The $599 MacBook Neo Is a Hit. Now Apple Needs a ‘Neo’ iPhone and iPad
The $599 MacBook Neo Is a Hit. Now Apple Needs a ‘Neo’ iPhone and iPad
https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/599-macbook-neo-is-a-hit-now-apple-needs-a-neo-iphone-and-ipad
Publish Date: 2026-05-18 15:22:00
Source Domain: www.pcmag.com
Apple knows how to draw people into its ecosystem. The iPhone is the obvious example, but the MacBook Neo is having a moment too, which made me wonder whether Apple should lean into the budget laptop’s popularity and apply its “Neo” branding to other products.
This would give shoppers a clear view of which products occupy the entry level, and the easiest place to start is the Apple Watch and iPad.
While the MacBook Neo’s metal frame, solid performance, and long battery life are hard to beat, its $599 starting price is the real star. Applying the Neo branding to Apple’s smartwatch and tablet would be a no-brainer since these products already have budget-friendly models in the Apple Watch SE 3 and base model iPad. They’d only need a rebrand, not a redesign.
My $599 Mistake: Why the MacBook Neo Beats the iPad
Changing their names to Apple Watch Neo and iPad Neo would better communicate the value proposition to potential customers. But this is Apple, so cheaper doesn’t mean huge trade-offs. I’ve spent significant time with the newest Apple Watches and came away impressed by what the low-end model offers. It’s no joke when using it for running and notifications.
An iPad Neo makes even more sense; every other Apple tablet has its own branding (Pro, mini, Air), so why not the base model? An iPad Neo would make it clear which tablet people should consider first before climbing the feature list to reach the high-end OLED iPad Pro.
I’m no fan of the “e” suffix, so changing the name of the iPhone 17e to iPhone Neo wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.
Can Apple Create More Neo Products?
Rebranding a few existing entry-level products to Neo would be a helpful start. But should Apple actually go down market and build new, lower-cost…
