Video: Going hands-on with Apple’s all-new MacBook Neo
Apple today unveiled the all-new, budget-friendly MacBook Neo. Media members got hands-on time with the new laptop and other Apple… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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How to use more than one external monitor on MacBook Neo
The MacBook Neo supports only one external display, and doesn't have Thunderbolt, but you can still get more ports and more monitors from a dock. Here are some of our favorites.DisplayLink docks for MacBook NeoUsers can add more displays using DisplayLink docks. These docks have a macOS driver that sends compressed video over USB-C instead of relying on the laptop's native display pipeline.Apple introduced MacBook Neo as its most affordable Mac laptop, powered by the A18 Pro chip and equipped with two USB-C ports. It supports one external display at up to 4K resolution at 60Hz alongside the built-in display. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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MacBook Neo: Everything you need to know about the new budget Mac
Macworld The MacBook Neo is a new laptop from Apple that is sure to be a big hit because it comes in at a much lower price than the MacBook Air, starting at $599/£599 compared to the MacBook Air’s $1,099/£1,099. If the price isn’t enticing enough, then the colorful chassis, available in silver, indigo, blush and citrus is bound to be popular. But as popular as this new MacBook is likely to be, there are still some tradeoffs, read on to find out what they are and everything else you need to know about Apple’s new MacBook Neo. MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air: At a glance FeatureMacBook NeoMacBook AirStarting PriceFrom $599/£599From $1,099/£1,099ChipA18 ProM5ColorsSilver, Blush, Citrus, Indigo Sky Blue, Silver, Starlight, MidnightScreen13-inch, Liquid Retina, 2408×1506 pixels, sRGB13.6-inch, Liquid Retina, 2560×1664 pixels, P3 color, True TonePortsUSB 3 (USB‑C) port; USB 2 (USB‑C) port, 3.5mm headphone jackTwo Thunderbolt 4 (USB‑C) ports, 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphonesGPU5-coreFrom 8-coreCPU 6-core10-coreRAM8GB From 16GB SSDFrom 256GBFrom 512GBBattery life16 hrs18 hrsSecurity Touch ID on 512GB modelTouch IDCamera1080p FaceTime HD camera12MP Center Stage cameraAudioDual-speaker sound systemFour-speaker sound systemMicDual-mic array with directional beamformingThree-mic array with directional beamformingDimensionsHeight 1.27 cm (0.50 inches)Width 29.75 cm (11.71 inches)Depth 20.64 cm (8.12 inches)Weight 1.23 kg (2.7 pounds)Height 1.13 cm (0.44 inches)Width 30.41 cm (11.97 inches)Depth 21.5 cm (8.46 inches)Weight 1.23 kg (2.7 pounds) MacBook Neo Buying Information: Release date Pre-order from March 4: The MacBook Neo is available to pre-order from March 4. Shipping from March 11: Begins the following week with in-store availability at Apple Stores and resellers from March 11. You will be able to pre-order the new MacBook Neo on March 4 from the Apple Store and via the Apple Store app. Apple states that all models will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting Wednesday, March 11. Pre-order from Apple MacBook Neo Buying Information: Price Starting price: $599 / £599 The new MacBook Neo starts at the low price of $599 / £599, even lower than we had anticipated. Prior to the launch of the MacBook Neo the cheapest laptop Apple sold was the $999 MacBook Air, but with the launch of the M5 MacBook Air Apple raised the price of the MacBook Air to $1,099/£1,099. As a result there is a $500/£500 gap between the price of the two Macs. You could essentially buy two MacBook Neo for the price of a MacBook Air. Apple clearly recognises that there is a market for a low-cost MAcBook. Until recently, Walmart has been selling the M1 MacBook Air with a 256GB SSD for $649 and sometimes $599. The new MacBook could be thought of as a replacement for this Walmart model. The low price of $599, should help Apple to compete with Chromebooks and Windows laptops. Once the new MacBook Neo models are on sale they will be available to purchase from Apple and third-party stockists. MacBook Neo Buying Information: Configuration options Processor: Apple A18 Pro chip Memory: 8GB unified memory (base) Storage: 256GB SSD or 512GB SSD Colors: Silver, indigo, blush, citrus Other: Keyboard options. The configuration options for the MacBook Neo are very basic. There are no options to increase RAM beyond the basic 8GB unified memory. U.K based and European shippers will need to add a Power Adapter if they need one as Apple no longer includes that in the box. MacBook Neo Design: What does the MacBook Neo look like? Apple Colorful aluminum chassis in Silver, Blush, Citrus, Indigo Back in June 2023 analyst Ming-Chi Kuo accurately predicted the following colors: silver, blue, pink, and yellow. That is close to the Silver, Blush, Citrus, Indigo on offer. The colorful chassis is aimed at students and casual users. The MacBook Neo has a thin notebook design similar to other MacBooks and it lightweight. The dimensions are: Height 1.27 cm (0.50 inches) Width 29.75 cm (11.71 inches) Depth 20.64 cm (8.12 inches) Weight 1.23 kg (2.7 