Apple has a chip problem. MacBook Neo is sold the better more than the company was waitingand it looks like it’s there now not enough A18 Pro chips that have been shelved so that production can continue for another 6-12 months before the new version is released.
Some have floated the idea of Apple using the 256GB trim and just using the unlocked A18 Pro chip in the 512GB trim. It is certainly convincing. I wonder how Apple can prevent this from happening every time. MacBook Neo?
MacBook Neo boom
We already know that Apple produces another version of MacBook Neo With the A19 Pro chip and 12GB of RAM for about a year.
But what if there was more variety? Obviously, he trusts a trim of the discarded chip The MacBook Neo isn’t necessarily going to cut it due to the amount of demand.
You could argue that a lot of this could be sales hype, but I also think that the MacBook Neo is an absurdly good deal compared to the rest of the PC industry, and people will want to buy it. Especially if they already have an iPhone.
Currently, there are two trims MacBook Neowithout any chip difference:
- $599 (US$499): A18 Pro chip with 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, 5-core CPU and 6-core GPU
- $699 ($599 tuition): 512GB SSD, 8GB RAM, Touch ID, same A18 Pro chip
Apple places only one chip MacBook Neoat least for now. With the A19 version I think there is room for them to move both up and down.
A19 version
Apple can move higher, in the highest sense MacBook Neo trim is $699, while the lowest MacBook Air trim is $1,099. And that may come down to meaning that people have 8GB of storage at this price point.
So I can imagine this lineup with the A19 update:
- $599 ($499 tuition): 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, A19 chip (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU like iPhone 17), no Touch ID
- $749 ($649): 512GB SSD, 12GB RAM, A19 Pro chip (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU like iPhone Air), Touch ID
- $899 ($799): 1TB SSD, 12GB RAM, A19 Pro chip (6-core CPU, 6-core GPU like iPhone 17 Pro), Touch ID
This provides some chip supply diversity and creates a new incentive for people with a little more room in their budget to buy a chip that isn’t in short supply. I’m not sure I can see these grades sticking unequivocally, but I think the overall structure is generally plausible.
One disadvantage of the main A19 chip is that it does not accommodate a USB 3 controller. Apple could put an external port on the board, returning the USB 3 port to the base model. An added benefit of this is that the A19 Pro chips have an internal USB 3 controller, so both external USB-C ports will support USB 3 speeds. All this is, of course, hypothetical.
Wrap it up
I’m sure Apple wants to keep its Chromebook and low-end Windows laptop competitor in stock, and the lack of an A18 Pro isn’t something it thinks it’s going to fix anytime soon. More diversity in one way or another I think the upcoming A19 model it is almost inevitable.
How do you feel about the MacBook Neo? Have you bought one? Sound off in the comments.
My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:
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