New MacBook Neo arrives with A18 Pro chip and 16-hour battery life

Apple has launched the MacBook Neo, its most affordable MacBook to date, starting at $599 and targeting students, everyday users, and the education sector. The laptop features a vibrant color selection reminiscent of early 2000s iBooks and modern iMacs, weighs 2.7 pounds, and sports a 2408 x 1506 resolution display with up to 500 nits brightness. It includes a 1080p webcam, side-firing Dolby Atmos speakers, and a Touch ID sensor available only on the $699 model, which also upgrades storage to 512 GB. Powered by the A18 Pro chip—previously exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro series—the MacBook Neo marks a shift in Apple’s chip strategy by placing an iPhone-class processor in a MacBook. Apple claims the device delivers up to 50% faster daily browsing performance than a leading Intel Core Ultra 5 PC laptop, with battery life up to 16 hours. To meet the