Tech review: Is Neo right for you? Probably

Jim Rossman, Tribune News Service on Jul 22, 2026

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It finally happened — Apple released a low-priced laptop.

I didn’t think this day would ever come — really.

Apple is kind of famous for not being on the cheap end of any hardware category. Apple products are fantastic. They’re solid and they work well, but cheap has never really been in the discussion.

Until earlier this year.

Apple released the MacBook Neo, built around the A18 iPhone processor.

When released, Apple priced the entry-level Neo at just $599 for a model with 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of storage. There is also an upgraded Neo model with double the storage and a fingerprint sensor for $100 more.

I mention the launch price because Apple has raised the price of each model by $100 since their introduction. Memory and storage prices have gone up, and current prices for the two Neo models are $699 and $799.

This is still what I’d call cheap, just not jaw-dropping cheap.

Target market

Until the Neo, the cheapest Apple laptop was the $1,299 MacBook Air. Apple didn’t just knock $100 or $200 off the cheapest Air model — they bettered the price by more than 46 percent.

In my opinion, the Neo is marketed squarely at students and budget laptop shoppers. So, how is the build quality and performance?

The Neo is made from recycled aluminum. It features a 13-inch liquid retina display with a resolution of 2,408 by 1,506 pixels and 500 nits of brightness.

The A18 Pro CPU is found in the iPhone 16 Pro models. The eight gigabytes of RAM is embedded in the processor, and it is not upgradeable. It’s worth noting the memory bandwidth is 60 gigabytes/second. The MacBook Air’s memory bandwidth is 153 gigabytes/second, while the fastest MacBook Pro clocks in 10 times faster at 614 gigabytes/second.

The Neo’s 36.5-watt-hour battery can provide up to 16 hours of video streaming. Neo ships with a 20 watt USB-C power adapter.

There are two USB-C ports — one is USB 3 and one is USB 2. Monitors and other power-hungry peripherals need to use the USB 3 port. The only other port is a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The Neo supports one external display at a resolution of 4K at 60 hertz.

The Magic keyboard feels great, but Apple left off keyboard lighting to make the price lower.

The trackpad is very responsive, but it has a physical button instead of the haptic feedback on the trackpads of Apple’s higher-priced laptops. Functionally, I had no issues with the usability of the Neo’s input or display.

Networking is done via Wi-Fi 6E or Bluetooth 6.

The FaceTime camera is in the bezel above the screen instead of a notch in the top of the screen area.

There are two microphones and two side-firing speakers that sound better than other low-end laptops I’ve used.

The Neo is available in four colors (silver, blush, citrus and indigo).

Let’s try it out

So, the components are really good, but what about that iPhone processor?

This is the first time Apple’s put a mobile phone processor into a laptop.

Why would they do that?

The A18 Pro costs less and requires less power than Apple’s M4 or M5 laptop CPUs. Because Apple makes its own processors, they can make sure the Mac operating system works well on the A18 Pro, and it certainly does.

I loaded up the Neo with all the apps I need to do my IT work and my writing. This included Microsoft 365 Office apps, Adobe Acrobat and Photoshop.

My work involves writing stories, reading and editing PDFs and some light photo editing, as well as internet browsing and email.

The Neo had no trouble with any of my daily tasks. I would have no problem trading my personal M4 MacBook Air for the Neo. Apple sent over the low-end Neo without the fingerprint reader. I was able to allow my Apple Watch to unlock the Neo, so I didn’t really miss the fingerprint reader.

I don’t really operate my MacBook in the dark, so I don’t miss the keyboard backlighting, but I do operate with two monitors on my desk, so I do miss the ability to run more than one external display.

The Neo is absolutely the right choice for your first laptop. If my mom wanted a laptop, I’d be steering her to the Neo. It’s the perfect first laptop for everyday users.

On the other hand, if you’re a Mac user looking for your next laptop and you’re worried about the Neo’s processor or the ability to run multiple monitors or you are concerned about the storage limitations, the Neo is not for you. Do yourself a favor and buy the MacBook Air.

Parents of college kids, take note: The Neo is perfect for students, and Apple offers a $100 discount on Neos for current and newly accepted college students and their parents. This discount is available online or in Apple retail stores. Just bring some documentation of college enrollment or acceptance.

I work for a big state university, and I expect to see a lot of Neos in the student labs and classrooms this fall.