Since yesterday, March 11, the first-ever affordable MacBook has been available in Apple Stores around the world. We're talking about the newly launched MacBook Neo, which, if you're tempted, can be yours starting from €599 (if you're a student) or €699 (if you're not).
The base model (which, like all the others, boasts the Apple A18 Pro chipset—the one found in the iPhone 16 Pro, for example—and 8 GB of unified RAM) comes with a 256 GB SSD. For €799, you can opt for the version that, in addition to featuring 512 GB of RAM, will also feature Touch ID.
The MacBook Neo also features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display (2408 x 1506) with 500 nits of brightness. Aesthetically, the MacBook Neo is extremely attractive: it has an aluminum body that comes in four different colors: Indigo, Pastel Pink, Citrus Yellow and Silver.
The claimed potential battery life is 16 hours. Furthermore, it should be noted that the laptop is clearly fanless, fully in line with Apple's policy from 2020 (the year of the M1 MacBook Air) onwards. But let's get to the potential downsides: First of all, the lack of a backlit keyboard could put off so-called "Apple addicts."
Just as the adoption of a mechanical trackpad might displease those who, coming from an Air or Pro, have long been familiar with the haptic trackpad. Essentially, it seems like a model aimed at those who want to enter the world of Apple without breaking the bank and not very appealing to those with previous experience with a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.
That type of audience (to which I myself belong – even if the idea of buying an indigo-colored Neo had crossed my mind, then I came to my senses) in my opinion might find the prospect of evaluating the purchase of an iPad Air M4 (equipped with 12 GB of RAM, 4 GB more than the MacBook Neo and with a processor – M4 to be precise – of a much higher caliber than the A18 Pro that the Neo is equipped with) or an iPad Pro M5 more attractive.
Luca DeCrescenzo
It seems like a suitable model for those new to the Apple world, but it has some obvious compromises: the non-backlit keyboard and the mechanical trackpad may divide users. The price is attractive for students, while those who already have an Air or Pro might be better off considering an iPad. However, real-world battery life remains to be seen.