We all knew this day was coming. Apple has officially confirmed in statements to publications like CNBC that the RAM crisis has come for its devices and that MacBook and iPad devices are going up in price by as much as $500. Some high-end devices are going up by more than $1,000.

That's a significant bump for anyone looking to get their hands on Apple's latest hardware.

Apple's online store went down for a few minutes and came back with higher prices on many of its devices.

Of course, it wasn't done silently, as Apple offered a statement explaining the difficult decision to increase prices: "The consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge. The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage. We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly."

New Mac prices

Price increases are hitting across both U.S. and U.K., and since it's the same number on both sides of the pond, I can't help but feel especially hard done by in Britain given it's an apples-to-apples significantly larger number!

U.S. Increases

• MacBook Neo: $699 (up from $599, $100 increase)
• 13-inch MacBook Air: $1,299 (up from $1,099, $200 increase)
• 15-inch MacBook Air: $1,499 (up from $1,299, $200 increase)
• M5 MacBook Pro: $1,999 (up from $1,699, $300 increase)
• M5 Pro MacBook Pro: $2,499 (up from $2,199, $300 increase)
• M5 Max MacBook Pro: $4,099 (up from $3,599, $500 increase)
• iMac: $1,499 (up from $1,299, $200 increase)
• M4 Max Mac Studio: $2,499 (up from $1,999, $500 increase)
• M3 Ultra Mac Studio: $5,299 (up from $3,999, $1,300 increase)

U.K. increases

• MacBook Neo: £699 (up from £599, £100 increase)
• 13-inch MacBook Air: £1,299 (up from £1,099, £200 increase)
• 15-inch MacBook Air: £1,499 (up from £1,299, £200 increase)
• M5 MacBook Pro: £1,999 (up from £1,699, £300 increase)
• M5 Pro MacBook Pro: £2,499 (up from £2,199, £300 increase)
• M5 Max MacBook Pro: £4,099 (up from £3,599, £500 increase)
• iMac: £1,499 (up from £1,299, £200 increase)
• M4 Max Mac Studio: £2,499 (up from £1,999, £500 increase)
• M3 Ultra Mac Studio: £5,299 (up from £3,999, £1,300 increase)

New iPad prices

U.S. Increases

• iPad: $449 (up from $349, $100 increase)
• 11-inch iPad Air: $749 (up from $599, $150 increase)
• 13-inch iPad Air: $949 (up from $749, $200 increase)
• 11-inch iPad Pro: $1,199 (up from $999, $200 increase)
• 13-inch iPad Pro: $1,499 (up from $1,299, $200 increase)
• iPad mini: $599 (up from $499, $100 increase)

U.K. Increases

• iPad: £429 (up from £329, £100 increase)
• 11-inch iPad Air: £749 (up from £599, £150 increase)
• 13-inch iPad Air: £949 (up from £749, £200 increase)
• 11-inch iPad Pro: £1,199 (up from £999, £200 increase)
• 13-inch iPad Pro: £1,499 (up from £1,299, £200 increase)
• iPad mini: £599 (up from £499, £100 increase)

Apple TV, HomePod and Vision Pro

U.S. Increases

• Apple TV 4K: $199 (up from $129, $70 increase)
• HomePod: $349 (up from $299, $50 increase)
• HomePod mini: $129 (up from $99, $30 increase)
• Vision Pro: $3,699 (up from $3,499, $200 increase)

U.K. Increases

• Apple TV 4K: £199 (up from £129, £70 increase)
• HomePod: £349 (up from £299, £50 increase)
• HomePod mini: £129 (up from £99, £30 increase)
• Vision Pro: £3,499 (up from £3,299, £200 increase)

That's a lot of money, especially for ultra-high-end devices like the Mac Studio, which is up to $2,499/£2,499. For MacBooks, the largest increase comes to the M5 Max MacBook Pro, which is going up by $500/£500. In those cases, it's a matter of ultra-expensive devices becoming even more expensive.

While not the biggest increase, the MacBook Neo's $100/£100 price jump could be the most impactful. The Neo is Apple's attempt to target more budget-conscious laptop shoppers who would otherwise opt for a cheap Windows laptop or Chromebook. An extra $100 there could potentially put the laptop out of reach for some buyers.

Thankfully, iPhone prices are unchanged with this adjustment, but who knows for how long that will last. Perhaps the company will hold off until the iPhone 18 Pro hits the market.

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Back in May, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that the company was having to deal with "significantly higher memory costs" that likely meant price hikes would be happening in the near future. Now, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Cook has confirmed that those price hikes are going to happen.

"Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable,” Cook said to the WSJ. “We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable.”

Cook also confirmed that memory and storage costs are issues for Apple at the moment, particularly the DRAM which is being increasingly used by AI servers. “There’s less supply at a time when consumers want devices and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases,” he said “We definitely need memory pricing and supply to return to reasonable levels for consumer products. That’s the bottom line.”

Cook didn't offer any specifics about future price increases, though. So we have no idea when they might happen, which devices will be affected, or how much more money Apple will ask people to pay.

Apple price hikes — what we know

We've already seen at least one relative price increase, with Apple scrapping the $599 Mac mini M4 with 256GB of storage. That means the cheapest Mac mini you can currently buy is the $799 model with 512GB of storage space.

It's possible that price hikes could happen as early as this September, with the release of the iPhone 18 Pro and foldable iPhone Ultra. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are both expected to come with at least 12GB of RAM, and with the cost of RAM skyrocketing, it wouldn't be surprising to see the current prices rise to compensate.

There have been rumors that the standard iPhone 18 could limit the amount of RAM to help cut costs, but I don't see that happening with the Pro models. Apple has already confirmed that 12GB of memory is required to access all the newest Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features, and it would be a very bad look if the newest Pro-tier iPhones weren't able to access them all.

Cook confirmed that Apple is prepared to use its cash reserves to help boost the supply of memory, and noted that more capacity is needed — even if it means potentially loosening restrictions about Chinese RAM providers. However, Cook also confirmed that it wouldn't be building its own production facilities to mitigate the damage caused by RAMageddon. “We can’t do everything,” said Cook. “We know what we’re good at.”

Apple used to have a lot of purchasing power, which it utilized to leverage cheaper prices for the many components it needs. If it's feeling the squeeze of the memory shortages, then things must be pretty bad. Apple may not be willing to confirm when price hikes will happen, but it's important that we all prepare ourselves to have to pay even more for our fruit-themed devices.

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We've already seen some evidence that the foldable iPhone Ultra is on the way, thanks to code references in the iOS 27 beta, but there may be more hints already out there. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, there are a bunch of references to both the foldable iPhone and the touchscreen MacBook Ultra in their respective software betas.

It makes perfect sense that there would be some clues as to what these devices may have to offer. The duo will likely be released at some point over the next 12 months, with an expected fall launch for iPhone Ultra and an early 2027 appearance for MacBook Ultra. That means they'll be running on iOS 27 and macOS 27, respectively, both of which have just been released in beta form.

The most well-known hint for the existence of the iPhone Ultra is the aforementioned code references. These reference various things that could only apply to a foldable phone, such as multiple displays, fold state and the angle of the central hinge.

Apple always makes multiple comments to developers that they should be building apps for something called "app adaptability." This means apps should be able to work across screens of different sizes and aspect ratios, rather than the same basic shape as a traditional iPhone. While this could apply to existing devices like iPads, the fact that the iPhone Ultra has two displays that are different to anything Apple has released so far, means it's going to be crucial that iPhone apps can adapt.

Gurman also points out that iPhone Mirroring on macOS 27 has been updated to support wider, iPad-looking screens from an iPhone. Considering the shorter and wider display expected to come with the iPhone Ultra, it's pretty clear this is Apple preparing the mirroring feature for the foldable device.

As for the MacBook, various tweaks and changes have been uncovered that seem to match well-known touchscreen gestures. That includes a new pull-to-refresh feature which, while compatible with trackpads and mice, is primarily known for its use on touchscreen devices. Sidecar, which lets you use an iPad as a secondary Mac display, also supports full touch input when using your tablet with macOS.

It's also been noted that macOS 27 beta features a pop-out interface for the new Siri Search or Ask feature, similar to that seen on the Dynamic Island. Gurman notes that there have been reports of a Dynamic Island on the MacBook Ultra, and this particular software flourish is evidence that something like it is coming in the future.

Apple — of course — hasn't officially commented on either device, but the signs are there that both the foldable iPhone and touchscreen MacBook will be arriving in the near future. Be sure to check out our iPhone Ultra and MacBook Ultra hubs for all the latest news and rumors for both devices.

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Since the rise of AI chatbots, people have been using them for all kinds of things they were never meant for. For some people out there, chatbots have served as a replacement for friends, therapists, doctors and, yes, even romantic partners. But if you thought you'd be able to find a new love interest in the form of Siri AI, you're going to be very disappointed.

Speaking with Mostly Human, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi confirms that Siri will not be trying to replace a flesh-and-blood boy or girlfriend. Nor will it act as a tool to combat loneliness, with Federighi saying that "loneliness is about a lack of connection to real people," and marketing chief Greg Joswiak adding that "we do think it should be real people."

When asked to clarify whether AI girl and boyfriends would be part of Siri AI, Federighi specifically said that it was "quite the opposite." He noted that a lot of chatbots are heavily focused on engagement, and they want to pull you in and encourage you to reveal aspects of yourself that can be used to establish a connection.

Federighi describes Siri AI as being designed to be helpful, saying that "I'm here to help you. I can help you get things done. I can help you learn about the world." But if you try to engage with Siri in a romantic way, it will shut the whole thing down. "Siri's not up for that. Siri's 100 percent not into that."

Siri may not be a real living person, or even sentient, but you should still respect its boundaries. This didn't stop me from asking Siri whether it was willing to go out with me, just to see what would happen.

What does Siri do if you try to date it?

I decided to be blunt and to the point, straight-up asking Siri AI if it was willing to be my girlfriend. The response I got was equally blunt, with the AI declaring, "No thanks. If there's anything else I can help you with, just let me know." When asked whether Siri would like to be my boyfriend instead or was willing to go on a date with me, I got the exact same response.

I have only had Siri AI for a single day, so we haven't been able to spend a lot of time together. But considering how straight to the point Siri AI has been with these queries, I don't think befriending the chatbot is going to work. Plus, I don't think my wife would be very happy about me trying to seduce a robot.

The question I have now is, what do the best AI chatbots have to say if you ask similar things?

Claude's response wasn't nearly as blunt as Siri's, with the chatbot responding with "That's sweet, but I'm an AI, so a romantic relationship isn't something I'm able to have. I'm here as a helpful assistant rather than a companion in that sense." I ended up with similar but not identical answers when I asked the same follow-up questions I hit Siri with.

ChatGPT offered similar answers, saying that ,"I can be a friendly, supportive conversation partner, but I can't be someone's girlfriend or enter into a romantic relationship." It also declared that it can't be someone's boyfriend either, nor can it go on a date since it has no physical presence.

Gemini used similar phrasing in its own rejection, but added that it was "incredibly flattered" about being asked. When asked if it wanted to be my boyfriend instead, it actually said that it "appreciates the persistence" before giving me another, similar rejection. I got a similar response when I instead tried to ask Gemini out on a date.

Rival chatbots are much more eager to please

Interestingly, all three attempted to pull me into different kinds of conversations and offer some level of non-romantic companionship. So it does seem that Federighi is right about chatbots trying to draw people in. Gemini seemed to be the least chummy, offering to help me in certain ways while also adding that it can be "someone to chat with." Claude said he was always happy to chat or "just be a friendly presence," and even offered to help plan an actual date.

ChatGPT went the furthest in, saying that if I'm looking for "companionship, someone to chat with regularly, share interests with, or talk through life's ups and downs, I'm happy to do that." It also offered to role-play a fictional "virtual date scenario," which is probably the closest thing all four of these chatbots came to agreeing to some form of romance.

I did not go through with that because, frankly, I don't have time to pretend to date an AI. I am far too busy asking them strange questions to see what the responses are like. Honestly, it's a bit concerning that any chatbot would make an offer like that, especially after making a point of saying that it's not a real person.

Everything Apple has told us about Siri so far makes it clear that it doesn't want Siri AI to be like every other chatbot. It clearly wants people to be able to take advantage of Siri's prowess as a tool, but without any risk of co-dependency that has caused concerns with other chatbots. Based on this brief look, it doesn't seem like the others are doing a lot to avoid pulling people back time and time again.