pounds) This means it is a similar size and the same weight as the MacBook Air. MacBook Neo Display: How good is the display? Apple 13-inch Liquid Retina display 2408×1506 pixels 500 nits brightness sRGB Like the MacBook Air the MacBook Neo features a Liquid Retina (LED-backlit display with IPS technology) display, but the display on the MacBook Neo is slightly smaller at 13 inches than that on the MacBook Air, which measures 13.6 inches diagonally. Brightness is 500 nits, just like the MacBook Air, but significantly lower than the MacBook Pro model, which offers 1,600 peak brightness. Unlike the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro the MacBook Neo display is sRGB rather than Wide colour (P3) and it also lacks True Tone technology, which adjusts color temperature based on ambient light, e.g. to better suit outside on a sunny day, or inside in a lit room. This means the MacBook Neo can’t compete which the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro screens, which offers more vibrant, richer colours that are better for creative work (photo/video editing, design). We expect that colors on the MacBook Neo screen will still look good, but be less saturated and less accurate for professional color work. MacBook Neo performance: What processor does MacBook Neo use? A18 Pro 6-core CPU 5-core GPU The MacBook Neo marks the first time Apple has used an iPhone-class chip in a Mac instead of one of Apple’s M-series processors. It is powered by the A18 Pro, the same processor used in the iPhone 16 Pro. While Apple’s A-series and M-series chips share the same underlying architecture, the M-series processors are designed for laptops and desktops and generally offer greater overall performance. In benchmark comparisons, the A18 Pro delivers single-core performance roughly comparable to the M3, according to Geekbench 6 results. However, with six CPU cores instead of the eight found in the M1, its multi-core performance is slightly behind Apple’s first-generation Apple Silicon Mac chip. In practice, a MacBook Neo powered by the A18 Pro is likely to perform similarly to an M1 MacBook Air for everyday tasks – which is more than fast enough for typical workloads such as web browsing, productivity apps and media consumption. The chip should still provide solid everyday performance, with a GPU capable of handling casual graphics tasks and light gaming. It also includes Apple’s Neural Engine, enabling on-device AI features and support for Apple Intelligence. As for graphics performance, the A18 Pro has a 6-core GPU, and its Metal score in Geekbench 6’s Compute benchmark is similar to that of the M1 found in the MacBook Air. It’s not a cutting-edge performer, but it’ll handle everyday tasks without any issues. MacBook Neo Connectivity & Ports Michael Simon / Foundry The MacBook Neo supports Bluetooth 6, but not Wi-Fi 7. Instead, it offers Wi-Fi 6E, which is one generation behind the latest Wi-Fi standard. Apple has begun using its own wireless networking chip, the N1, in newer devices such as the MacBook Air, so there had been some expectation that it might also appear in the MacBook Neo. However, that is not the case here. There were also rumours that the new Mac could include cellular connectivity using Apple’s C1 or C1X modem, but the MacBook Neo does not support cellular networking. The budget MacBook includes two USB-C ports. One supports USB 3, while the other is limited to USB 2 speeds. There is no Thunderbolt support. Neither port offers MagSafe so the MacBook Neo relies on USB-C for charging. MacBook Neo Camera & Audio features 1080p FaceTime camera Stereo speakers with spatial audio/Dolby Atmos The MacBook Neo includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, which will. provide full HD video and basic webcam functionality for video calls. This is a trade-off compared to other Macs which offer a more advanced 12MP Centre Stage camera camera. There are two built-in microphones that use beamforming and noise-reduction technology to capture voice without background noise. MacBook Neo’s stereo speaker system features side-firing speakers and offers Spatial Audio support and Dolby Atmos compatibility. The MacBook Neo also does not support high-impedance headphones, likely because it uses the same lower-cost audio DAC found in the older M1 MacBook Air. MacBook Neo Battery & Charging 16 hours of battery life Doesn’t support fast charging The new MacBook Neo offers up to 16 hours of battery life, which is two hours less than the MacBook Air and lower than any other MacBook currently sold, but it should still provide enough power for a day’s use browsing, streaming video, and working in productivity apps. The Neo’s battery is about 30–45% smaller than the Air, with the efficiencies of Apple’s silicon allowing it to achieve just a two hour difference in battery life. We’ll be running our own battery life tests to verify this. Here’s how battery capacity compares to the MacBook Air: MacBook Neo: 36.5 wh. 13-inch MacBook Air: 52.6 Wh 15-inch MacBook Air: 66.5 Wh The real trade-off is in charging. MacBook Neo only offers USB-C charging at 20W and it doesn’t support fast charging, which is offered by all other MacBook models. A18 Pro: Performance

