Apple has revealed the MacBook Neo, a cheaper new laptop launching at a time when PC hardware has been getting more expensive.
The Neo follows the general design of Apple’s popular MacBook laptops, featuring a 13-inch liquid Retina display, Magic Keyboard, multi-touch trackpad, 16 hours of battery life, Tahoe macOS, and a built-in 1080p camera. It’s powered by Apple’s A18 Pro chip, which Apple says offers faster web browsing and on-device AI processing than Intel Core Ultra 5 laptops.
Most impressively, the standard retail price for the 256GB model is $600, with students being able to pick it up for $500. The low price point feels particularly impressive, considering how technology has gotten more expensive over the past year. Due to the United States’ recent tariffs and a RAM and chip shortage caused by the current AI boom, tech prices have been going up.
The original Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X all saw price increases in 2025, as have the individual components required to build a PC on your own. Apple’s senior VP of hardware engineering, John Ternus, said in an Apple blog post that the MacBook Neo was intentionally “built from the ground up to be more affordable for even more people.”
If you’re willing to spend a little bit more, a 512GB model with Touch ID will also be available for $700. MacBook Neo launches on March 11 in four different colors: blush, citrus, indigo, and silver.