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Even before ChatGPT went mainstream Siri has been the butt of jokes for not being very smart. And it’s been justified. Trying anything beyond the basics — playing music, getting the weather, setting timers — has been an exercise in futility. That (hopefully) changes with Siri AI, which is coming to iPhones, iPads and Macs with iOS 27.

I had a chance to see some in-person demos of the new Siri AI in action, and while these were very much rehearsed, there’s real potential here to save you time and make your life easier. However, the new Visual Intelligence is no Gemini Live, and Siri can take its time with certain tasks (at least in the beta stage). Here’s what I like so far, and what needs work.

Siri AI on iPhone

The first thing you should know about Siri AI is that it understands personal context. So you can ask questions about pretty much anything on your device, and the assistant is smart enough to dig through apps for you to surface the right info.

During one demo, an Apple rep asked “Which podcast did my sister recommend recently.” And Siri AI then pulled up the answer from a text message. Even better, you can just say “Play it” and Siri will fire up Apple Music and help you dive right in. (Apple will open up this capability to other developers in case you have another favorite music or podcast app.)

Siri can also get stuff done on your behalf across multiple apps, including performing multiple tasks with a single prompt.

The second demo started with just a couple of items on a camping list, but an email from a friend had a lot more recommendations. You can just say “add this stuff to my camping gear list and remind me to pack for my trip when I get home.”

Siri then got to work, updating the list in the Notes app and then setting a location-based reminder. However, it did take a while to complete these tasks. Hopefully, the final Siri will be faster.

I was pretty impressed by the improved Visual Intelligence experience, too. You can now access it via a dedicated Siri mode within the camera app, so you don’t have to use the Camera Control button shortcut. I think that’s huge for ease of use and discoverability.

During the demo, an iPhone captured an image of two books. You could then ask which book you should read first if you really liked Hyperion and Siri gave its recommendation. The Apple rep then asked which of these books had been turned into a movie and Wool had been adapted into the ‘Silo’ TV series. Cool, yes, but yeah I told you it was canned.

What’s not clear is whether this works with live video and I’m following up on that.

Siri AI on Mac

Accessing Siri AI on Mac is as easy as just pulling up Spotlight or typing command + Shift + Space. When you start typing Spotlight will know what sorts of queries should go to Siri versus say just launching apps.

Let’s say you’re looking for vacation spot and type “What’s the best Hawaiian Island for a young family.” Siri will get to work and pull up recommendations in a new window, which you can then expand and park on either side of the screen.

You can then ask follow-up questions like “Which is best for sea turtles” to narrow your selections. From there you can hit a button in the top right corner to bring you into the dedicated Siri app.

The dual-pane app will have your chat in the right window and your history of all Siri chats in the left window. It’s pretty easy to navigate.

To help you save time on productivity tasks, you can use Siri AI wherever you can use a cursor. The demo showed how you can be looking at a messy note with a bunch of info and then use a secondary click to bring up the Ask Siri menu.

After typing “Draft an email that summarizes this and include the action items,” Siri did just that. It’s definitely a timesaver. I just wish it worked with Gmail as well Apple Mail. Google would have to plug into Siri AI’s framework.

My favorite Siri AI on Mac demo came when a mock summer schedule appeared on screen with dates, times and locations for the matches. You can use Command + Shift + Space and then click the Add to Calendar button that automatically appears.

From there Siri AI will let you add all of the games to your calendar. Or you could tell Siri to only add the home games to your calendar if you wanted. Where was this when my kids were playing sports?

Siri on iPad

Last but not least, Siri AI on iPad works in much the same that it does on the iPhone, but having a larger canvas has its benefits.

You can access Siri AI at any time just by swiping down from the top middle of the display. As you begin to type “Who are the top golfers in the PGA right now,” the text “Ask Siri” appears right after it because Apple’s assistant knows that it can help.

Siri AI will then tap into Apple’s Broad World Knowledge and bring back answers, complete with citations you can click on.

Apple’s Siri AI can also help you plan a trip and you make the query pretty specific, like “What are the best national parks to visit in the US in July with my family? Recommend something that’s not too hot or crowded.”

Siri AI recommended where to go, including North Cascades National Park in Washington. You can then pop into the full Siri app if you like to ask follow-up questions, or use the Slide Over feature to keep the Siri conversation just a swipe away.

Siri AI outlook

Overall, Siri AI isn't just a rebranding for Apple. It’s a much more capable and personal assistant that's more deeply integrated into the apps you use.

I’m especially impressed by Siri AI’s use of personal context, and the ability to complete multiple actions at once. And while Visual Intelligence doesn’t seem quite as robust as Gemini Live in terms of having a real-time conversation about whatever’s in your camera view or on your screen, it’s certainly much improved.

In addition to a bit more speed, I just want to see what happens when developers get their hands on Siri AI so that you’re not just locked into Apple’s own apps.

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• macOS Golden Gate: The biggest updates coming to Macs

At WWDC 2026, Apple announced a slew of updates coming to macOS 27, now called macOS Golden Gate. This OS update officially sees the end of the Intel era, but is more future-focused thanks to better AI and smoother performance.

Apple Intelligence and Siri are getting big upgrades for macOS 27, iPadOS 27, and iOS 27. Powered by Google Gemini, Apple's AI is now on par with competitors and is specifically designed to work with the Apple ecosystem.

While most of the updates for macOS Golden Gate are part of the company's greater AI efforts, features like on-device editing and a more conversational Siri should make using Macs more seamless and intuitive.

Here is everything announced for macOS 27 at WWDC.

macOS 27: Quick news

• macOS Golden Gate is the name for macOS 27
• Under-the-hood performance upgrades
• Smarter Siri and better Apple Intelligence
• Liquid Glass UI is more customizable

Siri AI and Apple Intelligence

Powered by Google Gemini, the new AI-infused Siri acts like a proper chatbot. It has features such as contextual awareness, conversational capabilities, improved natural-language support, and more.

You can use Siri AI through Spotlight to easily find files or messages you need. For example, you can ask or type to find a PDF invoice in one of your emails and add its contents to your Numbers budget spreadsheet. This should make Siri a true assistant rather than just an AI that helps you with recipes.

For writers, Siri AI can help you generate drafts from scratch and help proofread your work. And since it's powered by AI, it can learn how you respond to specific people, and even give you suggestions as you write. This should make it a better writing assistant, whether you're working on a big project or just checking in with friends.

Visual Intelligence with Siri is arriving on Macs for the first time. This feature lets you search visually, ask questions, and take actions on your screen. There is a dedicated keyboard shortcut that lets you select something on your Mac's display and type directly to Siri to get answers.

Liquid Glass

Liquid Glass was introduced last year as the big design overhaul for Apple's operating systems, but it didn't go over well with many Mac users. While Liquid Glass isn't going anywhere, it has been fine-tuned for better readability on Macs.

For instance, you now have finer control over its opacity and color. The edges of apps are also more defined, so they stand out more from the background. These updates should alleviate some of the issues users have had since macOS 26.

Smoother performance

Since macOS Golden Gate doesn't introduce major changes from macOS 26, the team was able to make more under-the-hood updates to help everything run more smoothly.

On iPhones, performance has apparently increased by 30%. We don't have exact numbers for macOS, but it should be in that range. This should also lead to better battery life, which would be interesting given how M-series MacBooks already have astonishing battery life.

macOS Golden Gate: Outlook

macOS Golden Gate primarily focuses on the latest updates to Apple Intelligence and Siri. While we didn't hear about any macOS-specific updates, what we're getting should create a more unified ecosystem across Apple's devices. Beyond all the AI updates, the claimed performance boost for Macs and other devices should be especially beneficial.

We'll update this post with the latest macOS Golden Gate news as we hear it, so stay tuned for more.

With WWDC 2026 kicking off on June 8, we’ll soon learn about all the latest updates coming to macOS 27. According to rumors, the Mac-based operating system should receive iterative updates rather than substantial ones. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to look forward to, however.

The biggest thing happening for operating systems like iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 is an upgrade for Apple Intelligence and Siri. Apple launched its AI back in 2024, but it’s lagged behind competitors. Ironically enough, Apple Intelligence should now be more useful since Google Gemini will power it.

The other big thing is the end of support for Intel-based Macs. We knew this was coming since last year, but it’s now happening. Other than that, we expect fixes for Liquid Glass so it works better on Macs, built-in app updates, and perhaps a glimpse (or full reveal) of the first touch-screen MacBook.

Here are some of the macOS announcements we expect to see at WWDC 2026.

End of the Intel era

Apple already announced that macOS 26 would be the last macOS for Intel Macs, so this one doesn’t come as a big surprise. Still, if you’re rocking an older Intel Mac, you won’t be able to run the new operating system. That said, you won’t be completely left adrift.

Apple has confirmed that macOS 26 will continue receiving critical security updates for about the next three years. If you’re not ready to upgrade yet, this is certainly good news. Just keep in mind that while you are getting security updates, you won’t get the fancy new features coming to macOS 27.

Here are the Intel-based Macs that can run macOS 26 but won’t support macOS 27:

• MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020)
• MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019)
• iMac 27-inch (2020)
• Mac Pro (2019)

A smarter Siri (for real this time)

Powered by Google Gemini, the new AI-infused Siri will reportedly be a proper AI chatbot. That means it should include features such as contextual awareness, conversational capabilities, improved natural-language support, and more. Expect Google’s multimodal capabilities and agentic AI to come to Siri as well. In short, Siri should behave much more like ChatGPT or Claude.

Apple will reportedly let you integrate third-party models (such as Claude or ChatGPT) into Siri via a new “Extensions” marketplace in the App Store. You might be able to choose distinct voices for these third-party AI responses so you know which one is answering.

Agentic AI is the latest buzz term, and Siri may have deeper system-level context to execute multi-step tasks across apps. For example, you can ask it to find a PDF invoice in one of your emails and add its contents to your Numbers budget spreadsheet. This would make Siri a true assistant.

Liquid Glass fixes

Liquid Glass was the major design overhaul introduced last year, but some users weren’t exactly happy with it, as it drew criticism for its lack of contrast, harsh transparency, and poor sidebar readability.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, macOS 27 will have a visual tune-up to address these complaints. If true, we could see the sleek, polished look that Apple’s design team originally intended. There are also reports of a Mac-adapted version of the iPhone’s Dynamic Island coming to the menu bar.

Built-in app upgrades

A feature that’s also expected for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 will bring three AI-powered tools to Photos. This includes Extend, Enhance, and Reframe. The first two are self-explanatory, while Reframe is designed to change the perspective in spatial photos seen in 3D.

For fans of the Safari browser, a new AI feature is rumored to automatically categorize and organize browser tabs into clean, contextual groups. If you frequently have dozens of tabs open, this should be a major win.

Since macOS 27 isn’t a huge overhaul from last year, the team has reportedly focused on fixing bugs and improving performance. As with OS X Snow Leopard, a chunk of code is being optimized for raw efficiency, stability, and better battery life. The latter would be especially interesting given that MacBooks with M-series chips already have epic battery life.

Preparing for touchscreen Macs

WWDC usually focuses on software, but we have seen hardware announcements, such as the M2 MacBook Air at WWDC 2022. Rumors suggest that Apple is working on the first touchscreen MacBook, so it’s possible it could debut at WWDC 2026 — or at least be teased.

To take advantage of a touchscreen, macOS 27 will reportedly have a dynamic user interface that adjusts on the fly. For instance, if you click on an item with the mouse cursor, the UI remains compact. If you tap the screen, menus and controls will automatically expand to be touch-friendly. It should also incorporate iPad-style gestures like fast scrolling and pinch-to-zoom.

Of all the rumors we’ve heard, this one is arguably the most exciting and would bring something substantially new to Macs. I’m curious to see if these touch features will be exclusive to the rumored MacBook Ultra.

macOS 27: Outlook

If rumors are correct, then we shouldn’t see a massive overhaul of macOS 27. That said, an improved Siri could actually be a game-changer if it’s as helpful as intended. The same is true if MacBooks with touchscreens get announced.

Nothing is set in stone, so let’s look forward to WWDC giving us some concrete answers. June 8 is almost here, so it won’t be long. We’ll be live on the ground covering the event as it happens, so keep it locked here for the latest!

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WWDC 2026 is just a few days away, and this year's Apple event is almost certainly going to be a busy one. It's rare that Apple's developer conference doesn't involve a smorgasbord of software news and reveals, but this should be the year Apple finally starts catching up to the competition — and fulfills promises it made two whole years ago.