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Apple Announces Low-Cost 'MacBook Neo' With A18 Pro Chip
Continuing its product launches this week, Apple today announced the "MacBook Neo," an all-new, low-cost Mac featuring the A18 Pro chip. It starts at $599 and begins shipping on Wednesday, March 11. MacRumors reports: The MacBook Neo is the first Mac to be powered by an iPhone chip; the A18 Pro debuted in 2024's iPhone 16 Pro models. Apple says it is up to 50% faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5, up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads, and up to 2x faster for tasks like photo editing. The MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2408-by-1506 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and an anti-reflective coating. The display does not have a notch, instead featuring uniform, iPad-style bezels. It is available in Silver, Indigo, Blush, and Citrus color options. The colored finishes extend to the Magic Keyboard in lighter shades and come with matching wallpapers. It weighs 2.7 pounds. There are two USB-C ports. One is a USB-C 2 port with support for speeds up to 480 Mb/s and one is a USB-C 3 port with support for speeds up to 10 Gb/s. There is also a headphone jack. The MacBook Neo also offers a 16-hour battery life, 8GB of unified memory, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 connectivity, a 1080p front-facing camera, dual mics with directional beamforming, and dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Budget speed: How fast will the low-cost MacBook Neo really be?
Apple's budget-focused MacBook Neo borrows the A18 Pro chip from an iPhone 16 Pro. Here's how the chip compares against other Apple Silicon Macs, and why it's actually a pretty smart thing for Apple to do.MacBook Neo has an A18 Pro chip borrowed from the iPhone 16 Pro MaxApple's launch of the new MacBook Neo is a fresh salvo into the value computer market, normally dominated by Windows notebooks and Chromebooks. The value end of the market meant Apple had to cut production costs.One of those cuts was the CPU. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The MacBook Neo is (probably) not for you, but that doesn't make it a failure
With the MacBook Neo, Apple has created a brand new MacBook not aimed at its usual fanbase, and is instead gunning for iPhone owners who haven't yet made the leap to Mac.The MacBook Neo name has some implicationsOn Wednesday, Apple announced the MacBook Neo, a budget-friendly, entry-level macOS machine. It's cute, has lower-end Mac specs, and, perhaps most importantly, it's priced to move.But I'd like to make it very, very clear to 75% of people reading this piece, and probably 90% of the AppleInsider reading cohort — the MacBook Neo is probably not for you. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Today in Apple history: CFO Peter Oppenheimer retires from Apple
On March 4, 2014, Peter Oppenheimer, the Apple CFO who presided over a decade of skyrocketing growth, stepped down from the company. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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PSA: MacBook Neo, Intel Macs might not work with new Studio Displays
Apple’s new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR are now available for pre-order, but if you want to connect a MacBook Neo or Intel Mac, you may need to look elsewhere. more…

