MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5: What’s the Difference Between Apple’s Cheapest Laptops?
MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5: What’s the Difference Between Apple’s Cheapest Laptops?
https://www.pcmag.com/comparisons/apple-macbook-neo-vs-apple-macbook-air-m5-whats-the-difference
Publish Date: 2026-03-05 06:00:00
Source Domain: www.pcmag.com
Price: The Battle of the Entry-Level Laptops
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: The low pricing is the raison d’être for the MacBook Neo. It is immediately (and comfortably) Apple’s lowest-cost MacBook, sitting in true budget territory at its $599 starting price. (Apple also offers an upgraded model for $699, as well as a $499 model available for education buyers.)
A look down the MacBook Neo color lineup (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The 13-inch MacBook Air M5, meanwhile, starts at $1,099. This is up $100 from the M4-based MacBook Air. Even though $100 isn’t massive in the grand scheme of laptop pricing, the optics of crossing that $1,000 line put the Air that much further from true “budget” status. The M5 did receive some spec upticks for the extra money (more on that below), but the point stands.
With the MacBook Air vacating three-figure pricing, the MacBook Neo can step in as the clear budget option. This is wholly new territory for Apple; the MacBook can now credibly compete more with cheap Windows laptops and even Chromebooks than other MacBooks, a genuine attempt by Apple to court budget shoppers. Getting a laptop with classic MacBook build quality at that price sure looks appealing, and we applaud Apple for hitting such a low starting price.
While power users and professionals won’t give the MacBook Neo a second look, it exists for students and casual users. Consider this as much a Chromebook alternative as anything, especially with that $499 education model. A young user getting their first computer? Apple hopes they’ll turn into a MacBook Air (and maybe, eventually, MacBook Pro) user as they get older. That price is key to getting them in the door.
The classic MacBook Air lid on the fresh M5 model (Credit: Joe Osborne)
The MacBook Air still occupies a space separate from the MacBook Pro line; consider it the entry point for the traditional MacBook experience. Again, plenty of classic Mac owners won’t even…