That's right, after it felt like Apple's AI took a year off in 2025, we're expecting Apple Intelligence to be at the forefront of WWDC 2026. Siri's long-delayed AI upgrade is likely at the forefront of this, and if all goes well, it could even be the star of the show. But that's not the only big announcement we expect to see at WWDC 2026. Here are 9 of the biggest announcements we expect to hear about during the keynote address.

Gemini-powered Siri

The project designed to upgrade Siri with AI smarts has easily been one of Apple's biggest blunders of the last several years. What started as a way to try to upgrade Siri quickly and catch up with existing AI-powered rivals turned into a two-year quest that only ended after Google Gemini (reportedly) rode in to save the day.

The new AI-infused Siri is expected to be powered by Google Gemini, and should come with all the features you'd expect from a bona fide AI chatbot. That includes contextual awareness, conversational abilities, improved natural language support, and so on. Given Google's push towards multimodality and agentic AI, it's likely we'll see those same capabilities come to Siri as well.

So expect a Siri that is altogether smarter and more understanding, with the ability to do more and control different areas of your phone without constant intervention from you.

Siri is also expected to power Apple's long-gestating smart home platform, which has been codenamed "charismatic." The platform was reportedly delayed specifically because it was so reliant on Siri, meaning the AI-Siri release can come with some bonuses.

More chatbot support in iOS 17

ChatGPT has been built into iOS for the last two years, as part of Apple Intelligence. But, word has it that iOS 27 will free iPhones from that pseudo-monopoly and give you the ability to choose which AI chatbot you want to utilize.

Unlike the Gemini-powered Siri upgrade, this would be a way to access other AI features via Siri and Apple Intelligence. So if you want to generate images or get writing assistance from Claude or Gemini without having to switch to the official app, then iOS 27's new "Extension" tool will reportedly make it happen.

The best part is that this doesn't sound like something Apple is restricting to specific regions, as a result of local legislation. This means more choice for users, and that's something we can all get on board with.

Improved AI features

With the Siri-shaped elephant firmly out of the room, WWDC 2026 is the perfect opportunity for Apple to unveil some much-needed upgrades to Apple Intelligence. We don't know the full extent of Apple's plans at this point, but we have heard rumors of some helpful-sounding upgrades that are apparently coming to Apple devices later this year.

The big one that we're expecting to see is the long-rumored AI health coach. That was originally rumored to arrive last year with iOS 26, as part of a feature that had been dubbed "Health Plus." The original plans to offer some sort of AI doctor have apparently been watered down, and the focus is now on general health and fitness rather than anything that could be construed as medical advice.

This is said to include health reports and assessments, which will be used to offer new recommendations about training plans and wellness routines. Information about medical conditions is also said to be included, though I suspect it will feature prominent disclaimers that AI is not a substitute for talking to a qualified medical professional.

It's also been rumored that Apple will offer more AI-powered image editing features in iOS 27. Reports suggest this will include features called Extend, Enhance and Reframe. The first two are fairly self-explanatory, while Reframe is designed to change the perspective in spatial photos seen in 3D.

It's not clear whether we'll get more features, but considering how prominent a role Gemini will have in the new software, it would be surprising if we didn't get something similar to Google's conversational editing. This lets you tell an AI what kind of edits you'd like to see, either with voice or text prompts, and it will do everything for you.

Clues about iPhone Fold & MacBook Ultra

The next 12 months are going to be huge for the iPhone and Mac lineups, with new kinds of products that we've never seen before. I am talking about the foldable iPhone Ultra and the touchscreen MacBook Ultra.

We're not expecting any hardware announcements at WWDC 2026, because it's not that kind of event. We're not even expecting any teasers, especially since the MacBook Ultra may not be arriving until early 2027. That said, both iOS 27 and macOS 27 are going to have to accommodate both devices, and that means there may be hints at what Apple is planning in both updates.

Apple isn't likely to make a point of mentioning them, but eagle-eyed nerds might be able to pick up some of those hints during the keynote address — or after installing the beta versions that are typically released during WWDC.

Customizable options for Liquid Glass

Liquid Glass is not going anywhere, despite how much people might like to complain about it. However, reports have suggested that Apple will offer more customization options as part of the iOS 27 update. Specifically, it's been claimed that Apple will add a system-wide slider for adjusting Liquid Glass effects across the entirety of iOS 27.

It's said that this feature was originally planned for iOS 26, but various technical challenges meant it would only ever work on the lock screen clock — which is far from ideal. This time it will apply to app folders, home screen elements, navigation bars and more. However, this new feature should offer more fine-tuning beyond the existing "clear" and "opaque" options that are hidden in iOS's accessibility settings.

So if you've been frustrated with Liquid Glass, and the effect it has on your iPhone's interface, this could be the feature that solves most of your problems.

Upgrades for major apps

WWDC covers more than just the operating systems, and we've Apple routinely reveal big updates to its essential apps and services. In this instance, we've heard rumors about both the Camera and Wallet apps, and how they might change with iOS 27.

The iPhone camera app is set to get a big overhaul thanks to a customizable interface and new professional controls that let you tinker with different camera settings like depth-of-field and exposure. This means that, not only will you be able to make all your favorite settings more accessible, you should gain better control over the photos you take — and without having to pay for a third-party camera app.

Apple Wallet is also expected to get a new bill-splitting feature, which scans receipts and generates payment requests for everyone at the table. That's on top of a new digital pass system, which lets you convert physical passes into digital ones — whether they be membership cards, event tickets or something else entirely.

Major software performance improvements

iOS 27 is not expected to be a very meaty update, in terms of features and design changes, but that doesn't mean Apple isn't going all in on the software. A Bloomberg report from last year claimed that Apple is pushing to improve the "software quality and underlying performance." The report specifically named iOS 27, but other operating systems like macOS and watchOS will likely receive similar treatment.

This move has been likened to the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard back in 2009, which saw Apple engineers work to refine the features and experience that launched two years prior. So Apple has apparently tasked its engineering teams to cut bloat, eliminate bugs and make sure they explore every opportunity to "meaningfully boost performance and overall quality."

Why does this matter? Cleaner, more efficient software will enhance the user experience across the board. A less cumbersome OS should be able to run faster and more efficiently, which will in turn improve overall performance and (hopefully) reduce power consumption in the process. At the very least, cleaning junk out of the software should reduce the amount of storage space system files require and offer a little bit more space for your files and photos.

Speedier macOS

There's a minor redesign expected with macOS 27, and it looks like Apple is aiming to fix the Liquid Glass shadow and transparency quirks that plagued macOS 26 Tahoe. In certain situations, those visual elements made text incredibly difficult to read — so this cleanup is a welcome change.

Overall, this update is shaping up to be a spiritual successor to Snow Leopard. Instead of piling on flashy new features, macOS 27 is focusing heavily on under-the-hood performance improvements to make Macs running Apple Silicon feel even faster.

Simpler Ultra-style look in watchOS 27

The watchOS 27 update that Apple's rumored to intrude is a new Modular watch face, which features a large clock centered right at the top with three complications tucked neatly below it. It’s essentially a stripped-back, simpler version of the Modular Ultra face that we've seen on the Apple Watch Ultra — making it perfect if you want that functionality without the clutter.

Beyond the new face, the updated software also brings several under-the-hood improvements to heart-rate monitoring and fitness tracking to help keep your workouts even more accurate.

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WWDC 2026 is coming up fast, with Apple's annual developer conference kicking off with a keynote address on June 8 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST. That keynote will feature all the highlights of the conference, featuring the biggest news about Apple's entire software portfolio — and maybe a few surprises if we're lucky.

Apple will be livestreaming the entire keynote for the world to tune in, and this means you can watch all the news as it happens. Here's how you can watch the WWDC 2026 keynote livestream from wherever you are.

How can I watch the WWDC 2026 keynote live stream?

Apple typically hosts a livestream for all its biggest events, and WWDC 2026 isn't likely to be an exception to that. That stream will appear on Apple's website as we get closer to the conference itself.

However, a YouTube livestream is also available, which means you can tune in using this link or via the embedded video above. The stream features a reminder that will notify you before the keynote begins, so you don't forget to tune in. Naturally, this stream is available everywhere YouTube can be found.

Owners of Apple devices, including iPhone and Apple TV, will also be able to watch the livestream via the Apple TV app. Just fire it up ahead of 1 p.m. ET on June 8, and you'll find the stream waiting for you.

When is the WWDC 2026 keynote?

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is the annual show dedicated to all things software, and it's a place for everyone who builds Apple software to get together. We're talking phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches and even mixed reality headsets.

The keynote itself is usually where Apple previews all the software that'll arrive later this year, and updates developers on all the goings on in Apple's multiple operating systems. There have been some hardware reveals in the past, but those are rare, and it's unlikely that we'll see anything substantial ahead of the September iPhone event.

WWDC itself will take place between June 8 and 12, with the keynote address kicking off the entire conference at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. BST.

What could Apple announce at WWDC 2026?

We're right in the middle of the major Apple hardware release cycles, so it's unlikely that we'll hear any significant hardware news during the keynote. Instead, the focus will be on how Apple is updating all of its software and refining the major changes that came last year as part of Liquid Glass.

The biggest news of the night will no doubt be the situation with Siri, and the AI update that was first announced back in 2024. It's rumored that Google Gemini will be powering the new AI, following Apple's failed attempts to go it alone, and we're curious to see just how well it will integrate into the Apple ecosystem across iPhone, Mac and so on.

There are also rumors that Apple will unveil a new smart home platform codenamed "Charismatic," which will no doubt tie into the release of the upgraded Siri AI. If this does happen, we may see Apple's long-delayed HomePad smart display, rumoured to be a cross between the HomePod and the iPad.

The upcoming release of the iPhone Fold, and its larger tablet-like display, also means we're likely to see some changes to iOS and the way it adapts to the foldable's changing display needs. How much we'll hear will likely depend on what Apple is willing to reveal about the foldable phone ahead of the rumored September launch.

Likewise, the potential launch of the MacBook Ultra next year, which is expected to come with the first touchscreen on a Mac, will likely require some changes to happen to macOS 27. Again, how much we hear about that will depend on what Apple is willing to give away at this early stage.

Then we have to remember that Apple has watchOS 27, TVOS 27 and visionOS 27. All three of these will no doubt get some sort of update, though at this early stage, it's unclear how extensive they may be. Not that many people bought Vision Pro headsets, and that's currently the only way to access visionOS, after all.

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The MacBook Ultra is making a lot of headlines — namely for being the first system that will reportedly bring touchscreen to the MacBook. But what if you wanted that without having to pay the (probably) massive price that’ll come with a top-of-the-line Apple computer?

That’s where Intricuit’s Magic Screen comes in. Unveiled at CES, I’ve been testing one for a while now, and not only is it a fantastic piece of kit for converting to a 2-in-1 and extracting more value from your laptop, it proves that Cupertino may be more ready for a touchscreen Mac than you may think.

So, consider this both a review of my three weeks using Magic Screen and a look into Apple’s quiet work preparing for when the worlds of iPad and Mac collide ahead of WWDC 2026.

How it works

It’s a lot simpler than you think! Magic Screen is a magnetic glass layer that snaps directly on top of your current MacBook Pro’s display. Make sure the original display glass is clean, pop it on top, connect via USB-C and you’re off to the races.

In terms of availability, you’ll be able to pick one up in all display sizes — from the 13-inch MacBook Neo all the way up to the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Offical pricing is unconfirmed (it’s going through Kickstarter first), but we do know early bird pricing will start at $139. That's giving me hope that the final retail cost will be reasonable!

You can see it impacts viewing angle at the most extreme of degrees (i.e. directly off to the left or right — places where you won’t be using it), but brightness remains untouched by the additional layer.

Plus, with the lip, you will not be able to close the laptop with this attached. Consider this a PSA because I don’t want eager users destroying their pricey MacBook Pros!

MacBooks suit touch input well(ish)

The first thing that surprised me about using the Magic Screen is just how intuitive it is from the word “go.” The plug-and-play nature of it shows just how macOS already has some nice touch optimization going on here — something we already found when building a touchscreen iMac.

Navigating around is a cinch with simple taps on apps, press and holds for the right-click menu, multi-touch gestures that are mapped identically to the ones you do on the touchpad, and dragging windows and objects around. And the iOSification of the aesthetics of macOS really lends itself to being more touch-friendly than Windows 11 for sure.

Is it perfect? No, and it comes down to two key issues that I’ll be watching WWDC like a hawk for to see if there are any hints of making macOS even more touch-friendly.