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Pre-order deals: M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro with up to $100 gift cards, up to $50 off new iPad Air, more
Apple has now unleashed the M5 Pro MacBook Pro, and M4 iPad Air go live at retail. We have uncovered some notable pre-order deals on all of it, including FREE $50 gift cards on the M5 MacBook Air, $100 gift cards on the M5 Pro MacBook Pro, and even a chance to save $50 on the new M4 iPad Air – you can score one as low as $249 with trade-ins.  Those offers also join deals on a 1TB Mac mini, Apple Watch Ultra bands, and more down below.  more…

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Best cases you can buy right now for iPhone 17e
When it comes to the best iPhone 17e cases, more will come out soon. But you should protect your handset now with one of these greats. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple’s MacBook Neo just made Chromebooks obsolete
Apple's MacBook Neo, isn't just another laptop — it's a calculated strike at the heart of the affordable computing market. This $599… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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MacBook Neo has compromises, but not all of them will matter to you
Until now, the MacBook Air was the lowest-cost MacBook, and the new MacBook Neo is only cheaper because it drops certain features. Here's what you have to give up, large and small, and whether it's worth it.The new MacBook Neo is fractionally smaller than the MacBook AIrPerhaps the overriding issue over the MacBook Neo is whether it is powerful enough for what you need to do, and for most people, it will be. Yet to get a lower cost, there are key things that the MacBook Neo has to lack compared to the next model, the MacBook Air.The most visible of these is the screen — but then probably only if you put them side by side. Even though both models are said to have 13-inch screens, the MacBook Air's one is actually 13.6 inches. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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MacBook Neo is the second Mac to hit the $499 education price point
MacBook Neo has a competitive starting price of $599, and for education customers, the $100 discount means Apple now has two compelling Macs for just $499. more…

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New Belkin 3-in-1 foldable charger gives your iPhone a full 25W [Review] ★★★★☆
The travel-friendly Belkin UltraCharge 3-in-1 Foldable Magnetic Charger quickly juices up an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Here are all the product videos Apple published this week
While Apple didn’t hold a traditional event for this week’s announcements, the company released its usual product ads and promo videos. Watch them all here. more…

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We still love the M4 MacBook Air–especially now that it’s $300 off
Macworld Sure, there’s a new MacBook Air with the M5 chip, but that one’s not gonna be on sale for a long time. The M4 model that came out last year, however? Yep, you can get that one for $300 off. Amazon is selling the 15-inch model with 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for just $1,299, the best price we’ve ever seen for this configuration. So, the MacBook Air is easily one of our favorite laptops, so much so that we gave this model a perfect 5-star rating, as well as our Editors’ Choice award. We appreciated that you can hook it up to two external displays, as well as the performance boost over the previous model, and the 12MP Center Stage camera that’s gonna do wonders for you when you’re on video calls. The laptop can last a good 18 hours on a single charge, which means you’ll likely have no issue leaving home without your charger. And through it all, the 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display is also going to deliver sharp visuals with gorgeous colors, which makes it ideal for content creation and streaming all the content you want. So hurry up and grab this 15-inch M4 MacBook Air for $1,299 before it’s gone forever. Buy now at Amazon

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Three new MacBooks were announced by Apple this week
Today marks three days straight of Apple product launches, with the MacBook Neo being the third new Mac to debut. Here are details on the three new MacBooks that have been announced. more…

