Apple officially unveiled a new laptop called the MacBook Neo on March 4th, starting at €699. With this new model in its lineup, the Californian company is clearly aiming to appeal to a wider audience, particularly students and users accustomed to low-cost PCs.
This new device joins the MacBook family alongside the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The MacBook Neo features a design similar to the MacBook Air, with a thin and light chassis weighing approximately 1,2 kilograms. Its approximately 13-inch LCD screen has a resolution of 2408 by 1506 pixels, slightly lower than that of the MacBook Air.
Apple is also banking on a bold aesthetic choice. For the first time in a long time, the brand is offering several vibrant colors for a laptop. Four finishes are announced: silver, powder pink, citrus yellow, and indigo blue. The objective is clear: to attract a younger audience and refresh the image of Apple computers, which is sometimes considered too understated.
An iPhone chip at the heart of the computer
Under the hood, Apple has made a unique technical choice by integrating the A18 Pro chip, used in the iPhone 16 Pro. Unlike other recent Macs equipped with M-series processors, this model is therefore based on a smartphone architecture. This configuration is primarily aimed at everyday uses such as web browsing, office applications, and streaming.
The base model offers 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. This is sufficient for everyday use, but could prove insufficient for more demanding tasks such as video editing or graphic design software. However, Apple promises performance superior to some recent laptops equipped with mid-range Intel processors.
An attractive price to attract new users
To maintain a competitive price, some compromises were made. The MacBook Neo has two USB-C ports and a headphone jack, but does not offer the MagSafe magnetic charging system. It does, however, include a 1080p webcam and an audio system compatible with spatial audio.
Apple announces a battery life of up to approximately 16 hours of video playback, depending on usage. Pre-orders open on March 4th, with availability expected on March 11th. A version equipped with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and more storage will be available starting at €799.
With this MacBook Neo, Apple is directly targeting the sub-€800 laptop segment. This is a deliberate strategy to broaden its audience in the face of increasingly aggressive international competition and to try to convert new users to the brand's ecosystem.