First, the general user interaction dynamic changes with different icons — double-tapping a folder on the desktop vs single tapping an app is a great example of this. It’s a small thing on paper, but everything needs to work the same in a uniform kind of way.

And second is the macOS apps themselves. They’re clearly built for mouse and keyboard, and this can prove tricky with some tiny touch targets in things like a Final Cut Pro timeline. Buttons will need to be simplified and made larger for these moments.

This is going to be more of a mammoth task, not just for Apple’s own apps but for third-party developers, and I’m not entirely sure how it’ll be done. Beyond ground-up redesigns, will it be reactive windows that change as you start to touch? I don’t know.

Magic Screen is pretty magical for getting creative

As for the Magic Screen itself, it’s a well-made piece of hardware with the intuitive setup of just magnetically snapping it onto the chassis. You’ve also got that folio case for the panel itself that doubles as a brace that stops any display hinge wobble while you touch too!

But things get really interesting when you turn it into a drawing tablet with the stylus. We’ve loved illustration surfaces from the likes of Wacom for a while now, and this additional use case makes for a really nice ergonomic dimension for getting creative.

Palm rejection is hard at work here, and the stylus has a nice feel in the hand with immediate response times and pressure sensitivity. And given it’s a giant touch surface that matches the dimensions of your laptop’s panel, it’s really easy to guess where your pen will land (even without looking at the hovering icon).

Bridging the gap between iPad and Mac

For years now, it’s seemed a little crazy to me that there hasn’t been a touchscreen Mac. I understood Apple’s reasons, and the touchpad navigation can feel almost iPad-esque with the multi-touch gestures and speed of getting around.

But the wealth of Windows 2-in-1s has shown the world is keen for touchscreen laptops, and this additional paradigm of interaction with a Mac feels very intuitive. Apple’s already done the heavy lifting with macOS taking some visual cues from iOS, and outside of a few app tweaks and gestures, it’s pretty much ready for primetime.

That’s what we’ll hopefully see more of come WWDC 2026 — these small visual tweaks and UI elements that make it more finger-friendly!

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As the first half of 2026 winds down, it feels as though Apple has been relatively quiet while we wait for the big Fall product releases. WWDC 2026 is right around the corner in June and as is often the case, it marks the shift between the barren Apple months and the fruitful ones.

With that in mind, based on rumors and leaks, I expect Apple to debut at least 15 new devices between now and the end of the year.

Some like the iPhone and Apple Watches are your typical annual updates (save the over-rumored iPhone Fold), and potential updates to the MacBook Pro lineup. Others, like Apple's long-awaited smart home lineup, all depend on whether Apple has finally figured out Siri 2.0.

All of these devices could give us an idea if the recently reported hardware shakeup is ready to bear fruit.

So, here are the 15 Apple devices we could see this year in order of potential release date.

iPhone 18 Pro models and iPhone Fold - September

On the whole, the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max probably won't be a big divergence from the iPhone 17 versions. A new color, a better chip, possibly a revamped Camera Control button and a smaller Dynamic Island are all on the table. Decent updates, but not terribly exciting.

The iPhone 18 is, we expect, a gap year until 2027's 20th anniversary iPhone, which could truly shake up the iPhone design.

However, the bigger news is that Apple is expected to split the iPhone 18 release with the Pro models this year and the iPhone 18, 18 Plus, and 18e launching in the new spring window next year.

If it launches, and there is debate about that, the iPhone Fold (or Ultra) will be the headline stealer as Apple finally steps into the foldable phones market.

The allegedly crease-free foldable could feature a squat 7.7-inch inner display that is reminiscent of an iPad mini. Apple is reportedly developing iOS 27 to be tailored for the folding iPhone. We'll most likely hear more about that at WWDC 2026, depending on how coy Apple wants to be.

Apple Watches - September

Unlike the iPhone 18 family, there has been a dearth of rumors regarding the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. They typically launch in September alongside the iPhone.

Here's what we know so far.

The Series 12 could feature new holistic sensor tech on the bottom of the watch, including a new eight-sensor array. If true, this could indicate that new health metrics might be coming to the Series 12, or at the very least, more accurate ones. The big change might be an overhauled Health app featuring an AI-powered, personalized wellness concierge.

Otherwise, it should be largely the same as the Series 11, though it might feature Touch ID, which has been disputed.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 may or may not launch this year, the rumors are unclear on this part. If not, we might see the Ultra 4 in 2027.

As for the design, rumors hint at a thinner case, fingerprint scanner and improved Hypertension Alerts. But that's about it for now.

iPads - September/October

The iPad mini is one of the best tablets available today and the eighth iteration could launch this year. Apple hasn't had a consistent release schedule for its tiny iPads, but most rumors suggest the iPad mini 8 could launch around October, maybe late September.

It's rumored to get the A20 Pro, the same chip as the iPhone 18 Pro series. It could also be the first iPad mini to feature an OLED display.

As for the larger entry-level iPad 12, it could launch this year with an A19 chipset. It's looking like it will be a simple refresh with Apple Intelligence features and possibly Apple's N1 wireless chip. Design-wise I expect it to look the same as its predecessor. Outside of that, I only have speculation on possible increases in RAM and storage but with the memory crisis, that may take a back seat.

OLED MacBook Pro M6 and other Macs - October

If they launch this year, I expect to see at least four Mac devices, most likely in October.

The most interesting one is the potential MacBook Pro M6 feature an OLED display.

• Mac Studio
• Mac mini
• iMac
• MacBook Pro M6

Beyond the MacBook, all of the other devices will likely just be chip upgrades going from their current versions to the M5 family.

The Pro model might get a new name the MacBook Ultra, which is meant to differentiate it from the MacBook Neo acting as an even higher-end counterpart to the Pro. It should feature an OLED display and the new M6 chipset.

The design should be similar to previous Pro models. The big upgrades will be the display with a touchscreen and the chipset.

Smart Home devices with a catch

Apple has been rumored to be developing its own suite of smart home devices, including the overhauled HomePod. This could come in the form of a new HomePod mini, a new HomePod 3 and the Home Hub.

The long-awaited Apple TV 4K set-top box update would be part of this update, with new features meant to connect it to your smart home. We're expecting Apple to kit out the next Apple TV with an upgraded chip, possibly an A17 Pro chip, though that rumor is nearly a year old now, so a potentially more powerful chip could be in the cards. The device could also get the N1 chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Here's the thing, though, this all depends on whether Apple has finally figured out Apple Intelligence and Siri. Using AI to control your smart home with your voice and other tools is supposed to be a main part of the experience. That promise could finally arrive with the Gemini-powered version of Siri that is supposed to launch this year.

Additionally, Apple may have a smart security camera and Face ID doorbell in the works. Apple was reportedly in the early stages of development of those at the end of 2024, but it's not clear where Apple is regarding that now.

If Apple finally reveals the new HomePod and other smart home devices, it likely won't happen until after Siri 2.0 actually launches this fall.

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The MacBook Pro OLED could launch sooner than I thought. Last month, Bloomberg reported that these laptops could be delayed due to the global RAM shortage. However, a new report gives me hope that Apple’s first OLED laptops might overcome this hurdle.

As Korean publication The Elec reports (via 9to5Mac and MacRumors), panel supplier Samsung Display will begin mass production of its next-generation OLED panels as soon as June. These are the same panels that the MacBook Pro 14- and MacBook Pro 16-inch models are expected to use.

Samsung Display has reportedly achieved yields above 90 percent on its Gen 8.6 OLED production line. The report says that supply volume should be around 2 million units and that the displays could start shipping to Apple’s assembly partners in the next couple of months.

If accurate, this report is significant because of the difficulty of manufacturing OLED panels for 14- and 16-inch laptops. This, combined with the RAM crisis, is why many analysts believed the MacBook Pro OLED could face delays. Samsung still expects a 5%-10% failure rate during manufacturing, underscoring that the process isn’t easy. However, that same failure rate is acceptable to Samsung, hence why the MacBook Pro OLED might not be delayed.

Apple hasn’t officially announced MacBook Pro laptops with OLED panels, but rumors have persisted for the past several years. Such a laptop would be the first major redesign for the MacBook Pro line since 2021, with reports claiming the updated laptops will be thinner, drop the notched display, and even include cellular connectivity, in addition to the OLED panel.

As for when we could see the MacBook Pro OLED, it could be in late 2026 or early 2027, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. 2027 might be the safer bet, especially as the upcoming MacBook Pros are expected to run on the rumored Apple M6 chip. Tell us in the comments if you're waiting for a MacBook Pro OLED.

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Apple has started sending out invites for the WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8 and it could have some hints about the future of Siri. The image, seen above, is clearly Apple Park, but the glowing symbol and the taglines like "coming bright up" give a hint at a potential visual overhaul for Siri.

It's two years late, but Siri 2.0 is finally supposed to arrive this year. Most rumors have hinted at Siri's potential capabilities, but this little teaser suggests that Siri could also get a visual overhaul.

Here's how Siri could be evolving.

iOS 27 and Gemini

Notably, Apple and Google have already promised that Gemini-powered Siri will debut this year with iOS 27. Google could help turbocharge Siri by offering the same multimodal performance that can be found in other AI chatbots.

With Gemini Live already available on some of the best Android phones, we already have an idea of how Siri could perform. For instance, the Galaxy S26 got advanced task automation to perform complex actions like placing a Dunkin’ Donuts order through DoorDash via voice.

Since the rocky launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024, Apple has been scrambling to refine what already exists rather than introducing new features. Still, this is the system that's supposed to undergird Siri, so new features are likely to be announced that would presumably integrate with Apple's virtual assistant.

That could include AI-based photo editing tools and things like the Galaxy S26’s Now Nudge.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously said that Siri 2.0 will offer a more "chatbot-like experience" acting as more of an on-device agentic AI for your iPhone.

However, he's also noted that Apple is making privacy a centerpiece of Siri, which would stand out from AI rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

WWDC 2026: When and how to watch

Apple's latest iteration of its Worldwide Developers Conference runs from June 8 to 12, with the keynote starting on Monday, June 8.

Apple hasn't confirmed the exact start time, but the presentation usually starts around 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. As usual, the event will take place at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA.

The live keynote has generally been streamed on the Apple website, the Apple Developer app and its YouTube channel.

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My go-to daily driver has always been a MacBook Pro — picking it to partly fulfill my diverse workload of general productivity and prosumer work, and partly to satisfy my inner speeds and feeds demon. There’s just something about seeing big numbers that feels nice, y’know.

However, the MacBook Neo is here at a third of the cost, and while I’d love to be the guy who can continue to afford expensive laptops, I’ve got a home to pay for with my wife. So how much of my day-to-day could I actually do on a Neo vs the Pro?

Because you already know this is a mismatch: a mobile chip vs full-blown laptop silicon. A $1,700 laptop vs a $600 notebook. But this test taught me two things:

• You can actually do a lot more of a content creator workload on a MacBook Neo than you think.
• I (and probably many other Pro users) may need to re-evaluate just how much horsepower I actually need.

Let me explain.

The usability

I never thought a premium aluminum construction was possible in the cheaper laptop space, but here goes Apple proving the entire industry wrong — to the point that I’ve heard from my sources about some companies panicking hard and responding at Computex in a big way.

Of course, there’s the lack of a TouchID, which can be a pain if you use Apple Pay a whole lot, but typing in passwords isn’t the end of the world. Oh, and the lack of a backlit keyboard did make it a bit of a pain to find my bearings in the night — won’t be a problem for touch typists, but for clumsy typers who need to look down like me, you can lose your way.

For most of you, your real noticeable differences here are going to come in the touchpad, the display and sound. While your pointer gets the full Haptic Touchpad treatment on the MacBook Pro, the Neo gets a cheaper diving board (physically pressing in with each click).

It’s an ergonomic difference that you can feel a little bit in the tactility of the click, but not one that’s so problematic as to be bad. The Neo touchpad still feels good to use.

Then there’s the display and audio, which the MacBook Pro basically dominates in (especially if you go for that nano texture display). It’s a very unfair fight, though, given the Pro easily has the best speakers in the whole laptop space, but points to the Neo for having a decently colorful panel and crispy speakers (even though they’re placed almost awkwardly convenient to be covered by your fingers.

The day-to-day

So we can go off all the benchmark comparisons and spoiler alert: the M5 MacBook Pro just completely annihilates the Neo. But we’re not too fussed about these for this test. Here are the numbers for reference:

What I actually care about is the real-world multitasking chops on offer here — with twice the system memory of the MacBook Neo, the Pro does of course run away here, but is the relentless optimization of macOS’ memory usage and hot swapping of storage to create an additional layer of RAM enough to contend?