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The MacBook Neo showed me everything I know is a lie
Macworld There’s a famous scene in The Matrix just before Neo takes the red pill from Morpheus, where the latter is explaining what the Matrix is. He tells Neo that the world he lives in is a construct, and the red pill will disrupt the simulation and reveal the truth. Apple’s new MacBook Neo is the red pill. Had I not known the price before I picked one up, I would have guessed it cost at least $799 and possibly $999, depending on the specs. It doesn’t just disrupt that laptop landscape with a machine that has no right to exist in the budget market. It changes everything people think they know about Apple. Picking it up feels just as premium as a MacBook Air. The Neo is made of what feels like the same aluminum as Apple’s high-end laptop, although its array of colors—Citrus (yellow), Blush (pink), Indigo (dark blue), and silver—gives a playful vibe. But make no mistake, it’s built for serious work. The MacBook Neo could be a $999 MacBook Air.Michael Simon / Foundry For the first time since the iBook, the keyboard (which has the same bouncy Magic Keyboard feel as the Air) isn’t black, but they’re not totally white either. They have a tint that matches the case color when they catch the light, one of the premium touches that belies the $599 starting price. Open the screen on a table with one finger, and the body won’t lift up like so many plastic PCs and Chromebooks. Start typing, and your fingers will fly around the keys. Play a video and the side-firing speakers will immerse you in sound. Raise the brightness and the 13-inch Liquid Retina display will shine. Pinch the haptic trackpad, and it’ll feel like you’re using an iPhone.  We’ll need to test the A18 Pro processor to see if it can withstand the pressures of a hard benchmarking session, but that’s not really going to matter for its target market. Neither will the 8GB of RAM or 256GB of storage. This is a machine built to defy conventions, to make people think they’re using a thousand-dollar laptop when, in fact, they only spent a fraction of that. The MacBook Neo looks and feels like a premium laptop.Michael Simon / Foundry Down the rabbit hole For as long as I’ve been using and writing about iPhones and MacBooks, there’s been a notion that Apple users are foolishly paying a tax to a company that charges extra because it can. Even as its competitors made thousand-dollar smartphones and all-aluminum laptops that cost just as much, Apple has never been able to shake the reputation that its users are blindly overpaying for pretty devices that don’t measure up. The MacBook Neo doesn’t just dispel that notion, it upends the entire philosophy that Apple is a brand for foolish rich people who don’t know better. I’m writing this on an M3 Max MacBook Pro and my mind is still back at the MacBook Neo table. There’s no turning back. When I walked over to the MacBook Pro table at the Apple experience, I had my pick of machines because no one else was there. They had all taken the red pill.

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This heavily discounted Dyson vacuum packs a frickin’ laser
Get a grade-A refurbished Dyson V15 Detect stick vacuum for $339.99 (regularly $599.99) with 10 tools and laser-guided cleaning tech. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple’s MacBook Neo is $599? Whoa.
Macworld Apple on Wednesday introduced the MacBook Neo, a new addition to the MacBook line. Priced at $599/£599, the MacBook Neo is the lowest-priced laptop that the company offers–it’s $500/£500 lower than the MacBook Air, following that device’s sort-of price rise yesterday. That’s a considerable difference. To get to such a low price point, the MacBook Neo features a number of compromises compared to its pricier brethren. This starts with its chip, an A18 Pro, which was previously used in the iPhone 16 Pro and has since been replaced by the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro. The Neo’s A18 Pro has a 6-core CPU (2 performance and 4 efficiency cores), a 5-core GPU, and 8GB of unified memory–no memory upgrade options are available. This essentially feels like Apple took the A18 Pro straight from the iPhone and made no obvious adjustments for the MacBook Neo. The MacBook Neo comes standard with a 256GB SSD; for $699/£699, customers can get a 512GB SSD. No other storage options are available. The laptop has a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2408-by-1506 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and support for 1 billion colors. The display has an anti-reflective coating, but it does not have a notch like the MacBook Air or the MacBook Pro. The larger black bezel at the top of the display houses a 1080p FaceTime HD camera. The Magic Keyboard has pale keys, reminiscent of Apple’s iBook from the early 2000s, but their precise shade is designed to match the chassis. However, Touch ID is not included with the $599/£599 model. To get Touch ID, you’ll need to upgrade to the $699/£699 model that also has the 512GB SSD. The MacBook Neo has one USB-C 3 port and one USB-C 2 port; MagSafe is not included. The laptop supports one external display with a native resolution of up to 4K at 60Hz; it simultaneously supports the built-in display at full native resolution. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack, but it does not support high-impedance headphones. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 6. For battery life, Apple estimates “up to 16 hours video streaming” and “up to 11 hours wireless web” for the 36.5‑watt‑hour battery. Apple includes a 20W USB-C Power Adapter and a 1.5-meter USB-C cable. The MacBook Neo measures 0.50 by 11.71 by 8.12 inches (1.27 by 29.75 by 20.64 cm) and weighs 2.7 pounds (1.23 kg). The colors available are blush, citrus, indigo, and silver. The MacBook Neo is available for pre-order now. Orders will start to arrive with customers on March 11, when the laptop will also be available in Apple Stores.

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