MacBook Neo 2-month review: Almost a MacBook Pro beater
MacBook Neo 2-month review: Almost a MacBook Pro beater
Publish Date: 2026-05-14 09:15:00
Source Domain: appleinsider.com
The MacBook Neo is not only the Apple laptop that the majority should buy, but it’s also almost good enough to recommend to some MacBook Pro buyers as well.
I’ve been using a $599 Blush (read, pink) MacBook Neo for a few weeks now, and I’m in love. It’s a wonderful little laptop whose iPhone-powering chip belies its capabilities.
I’m going to cut to the chase right out of the gate. Any worries about the performance of the Neo’s A18 Pro chip were allayed within five minutes of unboxing the thing.
Couple that performance with an eminently portable design and some gorgeous colors, and Apple clearly has a winner. The MacBook Neo is flying off shelves at a rate Apple can’t keep up with.
It’s easy to see why, too. My normal machine is an M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro, and the MacBook Neo has had me regularly questioning whether I should switch.
Ultimately, I can’t for reasons that we’ll get into. But I really wish I could. So much so that I’m left wondering whether I need another laptop for those times my MacBook aircraft carrier is just too big.
I probably do. Right?
MacBook Neo review: The little laptop that could
The MacBook Neo has a lot going for it, but it all starts with the form factor. With a 13-inch display, the MacBook Neo is small by many modern-day laptop standards. And that’s a good thing.
Built like a tank, the MacBook Neo has a solid, quality feel to it. That’s thanks to the use of Apple’s familiar aluminum construction. Most other laptops at this price point use flimsy plastic.
That feel is key to the MacBook Neo’s charm, too. Pick it up, and it feels like a machine that costs twice its price because it’s just like a MacBook Air or Pro.
I mentioned it a moment ago, but it bears repeating. The MacBook Neo also feels incredibly solid in a way budget laptops never do.
But a budget laptop, the MacBook Neo is. And if it isn’t felt in the fit and finish, it’s definitely felt in the connectivity options.
MacBook Neo review: Blush on the…