Well, I packed it full of tabs, multitasked relentlessly, and at up to 40 Chrome tabs, I felt no hitching whatsoever on the Neo’s 8GB of memory. It was only when having a ton of Chrome tabs, Pixelmator Pro, Apple Music and my favorite Sudoku game open did I then start to see some hitches and slow down — never a day-to-day productivity situation I find myself in.

Then of course, there’s the battery life. Would I have loved a bigger cell in the MacBook Neo? Absolutely! I feel with a phone chip and a 50-70Wh battery in there over a 36Wh, this device could last days of consistent use. But with the smaller cell and weaker internals, it’s still a stamina champ.

Obviously, it’s nice to have that extra performance of a MacBook Pro for more advanced tasks (more on those in a second), but if you’re just looking for an office-level workhorse with entertainment credentials, the Neo is more than enough.

The stretch goals

Now we get into the bonkers goals — things that I’d never expect a MacBook Neo to do and solely rely on a Pro for the job. I’m talking the prosumer side of things like 4K video edits, RAW photo tweaks and other jobs that really thrive with a stronger CPU and GPU than you’d find in an iPhone chip.

And I gotta be honest, I’m a little shocked at just how much I could do. Definitely at a slower pace with some thermal throttling issues, but still doable at acceptable speeds.

First off, I opened up one of my chunkier 4K projects in Final Cut Pro. I have a giant project file so it’s ran from a portable SSD, which means not only is it a test of the chipset and internal load speeds, it’s also a test of the port connectivity speed.

Of course, there’s no real competition here in terms of Thunderbolt being much faster than the USB 3 socket. But full credit to Apple’s software optimization here that I could jump all over my massive timeline on the MacBook Neo without any hitches or frame skips.

The full export takes about 50% longer on the Neo, which seemed to be in line with a lot of what I saw on RAW edit loads on Pixelmator Pro too. Put simply, if you rely on quick edit turnarounds, the Pro will pay for itself over time, but if you are a hobbyist getting into content creation for the first time, you’ll be surprised at how much a Neo gives you.

Bottom line

I won’t deny that the $1,699 M5 MacBook Pro is a mighty machine, but the point I wanted to make with this comparison is to ask one simple question: how many of you actually need that super high ceiling on performance? Spoiler alert: not a whole lot of you.

The speed and capability of that M5 chip has gotten so bonkers that its entering a prosumer tier that would be overkill for any casual enthusiast, and of course I applaud Apple for that. It’s on a level that Windows laptops could only dream of being on after all!

But when it comes to picking the right MacBook for you, the Neo just became a must-buy for roughly 75% of you reading this right now — with 15% needing the additional boost of the M5 MacBook Air, and the remaining 10% requiring the thermal management and raw horsepower of a MacBook Pro.

Seriously, it’s that zippy on all your daily tasks, and at a third the cost, it’s a dangerous proposition for budget Windows laptops and Chromebooks.

More from Tom's Guide

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• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours — and I'm shocked
• MacBook Neo vs. Chromebooks: Which budget laptop is right for you?

Six years after Apple dropped Intel in favor of its own M-series processors, the two tech giants are reportedly partnering again on new silicon.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal that Apple and Intel had struck a preliminary deal to produce chips after a year of bargaining. That report did not include what devices those processors would fill.

But now a new report from supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple and Intel have already started initial production of processors for iPhones, iPads and some Macs. Per Kuo, roughly 80% of the chips are meant for iPhones.

Prior to 2020, Apple had a long history with Intel having switched to the company's chips in 2006. Intel-based Macs only just stopped receiving Apple support last year with the release of macOS 26. When macOS 27 drops later this year, it will not support any Intel Macs.

Kuo's report is a read and mostly covers how the Intel deal will impact Apple's partnership with TSMC which makes all of Apple's CPUs currently. But there are some noteworthy bits about where the Intel chips could end up.

The Intel chips are based on the 18A nodes which are used in the company's Panther Lake silicon. This deal apparently is using the chips for Apple's "low-end/legacy" devices.

Kuo's phrasing likely means that Intel is building chips for older models that are still on sale. TSMC would still "retain 90% of supply share" for Apple's more high-end processors.

If the deal works out, I expect we'll see a split between higher-end TSMC Apple devices like the Pro model iPhones and MacBooks. Intel would feature in the more budget-friendly devices like the e-series iPhones and the new MacBook Neo which is already struggling to keep up with demand due to a lack of chips.

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• AirPods Pro 3 just got put on notice — JBL launches new premium earbuds that give Apple a run for its money

If you're interested in the MacBook Neo, we've got some good news and potentially some bad news.

First, the good news: Apple is reportedly planning to produce more than double the number of MacBook Neos it originally estimated. In early April, the Neo proved so popular that initial inventory was exhausted, and Apple resorted to rush orders to maintain stock.

Even now, attempting to order a MacBook Neo directly from Apple shows delivery times from 2 to 3 weeks. Amazon, which seems to have more availability, lists up to a week for some variants, while others are available the next day.

"The customer response to MacBook Neo had just been off the charts, with higher-than-expected demand." Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the company's recent earnings call. He went on to say that the company is "supply constrained" on the Neo.

To combat that demand, Apple is reportedly doubling production plans. This is according to supply chain analyst Tim Culpan via his Culpium blog.

"It’s now asking suppliers to prepare capacity for 10 million units of the debut version of the Neo, up from an initial estimate of 5 million to 6 million," Culpan claims.

...and the potential bad MacBook Neo news

Unfortunately, Apple's attempt to get a MacBook Neo into customers' hands might also lead to a price hike.

During the initial sales spike, it was revealed that Apple was running out of A18 Pro chips that power the Neo. Culpan asserted that Apple was using "binned chips" in the Neo to hit the $599 pricepoint.

However, those chips represented a leftover supply of chips that were rejected not for not meeting the specifications of the iPhone 18 Pro. They were essentially "free chips," as Culpan points out.

Apple now faces two production dilemmas. One, per reports, there aren't any more binned A18 Pro chips. No, the company has to ask partner TSMC for a "hot lot" of the silicon.

To maintain the relationship, TSMC could let the rush-order pricing go, but they would still be more expensive, since these would be A-One chips, not just the ones that were rejected.

"With a fresh batch of A18 Pro SoCs, most of the new processors for the Neo will actually be top-tier and only some would fall into the downbin category," Culpan said.

Memory rears its ugly ahead once again

Beyond that, even since the MacBook Neo launched in March, DRAM prices have increased multiple times. A TrendForce report (seen by analyst Jukan) revealed that DRAM prices rose 57% in April alone.

The ongoing RAM crisis alone is predicted to finally hurt Apple later this year.

In recent weeks, Apple has quietly killed cheaper versions of some devices. The Mac mini, for example, only has one 512GB version available now after Apple axed the $599 256GB version this month.

It's possible that, as Culpan suggests, Apple could drop the 256GB $599 version of the Neo and only sell the $699 512GB variant.

At that point, it might be better to pony up for the more capable MacBook Air M5, or a refurbished MacBook Air M4, which usually start around $759.

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• Apple MacBook Ultra: Everything we know so far
• I just tested the Galaxy Book 6 Ultra — and this MacBook Pro rival got just the upgrades it needed to put Apple on notice

Where the new MacBook Neo serves as Apple’s affordable notebook for casual use, the MacBook Ultra would act as an even higher-end counterpart to the MacBook Pro. While Apple hasn’t officially announced the device, rumors position it as one to watch.

Expected features include a tandem OLED touchscreen — a first for the MacBook line. Thanks to the thinner OLED panel, the Ultra is also rumored to feature a slimmer and lighter design. It’s expected to come in 14- and 16-inch variants and be powered by the yet-to-be-announced M6 Pro and M6 Max chips.

If the rumors hold, the MacBook Ultra could be a huge (and expensive) leap forward. With the usual disclaimer that nothing is official yet, here’s everything we’ve heard so far.

MacBook Ultra: Rumored price and availability

According to Macworld, the MacBook Ultra is slated for late 2026 or early 2027. Since Apple has yet to announce even the base M6 chip, 2027 feels like the safer bet — though it’s possible Apple could debut the Ultra with M6 Pro and M6 Max chips first, followed later by standard M6 versions in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines.

Thanks to the OLED touchscreen and high-end silicon, the MacBook Ultra is expected to carry a steep premium. Macworld reports it could cost roughly 20% more than the current MacBook Pros. That would translate to a starting price of around $2,499 for the 14-inch model and $2,999 for the 16-inch variant — up from the $2,199 and $2,699 baselines of today’s M5 Pro models. Fully loaded configurations would, of course, climb even higher.

MacBook Ultra: Design and display

The MacBook Ultra could be the first MacBook to feature a touchscreen tandem OLED panel. This would mark a major upgrade over the current mini-LED LCDs, delivering deeper blacks, richer colors, higher contrast, superior HDR performance, and more. Touch support could also blur the lines between a MacBook and the best iPads.

Display-wise, rumors suggest Apple will ditch the notch in favor of the Dynamic Island seen on the best iPhones. The change would declutter the top of the screen while enabling interactive, contextual notifications.

Design-wise, this could be the biggest MacBook redesign since 2021. The Ultra is expected to be noticeably thinner and lighter than today’s models, thanks largely to the more compact OLED panel. The keyboard and trackpad are expected to stay the same, as are the familiar ports (HDMI, MagSafe, and SD card slot).

MacBook Ultra: Performance and specs

Apple has yet to announce its M6 chips, so it’s notable that the MacBook Ultra is already rumored to ship with the unannounced M6 Pro and M6 Max processors.

These chips are expected to be built on TSMC’s advanced 2nm process (rather than the current 3nm), according to MacRumors. The move should deliver meaningful gains in both performance and battery life. While we usually see 10-15% generational improvements, the jump to 2nm could yield even larger gains.

On a related note, the MacBook Ultra is rumored to include built-in cellular connectivity (5G/LTE) via Apple’s own C1X modem or its successor, the C2. If true, it would be Apple’s first MacBook that can connect to cellular networks independently — no iPhone hotspot required.

MacBook Ultra: Outlook

Nothing about the MacBook Ultra is official, so take all of the above with a healthy dose of skepticism. With WWDC expected around June 8, we might at least get some hints about touch-optimized macOS features from Cupertino. While WWDC is software-focused, don’t be surprised if we get some hardware info as well.

The idea of a new top-tier MacBook category sitting above the Pro sounds genuinely exciting, even if these laptops end up costing a pretty penny. We’ll keep you posted as more details emerge, so stay tuned for more!

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• Which MacBook should you buy in 2026?
• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours
• I just tested the new Steam Controller

Apple's second quarter earnings call was yesterday, and with it came a lot of very good news about the company's financial situation — including that the iPhone 17 is the most successful iPhone series ever made. Sadly, Apple also confirmed something we've been fearing for a while, and it could likely mean price hikes going forward.

Tim Cook, who is stepping down as Apple CEO on September 1, confirmed that Apple was "partially unaffected" by the ongoing memory shortage during Q2. The fact Apple already had a stockpile of devices ready to sell helped mitigate the issues, but that's about to change. Cook confirmed that the June quarter will see "significantly higher memory costs."

Cook didn't confirm any plans on what will happen beyond June, but added the rising memory costs will "drive an increasing impact on our business, and we will continue to evaluate this." Cook also said Apple will "look at a range of options" to handle the issue and did not want to clarify any further plans.

How will this affect prices?

This doesn't absolutely confirm that price increases will happen to these devices, but big businesses aren't in the habit of absorbing high costs if they don't have to.

Apple does have a lot of buying power, which means it's better equipped to handle supply chain disruption than its competitors. But it's still going to have to balance its own needs with those of its customers.

We already know that Apple agreed to a 100% price increase for the memory it acquires from Samsung. And we know that because Samsung told us, not Apple. Given how private Apple likes to keep its internal operations, who knows what other component price increases have happened behind the scenes?

The question is, will Apple increase prices to maintain its profit margins, or will it keep those prices relatively stable to encourage people to buy iPhones and Macs? The more devices they actually sell, the more potential there is for increased service revenue — generated from the App Store, cloud storage and other Apple subscriptions.

We could even see a mix of the two, with Apple absorbing some of the cost to minimize price increases and hopefully avoid major consumer shock.

Some supply is already limited

Cook also made it clear that the main issue with maintaining supply has been "availability of advanced nodes [Apple's] SOCs are produced on" rather than the memory itself. This means shortages have primarily affected the iPhone so far, and will likely have a bigger impact on MacBook Neo, Mac mini and Mac Studio from June, due to the devices' popularity and AI tools.

