Pros enter the fray
The Touch ID sensor built into the Magic Keyboard (no backlight) is certainly a nice touch, even if it’s only reserved for the folks picking up the 512GB storage option. A 3.5mm headphone jack lives along the device’s edge, while a 1080p webcam can be found hiding in the bezels. Then there’s the 36Wh battery that could prove a dealbreaker for many, but will likely go unnoticed by the students buying these for ‘cheap’.
The move signals Apple’s desire to broaden its horizons, as well as its bank accounts. The MacBook Neo might be cheaper than its other laptops by a fair margin, but it may just garner enough attention from students and casuals alike to make this profitable. And at $600 — or R14,600 locally — it’s worth a little experimentation. Apple reckons the device will become available on 11 March 2026, though official local prices are still under wraps.
