Apple just launched an exciting new line of colorful, budget-friendly MacBooks starting at $599. Check out the very cool Neo launch video below.
What Are The MacBook Neo Specifications?
Casing – Like all other MacBooks, the Neo has a durable aluminum body.
Display – 13” liquid Retina screen. 3.6 million pixels. 500 nits.
Processor – A18 Pro chip. 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine.
Unified Memory – 8GB.
Storage – Starts at 256GB, configurable to 512GB.
FaceTime Camera – 1080p HD.
Microphones – Dual microphones with beam forming for voice isolation.
Speakers – Side-firing speakers that support Dolby Atmos.
Keyboard – Color-matched Magic Keyboard with Lock Button or Touch ID.
Ports – 2 x USB-C ports. Headphone port.
Battery Life – Up to 16 hours.
Charger – Ships with 20W USB-C Power Adapter.
Colors – Silver, Blush, Citrus, or Indigo.
Is It Powerful Enough?
The A18 Pro, despite being an iPhone chip, shouldn’t be underestimated. It surpasses Apple’s original M1 processor in terms of performance and offers up to 16 hours of battery life. Although the MacBook Air is a more powerful and more configurable choice, the pricing starts at $1,099.
Should You Buy One?
If you’re on a budget and don’t require the performance of the MacBook Air, the Neo stands out as a compelling alternative to cloud-based Chromebooks or lightweight plastic options from Dell or Lenovo. Considering its price, battery life, and access to all the features of macOS, it’s a no-brainer.
When Is The New MacBook Neo Available?
The new MacBook is available now for pre-order on Apple’s website, and will ship and be in Apple stores on 03/11.
What Does The New MacBook Neo Cost?
$599 for 256GB, or $699 for 512GB and Touch ID. Educators and students (K-12, high school, and college) can get the Neo for as low as $499, with Apple’s Education pricing.
What Else Did Apple Release?
Apple released several new products this week including the iPhone SE, iPad Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and a long awaited upgrade to the Studio Display and Studio Display XDR.
iPhone 17e
The iPhone 17e arrives with a spec bump to the latest generation A19 processor, for better performance, efficiency, and a boost to machine learning and Apple Intelligence. Magsafe is back with charging up to 25W. The display now uses Ceramic Shield 2 for improved scratch resistance. iPhone 17e comes in Black, White, and Soft Pink.
iPhone 17e Pricing and Release Date
iPhone 17e starts with storage of 256GB, an increase over the 16e base model that came with 128GB.
256GB – $599
512GB – $799
iPhone 17e is available for pre-order now, and will be released on 03/11.
iPad Air
The 11” and 13” iPad Air get an upgrade from the M3 to the M4 processor, and a bump in unified memory from 8GB to 12GB, that provides a 30% increase in performance. Improvements to the GPU result in much better graphics processing. Apple’s N1 wireless chip now supports Wi-Fi 7, and their new C1X modem provides 50% faster cellular data performance and 30% less energy usage. The iPad Air comes in Space Gray, Blue, Purple, and Starlight.
iPad Air Pricing and Release Date
11” from $599 for wi-fi, and $749 for wi-fi and cellular.
13” from $799 for wi-fi, and $949 for wi-fi and cellular.
Storage starts at 128GB to a max of 1TB
iPad Air is available for pre-order now, and will be released on 03/11.
MacBook Pro
The 14” and 16” MacBook Pro upgrade from the M4 to the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips with up to 30 % higher CPU performance in pro workloads. With GPU configurations on the M5 Pro up to 20 GPU cores and M5 Max with up to 40 GPU cores, there is an increase in graphics performance of around 20 – 35%. GPU cores now include Neural Accelerators that delivers four times the AI performance compared to the prior generation. Faster Unified Memory with bandwidth reaching 307GB/s for Pro models, and increasing to 460GB/s or 614GB/s in the M5 Max. SSD storage improves, with Apple claiming twice the read and write performance versus the M4 versions. Apple’s N1 chip provides Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support.
MacBook Pro Pricing and Release Date
14” M5 Pro with an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24GB of Unified Memory, and 1TB of storage, starts at $2,399.
14” M5 Max with an 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB of Unified Memory, and 2TB of storage, starts at $3,599.
14” M5 Pro with an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24GB of Unified Memory, and 1TB of storage, starts at $2,699.
14” M5 Max with an 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB of Unified Memory, and 2TB of storage, starts at $3,899.
You can check out more configurations at the Apple Store online.
The new MacBooks are available for pre-order now, and will be released on 03/11.
MacBook Air
The 13” and 15” MacBook Air now use the M5 chip for faster CPU performance. GPU cores now include Neural Accelerators, for a 4× faster boost on AI tasks. Unified memory bandwidth is higher than the prior generation. SSD read/write speeds show an increase of about 2× faster. Base SSD doubles to 512 GB (previously 256 GB). Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support via Apple’s N1 wireless chip. Overall, there is a slight price increase with improved value.
MacBook Air Pricing and Release Date
13” M5 with an 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of Unified Memory, and 512 GB of storage, starts at $1,099.
15” M5 with an 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB of Unified Memory, and 512 GB of storage, starts at $1,299.
You can check out more configurations at the Apple Store online.
The new MacBook Airs are available for pre-order now, and will be released on 03/11.
Studio Display and Studio Display XDR
The 27” Studio Display had been upgraded to include a new 12MP Center Stage camera, 2 Thunderbolt 5 ports, and the 6-speaker audio system now offers 30% deeper bass.
The 27” 5K Studio Display XDR replaces Apple’s former 32” 6K Pro Display XDR. Although the size and resolution have dropped, the display technology moves from LED to Mini-LED with an increase of peak HDR brightness from 1600 to 2000 nits. Refresh rate increases from 60 Hz to 120 Hz. 2 Thunderbolt 5 ports. New 12 MP Center Stage camera, three-mic array, six-speaker Spatial Audio system. Built-in stand included in display price.
Studio Display and Studio Display XDR Pricing and Release Date
Studio Display with tilt-adjustable stand starts at $1,599, and the Studio Display XDR with tilt and height-adjustable stand is priced at $3,299.
The Studio Displays are available for pre-order now, and will be released on 03/11.