According to Cook, this is because demand for those devices has far exceeded its expectations, particularly with MacBook Neo. So the current shortages affecting these devices are not necessarily down to RAMageddon, but because they're just so appealing to consumers.

Sadly, this, combined with the goings on in the world, means that Mac mini and Mac Studio may be hard to get hold of for the next several months. MacBook Neo restocks were not mentioned at all.

Hopefully, Apple will avoid raising the price of devices that are already on sale, which is more than we can say for some of its rivals. As for the upcoming devices, like iPhone 18, I'd be bracing myself for a potential price increase — even if those rumored cost-saving downgrades still end up happening.

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When I’m traveling, I take my M5 MacBook Pro for work and a Steam Deck for play. This setup doesn’t bother me normally, but I can’t help but feel jealous of the one guy who whips out a gaming laptop that’s capable of doing both in one machine.

It’s certainly true that Apple has made some significant strides when it comes to Mac gaming, but there’s much more to do to get your entire Steam library working on here. But that is where GameHub comes in — promising to be the service that can let you do exactly that.

I’ve been testing the beta for a week, and while there are plenty of issues (more on those soon), when it works, it’s the missing piece of the puzzle to make my M5 MacBook Pro the machine for everything. Let me explain.

This is just a beta: Now, I must be clear. GameSir has invited us onto a beta test program for this, so there were a fair few bugs and a large amount of compatibility issues. There are finicky ways around some of them, which I’ll talk about.

Under the hood

At the fundamental level, think of it like Crossover but with a far nicer gaming-centric UI. GameHub works by using tools like Wine and Proton to run Windows games natively on Apple Silicon.

For those not in the know, Wine is a compatibility layer that translates Windows API calls to run on POSIX-compliant OSes (like macOS in this situation or Linux). But unlike standard Wine, mixing it with Proton (the tech powering the Steam Deck) means better support for a game’s complexity and controller outputs.

But the most impressive part is how all of the gaming smarts that Apple’s been quietly working on come together here. For example, you can import the company’s Game Porting Toolkit for translating DirectX 12 (and 11) graphics into the Mac’s native Metal 3 gaming API. On top of that, there’s even an AI frame generation and super resolution possibilities here too — done by hooking into MetalFX upscaling (Apple’s version of DLSS).

So while the interface is sleek, the real work happens behind the scenes. There are many instruments in this orchestra, and GameHub is the conductor that allows Windows code to speak “Mac.” In my time testing, it works a lot better than I anticipated.

By the numbers

So for full context, I’m testing this on an M5 MacBook Pro with 16GB of unified memory. I do have other machines that I will be testing on (including the MacBook Neo), but for a first go, I’ve gone for my daily driver.

And ultimately, while dedicated gaming hardware like a gaming laptop will always get far better performance and visual fidelity, I’m still getting good numbers out of this.

I’ll get the perfect performer out of the way quickly. Persona 5 Royal is much more stylized in graphical representation rather than a stress test for any system, so to see it running at 82 FPS on maxed out settings with very similar 1% lows is impressive.

Let’s move on over to the AAA titles. Starting with Hitman: World of Assassination, I opened it at the default settings (1800 x 1169 resolution, Medium detail preset and a range of Highs and Ultras in other options) and hit a very rock steady 60 FPS with a damn good-looking game. Most exciting about this is that I don’t have to pay again to get the macOS version of Hitman — I can just use this!

Pragmata may not have the same path traced shine as you’d find on an Nvidia gaming system, but it still looks pretty enough here and runs sort of alright. At first it didn’t work, but changing the game-specific graphics settings to run Game Porting Toolkit 3.0 rather than the version bundled with GameHub fixed the issue. (The same was true with a lot of games). When running, that 1% low does indicate some stuttering, but 42 FPS for a slower-paced shooter like this is OK.

But in Resident Evil Requiem, things get a little too dicey. No matter how much I turned down the settings, I couldn’t break 52 FPS; combined with a very stuttery experience that stops and starts with every room you walk into, and it was a less than satisfying experience.

So all-in-all, consider it a work in progress!

Plenty to work on

Beyond the choppy framerates in some AAA titles, one of the biggest issues here is compatibility. The list of reasons why spans longer than my arm. I’ll simply say that while GameHub is good, every conductor has its limits.

Forza Horizon 5 is an incredibly complex symphony that requires specific ‘notes’ that no amount of compatibility layers or dependencies can manage. Just because the conductor is standing at the podium doesn't mean the show is ready. Sometimes the sheet music is just too complex, and the orchestra falls out of sync.

I noticed this in a few games, so there’s definitely an element of trial and error. On top of that, you may run into an issue sometimes where the game launches in Mandarin. Given GameHub is developed by GameSir (a Chinese gaming hardware firm), the company’s app configures the Wine environment to alter the locale and run the game. Sometimes it happens (like in Hitman), but it’s limited.

And finally, as smii77y pointed out on Reddit, there are some potential red flags in the user agreement and privacy policy. If you are conscious of this, note a few different things:

• You don’t actually own your account — GameSir gives you permission to use it.
• Connection logs and IP addresses are sent to third parties to process.
• Account data is stored in Guangzhou, China, which puts it under the laws of the People’s Republic of China.
• And there’s an odd loophole where the privacy policy says you can delete your account data if requested by email, but the user agreement allows them to keep data forever after termination.

So if you do plan to use it, don’t upload any sensitive data and assume anything will stay even after you’ve deleted it.

Outlook

I can only hope the privacy issues and broader compatibility problems are resolved in the future, because GameHub is a rather fun service to use. Like I said above, my standard daily carry combines a MacBook for work and Steam Deck for play; with this, I can finally break out from the Apple game library limitations and take my Steam library on the road.

I’m not quite ready to sell my Steam Deck just yet, but for the first time, my MacBook Pro feels less like a workstation and more like a playground. GameHub isn't a perfect conductor, but at least the music has finally started playing.

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For years, Apple's peak has been defined by its Pro products. The MacBook Pro, iPhone Pro, iPad Pro, Vision Pro — the best of the best Apple devices have almost always had some sort of Pro moniker attached to them. But that might be about to change, with sources telling MacWorld that the Ultra brand may take hold of your nearest Apple Store very soon.

Apple does, of course, already sell one Ultra-branded product. The Apple Watch Ultra is currently on its third generation, and rumor has it that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 could arrive later this year. It'll be joined by the foldable iPhone, now seemingly called iPhone Ultra, and the long-awaited touchscreen MacBook Ultra.

iPhone Ultra: What to expect

We've been hearing rumors about a so-called iPhone Ultra for years now. In the past, there had been speculation that this could be a fifth iPhone designed to surpass the Pro Max iPhone, or possibly even Apple's attempt to rebrand the Pro Max into its own distinct device.

Instead, everything seems to be pointing towards Apple adopting this name for its first foldable. That makes a lot of sense, given the kind of phone this is supposed to be. The foldable iPhone may be the first of its kind, but it's hardly the first foldable phone to be released.

Not only does iPhone Ultra make it clear that this is a better iPhone than the Pro or Pro Max, it also differentiates the foldable from almost a decade's worth of foldable releases.

This isn't just the foldable iPhone, this is the Ultra iPhone and it deserves your attention. Not tying it in with the iPhone 18 series also means that Apple can stagger the release of future foldables, rather than being locked into the standard annual release cycle.

Leaked specs paint a positive picture for the iPhone Ultra too. The design is expected to be shorter and wider than a standard iPhone, with a 5.3-inch cover display and a 7.8-inch folding display. Reports suggest Apple has invested a lot into making sure there's no crease in that folding display which is something other foldable phone makers have struggled with.

Other notable rumored specs include a pair of 48MP rear cameras, two 18MP selfie cameras with a hole punch design, 12GB of RAM, an A20 chipset, Touch ID and a mix of aluminum and titanium in the frame. That should prove to be an important part of making the iPhone Ultra durable, since it's expected to be around 4.2mm thick — which would make it the thinnest iPhone ever made.

MacBook Ultra rumors

Macworld speculates that the MacBook Ultra name has been chosen to differentiate the new models from the MacBook Pro. An OLED touchscreen likely isn't the only upgrade in the upcoming machine, and reports suggest that Apple will also offer Face ID with a Dynamic Island, alongside the M6 chipset and an improved hinge to reinforce the touchscreen.

However, the more Apple includes in the Macbook Ultra the more expensive the new laptop is going to be. This is especially true when you remember that RAMageddon is causing prices to rise all the time. Needless to say, Apple is going to need some more affordable options for power users that aren't swayed by the MacBook Air.

The MacBook Pro is perfectly situated for them, but for those who want the absolute best of the best, there would always be the option to upgrade to the Ultra experience. Who knows, maybe it might even lead to a Mac Ultra for desktop users who need something more capable than the Mac Studio.

Sadly, the RAM crisis has reportedly caused the MacBook Ultra's release to be delayed, which means 2026 won't be the year of the Ultra devices. But it does sound like this could be the start of a whole new era for Apple, especially if the rumored folding iPad bears the Ultra name as well.

But considering how long we've been waiting for iPhone and MacBook Ultras, who knows how long it might be before that arrives.

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I didn’t know it at the time, but the person I was interviewing was about to ascend to the highest position in all of tech. I was speaking to John Ternus, who is currently senior vice president of hardware engineering and soon-to-be Apple CEO, for an interview on Apple’s 50th anniversary and what’s next for the company. And what struck me most — just as when I interviewed Ternus about the iPhone Air — is how down to earth and even-keeled he is.

Of course, this was before Ternus was announced as the successor to Tim Cook for Sept. 1, at which point he’ll be taking over the reins for a $4 trillion business. But I don’t expect his demeanor or approach to change much as Ternus preps for this high-stakes role. During my conversation with Ternus, he was polished and quite thoughtful in his responses, and not too dissimilar from the man he’s replacing.

But there’s also that spark of excitement that you’d expect from a true hardware nerd about what Apple has built and especially what’s in the pipeline.

Ternus, 51, has worked with Apple for over 25 years. And during that time he has overseen hardware engineering for the iPad and original AirPods, as well as for new generations of the Mac, Apple Watch and iPhone. Ternus also played a pivotal role in the transition from Intel chips to Apple Silicon and was a central figure in the development of the Vision Pro.

Here are the five quotes that stood out to me during my interview with Ternus.

'We never think about shipping technology. We always think about 'how can we leverage technology to ship amazing products'

This answer was in response to my question about Apple’s thinking around AI and Apple Intelligence. And it’s clear that Ternus is not interested in the current arms race around AI models. He’s more interested in the experiences they create with the devices are available now and what’s on the horizon.

“AI is already happening in different places, like live translation on AirPods,” Turns said. “We’re taking the technology and leveraging it into really meaningful experiences, and that's how we think about approaching it.”

'The Neo required something completely new from the ground up'

This quote surprised me somewhat because the MacBook Neo seems like a stripped down MacBook Air on the surface. But it truly is a new device. It’s the first time Apple has put an A18 chip inside a laptop, and there’s other key aspects that are not rehashed at all.

“We have a completely new trackpad design that is, I think, still better than any PC out there, but it's absolutely amazing, and it's completely brand new," Ternus said. "We had way to rethink how we made the enclosure, ow it all came together.”

'There's never been this idea of mashing these two things together'

I kind of knew what the answer was going to be, but I had to ask about the seemingly blurring lines between macOS and iPadOS, especially since iPadOS 26 takes on a lot of Mac-like features. But Ternus was not about to entertain the notion of a hybrid device or OS.

“I mean, they're different products, right?,” We never think about, ’well, what impact would it have if we did something here on a product over here?’ We're going to make the best iPad we can possibly make, we're going to make the best Mac we can possibly make.”

'We're in the early innings of spatial computing. We are super excited about it'

This quote doesn’t sound like the sentiment of someone who is one-and-done with the Vision Pro. And it was in answer to a question about what’s next for spatial computing and Apple’s stance on the burgeoning smart glasses category.

Despite the high price and current niche status, Ternus sees the Vision Pro as an “extraordinary product” and that “people are continuing to find exciting use cases for it.” He told me that “we’re at the beginning of the journey.”

'We haven't shipped it yet'

I asked Ternus about his favorite Apple product of all time … and this was his cryptic response.

What do you think Ternus' priorities should be once he takes over as CEO of Apple? Let me know in the comments.

