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Apple introduces MacBook Neo/ The cheapest laptop model ever

2026-03-05 13:54:00, Tech CNA

On Wednesday, Apple launched the MacBook Neo, the company's cheapest new laptop model. The MacBook Neo is Apple's first laptop to run a chip commonly used in iPhones, and it starts at $599. The price tag signals a new effort to attract Windows and Chromebook customers and boost growth.

John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, described the MacBook Neo as "all-new" and built "from the ground up" during an event in New York on Wednesday.

The iPhone is Apple's biggest revenue generator. But its Mac computers are essential to ensuring that iPhone and Apple Watch users remain engaged in Apple's ecosystem of products and services.

Expanding to new audiences could be critical, as the industry faces a persistent memory shortage that some analysts say will destroy the affordable laptop market.

Compared to Apple's other MacBooks, the Neo has a smaller screen, less memory, and is available in brighter color options, including a new yellow.

But the main factor that sets it apart from Apple's other MacBooks, besides its lower price, is that it runs on Apple's A18 Pro processor — a chip similar to the one that powers the iPhone 16 Pro. It's the first time Apple has used one of its mobile chips to power a laptop.

PC manufacturers, on the other hand, typically design and manufacture laptops, but they use Microsoft's Windows software or Google's Chrome OS (Microsoft is a minor player in the PC hardware business with its Surface laptops).

Apple is far from being the world's largest PC vendor; that title belongs to Lenovo, which accounted for 27.2% of the market at the end of 2025 compared to Apple's 9.4%. But Apple's approach to the market has also been markedly different from its PC rivals. MacBooks, until now, have been largely more expensive and lack a touch option like most PCs.

The new MacBook Neo is an attempt to address at least one of those gaps. Although it doesn't have a touchscreen, it could appeal to consumers who don't want to spend more than $1,000 on a MacBook Air or Pro but who need something more laptop-like than an iPad.

Launching a new, cheaper MacBook now, before these price hikes begin, could give Apple an advantage. While the overall market is expected to shrink, Apple won't see such a big drop because it's expected to gain market share. The MacBook Neo will launch on March 11. /CNA