Before Buying a MacBook Neo, You Need to Know These 5 Things

Apple recently introduced a new budget MacBook, bringing macOS to more people than ever before. Many are looking forward to this affordable option, but that doesn’t mean you should buy this laptop blindly.

Even brand new, you might feel like you’re missing out on the latest Apple technology with the MacBook Neo. It’s only powered by the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro, and not one of the M series chips that debuted in the 2020 M1 MacBook Air. Still, Apple says it should be powerful enough for most everyday tasks like browsing the Internet, using an office like Google Docs, streaming videos, and using AI. It should also have enough battery life to last you 16 hours on a single charge, so you won’t need to stay plugged in or carry a power bank just to get things done throughout the day.

However, it’s hard to imagine that Apple would want this cheap laptop to reach the sales of the powerful (and expensive) MacBook Air, so Neo got some trade-offs. Here’s what you need to know.

If you’re a long-time MacBook customer, the lack of memory and storage configuration options will seem shocking. Unlike the more expensive MacBook models, which start at 16 GB of RAM (what Apple calls integrated memory) and 512 GB of SSD storage and can be configured to have up to 128 GB of integrated memory and 8 TB of storage, the MacBook Neo is limited to 256 GB or 512 GB of storage, and only 8 GB of integrated memory either way.

The small memory allocation on the MacBook Neo may not be a problem for most students and basic users. If you’re a power user like me, and want to run more than 20 browser tabs, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, and several other applications at the same time, be prepared for your laptop to fly and crash. Given the lag and frustration it will undoubtedly bring, if you plan on professional use, it’s probably better to invest in a higher-powered MacBook.

If you take a lot of photos and videos, or are the type to install some games, 256 GB is also a small amount of storage. In those cases, we’d recommend going for the more expensive 512 GB model. Alternatively, you can just buy one of the larger external USB drives to store data you don’t use much, or sign up for an iCloud storage plan, especially if you’re online anyway.

Before Apple introduced the MacBook Neo, the cheapest MacBook Air already came with rear keys and haptic feedback. Longtime MacBook users may take this for granted, but Apple was bound to cut costs somewhere to get such a low price.

Missing backlit keys aren’t a problem for me personally — especially since I’m using a seven-year-old Apple Magic Keyboard flawlessly when I turn my MacBook Air into a portable workstation — but you’ll have trouble seeing which keys you’re pressing if you like to work in the dark. You can always turn on the screen brightness, but that will have the side effect of blinding your eyes and increasing battery usage.

And while removing haptic feedback won’t reduce the performance of the MacBook Neo’s trackpad, you won’t get the same “clicky” feeling when you press on it. However, it still features the usual smooth glass surface found on other Apple trackpads, as well as the same capabilities when it comes to navigation and using the trackpad’s touch.

All new iPhones ditched Touch ID in favor of Face ID, but MacBooks still use fingerprint technology to secure your laptop — unless you opt for the 256 GB MacBook Neo. Note that MacBooks do not use Face ID, even though the technology was introduced nearly 10 years ago with the iPhone X, because Apple still hasn’t built a camera and sensor small enough to fit inside the screen of laptops. With affordable alternatives, you will have no choice but to type in your PIN and passwords every time you log in to a site.

This may be an inconvenience, but if you’re on a tight budget, that’s still a $100 savings over the 512 GB option. You can always use a password manager like Apple’s password app instead. That way, you don’t need to memorize tons of passwords and have the trouble of creating a new one from scratch. Just make sure you don’t save passwords in your browser to avoid leaking your passwords in the event of a cyberattack.

The multi-monitor setup is useful if you want to run multiple applications in full screen without having to switch windows. Unfortunately, the MacBook Neo will limit you to one external monitor, although you can still use the built-in display at the same time. The M4 MacBook Air does not have this limitation, it allows you to use two external displays, and even connect a third one when you close the lid.

This is probably not a problem for Neo’s target customers. If you need more than one external screen, you should consider going for the more expensive MacBook Air. Alternatively, ultrawide monitors also deliver the same benefits of two external displays without taking up the space and cost of multiple monitors. If you insist on using two or more displays on a basic laptop, consider getting a DisplayLink-compatible hub for that capability.

Despite all these limitations, what makes the MacBook Neo more compelling is its cost. It has a starting price of $599 for the 256 GB option, while the 512 GB model comes in at $699. That makes it $500 cheaper than the cheapest MacBook Air, which now starts at $1,099, and puts it on par with the Mac mini in both price and specs (though the laptop obviously comes with a display, keyboard, trackpad, and battery power). Apple is also offering a $100 discount if you are a student or teacher through the Apple Education store, making this device even more affordable.

This combination of price, specifications, and performance makes the MacBook Neo one of the best options if you’re looking for a budget laptop. And while it still can’t compete with this cheap laptop under $300 in terms of cost, you get a lot more in terms of features and software. This makes it worthy of being included in our list of the best cheap laptops to buy and can serve as an alternative to these Chromebooks with extremely long battery life.