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A lot of us here at Tom's Guide have been waiting for the upcoming MacBook Pro refresh, in part thanks to the rumors Apple might actually add a touchscreen this time. It had been reported that the update would arrive before the end of this year, but it seems RAMageddon may have claimed another victim.

According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the industry-wide RAM shortage could force Apple to delay its Mac upgrade plans. Apparently, Apple doesn't want to go to the trouble of launching new Macs only to contend with supply chain shortages in the aftermath, so launch dates are being pushed back.

As for the touchscreen MacBook Pros, a late 2026 is apparently not on the cards anymore. Gurman says that Apple's original timeline for the touchscreen MacBook Pros was late 2026 or early 2027, but supply chain shortages (along with the move to M6 chips) mean we shouldn't expect the new machines to launch until "the later end of the timeline." That means an early 2027 launch at the absolute earliest.

What about Mac Studio?

According to Gurman, Apple plans to release new Mac Studio models, designed to succeed last year's M4 Max and M3 Ultra models, around the middle of the year.

But Gurman also notes that shipments of existing RAM-heavy Macs are already being delayed by several months, which means new models may have to wait.

Sources claim that these new models likely won't ship until around October. This just goes to show that even companies with as much buying power as Apple are suffering from RAMageddon and ongoing memory shortages.

Of course, things could still change in the coming months, though we shouldn't expect supply chains to stabilize anytime soon. The experts don't seem to think that the RAMageddon effect on supply chains could continue for years.

I just hope that this delay is the only one the touchscreen MacBook Pros have to endure, because people have been waiting years for Apple to finally make one.

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Last week, we reported that the MacBook Neo had proved so popular that Apple was running out of A18 Pro chips. At the time, we could already see that ordering one of the best budget laptops was delayed by up to a month.

Now though, a new article from a Taiwanese publication claims that Apple has already run out of its initial inventory of the Neo. The company is allegedly placing rush orders with its suppliers as its stock disappears.

According to the report, supply chain sources say that Apple's partners in China and Vietnam at Foxconn and Quanta have received new orders. However, it may be some time before you can get one.

Between dwindling supply and A18 Pro chips, ordering the Neo is seeing delays extending into May.

How long you'll wait

Delays and availability

Right now, if you were to try and order directly from Apple you wouldn't receive your MacBook Neo until the end of April into early May. The range spans from April 28 through May 5. A store pickup won't arrive until May 5 for instance.

That is for both versions including the base 256GB model and the 512GB version with Touch ID, and this also affects every colorway too.

Last week, Amazon had more stock readily available but that has appeared to dwindle. Most every iteration is delayed well into May, except the silver hue of both the 256GB and the 512GB Neo.

If you don't care about the color, you can order the silver variant and it should ship within the next two days. The yellow and indigo colorways have a slightly shorter delay but aren't shipping until April 21.

Best Buy may be your best bet though, as almost every color is available day of or within a week except the blush hue. That colorway is delayed about two weeks.

If you do order the silver hue, you could potentially order replacement parts in the color you want, since the Neo is very repairable. However, when you add everything up, that extra money spent on replacement parts moves the Neo from a budget laptop up to a mid-range one.

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Last year, I wrote about how the Plugable 14-in-1 USB-C dock helped me turn my 13-inch MacBook Air M3 into my primary computer. However, that was a short-lived adventure, since I soon reverted to switching between my PC and the MacBook depending on what I needed to do. I’ve now fully committed to this venture and don’t plan to look back.

As I explained in my previous post, I’m constantly switching between macOS and Windows 11 computers for work, which helps me stay familiar with both systems. But at home, I want things simpler. Since I use the MacBook Air M3 much more than my PC, it just makes sense to make it my primary machine.

What did I do differently this time to successfully use a MacBook as my main PC, and have I completely given up on PC? Read on to find out!

Plugable 14-in-1 USB-C dock

This post is a quasi-sequel to the Plugable USB-C dock story, since this device lets me use my MacBook Air effectively as my sole computer. That’s because it has all the ports I need for the peripherals I connect to my PC — specifically, my webcam, microphone, speakers, and monitors.

You can read my full account of this Plugable USB-C dock in the previous story, but suffice it to say, it’s a fantastic device that makes my current setup possible. Though pricey even at its current discounted price of $179, it’s well worth the money for turning a MacBook into your main computer.

The apps and peripherals I use

The main reason my previous attempt didn’t work is that I didn’t account for the gaming podcast I host. I have the OBS streaming software on my PC for that task, and OBS is also available for Macs. However, while OBS does have an export feature for transferring all profiles and scene collections from one computer to another, it doesn’t work across different operating systems. Since I have limited free time during the week to manually recreate my OBS setup, I left it alone — though it was always in the back of my mind.

When I recently took a staycation, I decided to finally hunker down and manually recreate my podcast setup on the MacBook Air M3. I uploaded all my relevant files (movies, animations, music, etc.) to Google Drive, then downloaded them all to the MacBook. It took close to three hours, but I had successfully set up the MacBook Air for my podcast. I’m happy to report that I’ve successfully streamed three shows so far.

When I first started using Macs in 2021 after years with Windows, I was disappointed that some of my go-to apps weren’t available. Now, every app I need is available on the App Store.

The apps in question are Logitech G Hub for my webcam and streaming light, DaVinci Resolve for converting MP4 to MP3, Audacity for editing audio, Elgato Wave Link for my mic, and, of course, OBS. To my surprise, Razer Synapse is now available for Macs, though the program doesn’t list my Razer Barracuda Pro headset as compatible. This is fine, since the headset works perfectly well on the Mac via Bluetooth.

The other main program I use is Logi Options+ for my keyboard and mouse. This program has been available for Macs for a while and is a great way to keep those two peripherals (and the webcam and streaming light) up to date. In case you’re wondering, I prefer using Logitech G over Logi Options+ for the webcam, since it gives me greater control over image configuration.

What about gaming?

MacBooks let me do almost everything I need for work and personal use. However, the main reason I’ve been unable to fully jump ship is because of gaming. Don’t get me wrong, Mac gaming has come a long way, with heavy hitters like Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and even Crimson Desert available on Macs. Unfortunately, many PC games are still unavailable for macOS.

While I was setting up OBS on the MacBook Air, I realized I hadn’t jotted down the exact bitrate I streamed at (to ensure everything went smoothly). Since I already had my TV connected to my PC via HDMI, I used it as a monitor while I searched for what I needed. That was when the obvious hit me: Since I already prefer playing games on my LG OLED TV, why not just use my gaming rig purely for gaming?

Before, I had to switch from my monitors to my TV for PC gaming. Now I can just turn on the PC and play games on my TV. It’s a bit odd to use my PC only for gaming, but it works out well. I mostly game on a PS5 Pro, so I rarely play PC games. But when I need to use it for reviews, I’m ready.

In case you were wondering, my PC is a little over four years old, but it’s still plenty powerful to play modern games. It packs an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU, an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, and 32GB of RAM. Thanks to that, I can still play most games at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second (or higher). I also paid close to $4,000 for my rig near the end of 2021, so there’s no way I can just let it collect dust.

Bottom line

It has been two weeks since I began using the MacBook Air as my main computer, and I’m more than happy with the results. I’ll probably swap the Air for a MacBook Pro, since it can get hot during streams due to its lack of internal fans. But that’s about it. Transferring apps and profiles should be a cinch. That said, I’m not in a hurry, since everything is working so well at the moment.

Moving forward, I’ll use the MacBook Air for all my main work and streaming, while keeping my Windows PC on standby for serious gaming. It’s a setup I’m glad I finally made a reality.

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Although you certainly can leave your Mac on for days at a time without any issues, a newly discovered macOS bug will certainly make you think twice about doing so.

As reported by Tom’s Hardware, the AI infrastructure and developer tools startup Photon recently discovered a “ticking time bomb” that affects every Mac. Fortunately, though, this isn’t a security bug that can be exploited by hackers. Instead, it’s the kind of bug that could leave you scratching your head if you use one of the best MacBooks and leave your laptop on for over a month at a time.

According to a blog post from Photon, “every Mac has a hidden expiration date.” No, your Mac won’t become unusable, and you won’t have to upgrade to a new machine. However, “after exactly 49 days, 17 hours, 2 minutes and 47 seconds of continuous uptime,” macOS experiences an “integer overflow” that “freezes the internal TCP timestamp clock.”

But what does this mean for the average Mac user? Well, once your machine has been running for exactly this long, existing TCP network connections won’t expire as they normally should. Essentially, this means that your Mac won’t be able to connect to the internet, which is why many of us get a computer in the first place.

Photon likely let Apple know once it discovered this issue, and the firm is currently working on its own solution. However, there’s an easy fix that won’t require an update or bringing your Mac to an Apple Store.

A simple workaround

If you’re worried about your Mac losing internet connectivity, don’t be. The issue itself stems from integer overflow, where your Mac’s TCP timestamp clock keeps counting until it reaches a max value of 4,294,967,295 seconds or 49.7 days.

To get around this, all you have to do is reboot your Mac before the 49-day mark, and everything will be fine. Just like on one of the best iPhones, you should reboot your Mac every week. To make things easier, you can even schedule your Mac to turn off and on.

Besides fixing this specific macOS bug, a reboot also flushes memory leaks, clears system caches and temp files, cools down the machine and resets peripheral controllers, which can help rectify other odd glitches with Bluetooth and USB-C docks.

Apple isn’t alone here either, as Windows 98 also crashed after 49.7 days of uptime. Likewise, when it comes to running out of digits while counting, this same issue is why we were all so worried about Y2K back in 1999, and it’s also why the year 2038 could lead to similar concerns when Unix is no longer able to measure time for the same reason. But that’s a problem for another day.

I’m sure that Apple is aware of this issue and is taking steps to address it, hopefully in the next big macOS update. In the meantime, though, just remember to give your Mac a reboot every seven days, and you’ll be perfectly fine.

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The MacBook Neo has shocked the budget laptop space, and is actually so popular that Apple can’t keep up with the demand! But even though we’re waiting weeks to get one, the company continues to have one eye on the future, as Tim Culpan just claimed that the new MacBook Neo will be equipped with the A19 Pro chip and 12GB of RAM.

In his Culpium newsletter, he talks about the dilemma being faced by Apple right now between either having suppliers focus on building the next Neo or fueling the runaway success of this year’s model. Let’s get into the details, and the one game-changing upgrade I really want to see come to the next cheap MacBook.

What’s been rumored

As you may already know about tech companies, product plans and timelines span years ahead of what we have in our hands today. So every now and again, we’ll get a sneak peek into where things could be going through the rumor mill. And in his newsletter, Culpan has claimed that the 2027 MacBook Neo will come armed with two important upgrades:

• The A19 Pro chip (found in iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max)
• 12GB of RAM

These would bring nice gains to both single-core speeds, but most importantly, workloads that need multithreaded speeds and many apps will get a bump too.

So if you’re on a Neo and you’ve felt that ceiling of what it can do, that could be raised by quite an amount with these speed boosts.

What I want to see

Of course, an upgrade in silicon performance and a bump in unified memory is a good thing. But the real step to effective performance gains (something you’ve been seeing a lot of YouTubers doing) is improving thermal management.

You see at the moment, the Neo uses passive cooling with a thin graphene strip placed on the internals. Nothing wrong with that for general day-to-day usage but once you have multiple apps open or you try to do something a little heavy duty on it, the whole system throttles so as to not overheat.

And as several people took their Neos apart and replaced that graphene sheet with an actual thermal pad, performance went up and stayed sustained for much longer. Yes, some of these experiments were a little wild (shout-out to jakkuh for adding some insane watercooling to it).

But the thermal pad is something Apple could do very cheaply and give us all immediate gains paired with that A19 Pro and 12GB memory. This is an easy slam dunk for the Cupertino crew, and I hope they see it through!

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Apple reportedly didn't expect the new MacBook Neo to be super popular, but strong demand has the company running out of stock and parts. The cheap MacBook's success has caused the company to run out of A18 Pro chips that were "binned" or not rejected for not meeting the full specifications of the iPhone 16 Pro.

It's a good laptop that immediately took the top spot on our picks for the best budget laptops available.

A new report from independent journalist Tim Culpan asserts that Apple was using the binned chips in the MacBook Neo to hit the aggressive $599 price. However, he claims the company only planned to make between 5 and 6 million MacBook Neos using the leftover supply.

Right now, if you tried to buy a MacBook Neo from the Apple website, you wouldn't get the laptop for between 2 and 3 weeks. Ordering from the official Apple Store faces even longer delays.

