The MacBook Neo makes the rest of Apple much harder to justify

from the date of its announcement $599 MacBook Neo a week ago I wondered: does this destroy the value proposition of other non-Pro laptops in Apple’s lineup? That’s a pretty interesting question, because even at this incredibly affordable price point, MacBook Neo still manages to feel quite premium.

After actually testing the laptop after it went on sale Wednesday, I’m even more confused about how this thing fits into Apple’s lineup — but not in a bad way.

The MacBook Neo makes a few compromises

For $599 (and $499 for students). MacBook Neo it truly has everything you’d expect from an Apple product. Even though it’s a “cheaper MacBook,” you can’t really tell from the outside. It has an incredibly well-built aluminum chassis, a glass screen, a great keyboard, and it’s still very bright.

The main thing you’ll notice it’s missing compared to other MacBooks is a powerful touchpad. The MacBook Neo it uses a traditional click mechanism, although it still clicks all the way, unlike the older diving board trackpads on pre-2015 MacBooks. Additionally, if you stick with the base model with 256GB of storage, you’ll be missing out on Touch ID. For an additional $100, you can add Touch ID, as well as double the internal storage.

Simply put, Apple didn’t have to go this hard. Even the 2020 M1 MacBook Air, which people often want to compare this thing to, didn’t have a 500 nit screen. It was limited to 400 nits, which was a limitation that many expected to see on the screen MacBook Neobut Apple decided not to. I have used it in the last 72 hours or so MacBook NeoI was amazed at how much less lost I felt compared to me MacBook Air.

while thinking about MacBook NeoThere are two comparable Apple products that immediately come to mind: MacBook Airpreviously sat at the bottom of Apple’s lineup and iPad Air + Magic keyboard.

Does it break other Apple products?

MacBook Air After the update, the M5 now sits at $1,099, making it $400 more than its previous price. MacBook Neo With 512 GB and Touch ID.

obviously MacBook Air it still has some things going for it. First, you get 16GB of RAM MacBook Airso if you’re a heavy multitasker, Air will probably make more sense. The MacBook Air has a P3 display, which will be important if you do color work. The MacBook Air also offers a Center Stage camera, so if you want your FaceTime calls to be more dynamic, that’s something the MacBook Air offers.

Basically, MacBook Air offers slightly more premium features compared to MacBook Neoand if you have it in your budget, it’s still worth buying.

So not everyone is a super informed buyer. Many bought it MacBook Air They just wanted a Mac and prefer laptops MacBook Air It was the cheapest option. now, MacBook Neo is the cheapest option and comes in some attractive colors like Blush, Indigo and Citrus to attract buyers.

I feel like a lot of people might have bought it MacBook Air previously can now account for one MacBook Neo. They even both come in at 2.7 pounds and similar sizes, so they both fall about the same shape.

Another cool thing I mentioned about MacBook Neo in my test: it doesn’t get hot. my MacBook Air it will sometimes get warm during certain tasks like photo editing. On it MacBook NeoI didn’t feel any heat – it was completely cold. The A18 Pro works wonders on the MacBook chassis.

iPad Air and MacBook Neo

iPad Air + Magic keyboard is a more interesting argument. iPad Air starting at $599 (although it often goes on sale for $100 less, sometimes more) and Magic Keyboard for iPad Air normally costs $269. Let’s say an average of $800, including discounts iPad Air.

For $800, one iPad Air setup comes with less memory than either MacBook Neoin 128 GB. It also comes with a smaller 11-inch screen, as well as iPadOS instead of macOS. Sure, you have the M4 chip instead of the A18 Pro, but for the workflow you’ll be doing on the iPad, the M4 chip is incredibly overkill.

None of this is necessarily shocking – but that’s why I mention it iPad Air was often positioned as a “budget” Apple laptop compared to MacBook Airand now MacBook Neo This solves the equation. Even if you want to compare iPad on a budget + Magic Keyboard Foliothis setup only costs $598, just a dollar shy MacBook Neo it would be expensive.

In short, the argument that iPads are budget Apple laptops is completely dead. If you’re evaluating iPads for the Apple Pencil, it’ll still be worth it – but frankly, I have a hard time imagining why anyone would bother using one. iPad or iPad Air when you can just buy it as a hybrid laptop MacBook Neo.

Wrap it up

In general, MacBook Neo It feels incredibly disruptive to Apple’s lineup. In the short term, I feel that Apple should probably adjust some of their pricing or make their products even better.

For example, it does Magic Keyboard for the basic iPad does it really need to cost $249? The iPad itself only costs $349, and this setup is just $1 less than a dollar MacBook Neo it’s a bit ridiculous.

with iPad AirI think the iPad itself should probably see a price cut or get some feature upgrades to make it stand out more. A 120Hz ProMotion display and Face ID would be nice starting points.

Finally, MacBook Air should probably get more awards. It would be nice to see it get a Tandem OLED display like the iPad Pro, even MacBook Air It starts as high as $1299. I could see the future version MacBook Neo Having the 1TB/16GB trim for around $999 to fill ~$1000 shoes MacBook Air.

what do you think about MacBook Neo start? Do you find it as devastating as I do? Let us know in the comments.

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