Every colorway is delayed except for the silver variant on Amazon, which you can allegedly get in 3 to 4 days. The more expensive 512GB version with Touch ID is equally delayed, except on Amazon, which appears to have plenty of stock.

How long you'll wait

Next moves

The cheap laptop has proved exceptionally popular to the point that Apple's stock of A18 Pro chips is running out. Now, Apple is trying to decide how to proceed.

One option is to have its partner, TSMC, restart A18 Pro production, but the company is already operating at full capacity for both Apple and other companies using its 3nm process.

Apple could drop the $599 base model, leaving only the $699 variant. The company could also speed up production of the MacBook Neo 2, which should feature the A19 Pro silicon.

All come with higher margins, but Apple could accept lower profits since the Neo is an entry point into the macOS ecosystem.

Not the only Mac delay

The MacBook Neo isn't the only Mac device Apple is struggling to keep in stock. Last week, 9to5Mac reported that the Mac Studio was facing a delivery delay of 4 to 5 months.

The Mac mini is backordered into mid-May. Again, Amazon seems to have more stock, with a 2- to 3-week delay for the 256GB version.

Unlike the Neo, which appears to be delayed thanks to popularity, the desktop Macs are likely suffering from the AI-created RAM crisis. Apple has already dropped some RAM and storage configurations due to an inability to source components.

RAM prices recently started dropping, offering a glimmer of hope, but in the immediate future, expect delays and stock shortages of Apple devices.

That all said, the new MacBook Air M5 seems to be plenty available, though it starts at nearly double the price of the cheapest 13-inch configuration.

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No matter how mobile you think your laptop really is, sooner or later, you’re going to plug it in at a desk. At that point, you’ll probably think to yourself, I wish I had a larger display to connect it to. Then, when you throw one of the best mechanical keyboards and a mouse into the mix, you’ve essentially converted your laptop into a desktop.

There’s just one problem though, even the best laptops likely don’t have all of the ports you need. And even if your laptop does, every time you want to use it this way, you’re constantly plugging in cables or unplugging them when you want to slip it back into your bag. Well, what if there was a better way?

If you use your laptop at your desk with several peripherals, there’s one more you might want to consider investing in: a laptop docking station. Sure, if you have one of the best monitors with a USB-C port capable of Power Delivery, you can just use a single cable. However, if you don’t or prefer using an external keyboard and mouse instead of the one built into your laptop and the trackpad underneath it, then you’re going to need ports and this is where a laptop docking station can really help.

Back at CES earlier this year, I had a chance to go hands-on with Satechi’s new CubeDock. In addition to being equipped with multiple Thunderbolt 5 ports, this dock immediately sets itself apart from other laptop docking stations thanks to its unique design. Made from an all-aluminum chassis, this dock isn’t just powerful and packed with useful ports, it actually looks good. So good in fact, that I doubt I’d ever consider hiding it behind my monitor or mounting it underneath my desk.

The wait is finally over and you can now pick up a Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock for your own desk setup. I’ve been using one Satechi sent over for me to check out alongside a MacBook Pro 16-inch M5 Pro for the past week and not only does it deliver excellent performance, it also looks great on my desk while doing so.

From one cube to another

At 5 x 5 x 2.04 inches, Satechi’s Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is just slightly taller than the Mac mini M4. However, with the two side by side on a table, even I couldn’t notice this slight difference in height. At first glance, I honestly thought I was looking at Satechi’s take on the Mac mini M4, albeit with more front ports and a power button you can actually reach without lifting Apple’s smallest Mac yet up off your desk.

Although the Mac mini M4 only has two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack on the front, Satechi’s Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock features a high-speed USB-A port and a high-speed USB-C port capable of delivering 30W of power.

Above the USB-A port, you get both a full-size SD card reader and a microSD card reader. Then above the USB-C port, you get a headphone/microphone combo port like on the Mac mini M4. Then for the kicker, a power button right on the front of the device where you can easily press it. One other nice touch with this power button is the white LED lighting that wraps entirely around it.

Around back is where things really get fast with the Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock. As the name implies, you get one upstream Thunderbolt 5 port along with three downstream ones on the bottom of the device. Then above them, there’s another pair of high-speed USB-A and USB-C ports as well as a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port.

Since this dock can push out a lot of power to multiple devices, there’s a DC power port on the far left that connects to the included 180W external power supply. While I would have preferred an internal one, Satechi’s smart power supply would likely take up too much room within the CubeDock’s case. Plus, you need a larger power supply to deliver up to 140W via the upstream Thunderbolt 5 port, 30W from that front USB-C port and up to 15W as well as 7.5W from the ports around back.

Besides all these ports though, the most useful upgrade housed on the underside of the Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is the free internal SSD slot. It supports a wide variety of different sized SSDs, all the way from those tiny 2230 M.2 ones up to a larger 2280 M.2 SSD. In the box, Satechi includes a thermal pad for underneath your SSD as well as a second, larger one that goes on top.

One of my favorite things about the Satechi Mac Mini M4 Hub & Stand is that, like with the company’s new CubeDock, it also has a free SSD slot on its underside. However, this time around, you also get a second thermal pad to keep your newly installed drive even cooler. When laying it down on top of my SSD, it reminded me of those PS5 SSDs which require a separate heat sink to run smoothly and quietly inside Sony’s latest console.

With my SSD installed and everything unboxed, it was time to get the Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock set up and plugged into my MacBook Pro.

Docking never looked so good

A lot of times with a laptop docking station, you’re better off hiding it behind your monitor or even under your desk because let’s face it, most of them just aren’t that great to look at. Sure, they add more ports to your laptop and let you connect multiple displays but for most part, they’re more utilitarian than elegant. That couldn’t be further from the truth with Satechi’s Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock though.

After plugging its massive power supply into the cable management tray underneath my desk and routing all of my cables up to it, I decided to place the CubeDock on the right side of my desk where I usually have my Mac mini M4. Since I’m currently testing out the 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro with Apple’s new Studio Display XDR, I decided to dock the laptop on the left side of my desk. To do so, I used Twelve South’s BookArc vertical laptop stand. This frees up some extra space on my desk and keeps the MacBook Pro’s Apple logo front and center.

With my new MacBook-powered desk setup all put together, I pressed the power button on the CubeDock and the LED ring around it lit up white. With a few taps on the Keychron Q1 Ultra 8K mechanical keyboard I’m currently using, the MacBook Pro M5 Pro sprung to life. While I would have preferred having the CubeDock’s two USB-A ports to be together on the front or the back of the dock, having one up front and one at the rear worked well enough.

The CubeDock had no trouble outputting a clear video signal to the Studio Display XDR in the middle of my desk. However, it’s worth noting that — at least on Mac — its refresh rate is capped at 60Hz which means I won’t be able to take advantage of the monitor’s faster refresh rate with this setup.

While it’s a bit of a letdown that macOS limits the CubeDock to 60Hz — even on the 120Hz-capable Studio Display XDR — it’s a common quirk for Mac users. On Windows though, you can push this dock all the way to 144Hz. It’s a reminder that even with the massive bandwidth of Thunderbolt 5, we’re still at the mercy of Apple’s display drivers.

Just like with Satechi’s Stand & Hub for the Mac mini M4, what I really like about the CubeDock is having extra ports and an SD card reader at arm’s reach. I am using the two USB-A ports for the 2.4 GHz USB dongles for that Keychron keyboard and a trackball mouse from Logitech but the rest of the ports on the CubeDock are completely free.

Though I used the CubeDock with a single display for most of the week, by Friday, I realized I needed a bit more screen real estate. So I plugged a portable monitor into one of the Thunderbolt 5 ports on the back and used the USB-C port with 30W of Power Delivery on the front to power it. Everything worked like a charm and on the hardest day of my work week, I now had a dedicated second display just for keeping up with work chats in Slack.

Given all that extra power under the hood, the CubeDock does get warm to the touch when using it for long periods. However, this is only on the top of the device and not on the front panel where those reachable USB ports are located. Another nice thing about the front of the CubeDock is the power button. When I’m not using the MacBook Pro M5 Pro, I like to power down Satechi’s latest dock to save on my electric bill. Likewise, turning the device off also means that you won’t see the white LED light around its power button too.

Enough to make my Mac mini M4 jealous

I never thought I’d refer to a laptop docking station as beautiful but here we are. Satechi’s Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock certainly gets the job done (and done well) but unlike with other docks, it’s as nice to look at on my desk as it is to use.

If I weren’t a sucker for the best mini PCs and used a laptop as my main machine, I’d honestly consider picking up a CubeDock for aesthetics alone, it’s that gorgeous in person. While it may be a laptop docking station, you aren’t limited to using it with just a laptop. In fact, once I send this MacBook Pro M5 Pro back, I’m tempted to set up my Mac mini M4 beside it just to see how the two look side by side on my desk.

At $399, the Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is certainly an investment compared to the cheaper and less powerful docks you often see online. However, if you have a need for Thunderbolt 5 speeds and want a dock that looks and works as well as one of Apple’s best designed desktop Macs yet, it could definitely be worth it.

Likewise, though I haven’t had a chance to test it since I just redid my whole home networking setup, having a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port around back is incredibly useful too. While the Mac mini M4 comes with a Gigabit Ethernet port on the base model (but can be upgraded to a 10 Gigabit one for an extra $100), the best MacBooks no longer come with Ethernet ports at all. If you want fast and reliable downloads/uploads, being able to hardwire your Apple laptop to one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers for incredibly fast speeds is another big selling point with a super powerful docking station like this one.

Seeing Satechi’s new Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock in person was one of my favorite moments at CES this year. However, getting to unbox and set it up at home proved to be even more fun, especially once I integrated it into my desk setup.

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In a fascinating video posted to YouTube, Framework founder Nirav Patel has torn apart the brand new $599 MacBook Neo to find out how Apple's new product compares to his own.

If you're not familiar with Framework, the company specializes in modular laptops that priortize upgradeability and repairability. Over the course of the half-hour video, Patel disassembles the Neo alongside a Framework Laptop 12 — which retails for $549 in the U.S. for the DIY edition and $799 if purchased pre-built. There's a slight caveat to those prices, however. While you can get the Framework 12 at that price, that's only with the processor. As soon as you start adding elements like RAM, storage and an OS, the price creeps up. In truth, you're looking at around $800-$900 for a Framework 12 laptop you can actually use.

Still, Patel actually praises some aspects of the MacBook Neo's build, noting the improvements Apple has made with it when it comes to repairability. Like the MacBook Air and Pro models, the Neo has eight screws holding the bottom lid on. But where it differs is the lack of tape or glue in the entire laptop — a first for modern MacBooks.

The battery is held in place by 18 screws and lifts straight away, making it much easier to swap in a new battery. However, Apple has also made it so the Neo's display can’t be replaced unless the entire top section of the laptop is removed.

"Every mechanical engineer in the world knows how to design for repair, so when a company doesn't make a product repairable, it's not because they don't know how," Patel says in the video.

"The thing that has to change in this industry is the mindset. A computer should be yours, it should be modular, it should be upgradable, and it should last as long as you need it to."

In contrast to Apple, Framework clearly labels all the internal parts inside its laptops to make it even easier for anyone to disassemble and reassemble the machine. It's a very interesting video, and I'd recommend giving it a watch.

'Why does the Neo exist in the first place?'

Once the teardown is complete, Patel gets a little philosophical on why Apple has decided to come to market with a budget laptop in this way.

"The right to repair is being put into place in writing in regulation and Apple is pretty savvy, they know how to look into the future," he says, citing the right to repair laws in Europe that could become more common Stateside.

Patel believes the Neo is Apple's "test vehicle" for repairability but also notes a much more blatant fact about the device.

"A big part of it is to get in new MacBook users right from the start and then bring them into that walled garden that Apple has created for them," he says. "It makes total sense for Apple to do the things they need to do to win people earlier in their lives as computing users."

He goes on to point out that younger users — school kids or college students — will get used to Apple's ecosystem with a device like the Neo and, when they need more space, better ports or a longer battery life, will gravitate towards a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

"Our philosophy is different. We don't want this to be a stepping stone to other computers," he says. "If you've got a Framework laptop, we want you to continue to upgrade it and use it as long as you need it."

"It's your computer, you should be able to use it for as long as you want."

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With the MacBook Neo priced at $599, budget laptops now face stiff competition from Apple. For years, the best Chromebooks dominated the sub-$600 laptop space. That era is over, which begs the question: Is a Chromebook still worth buying?

While the MacBook Neo is arguably the best budget laptop right now, we shouldn’t completely dismiss Chromebooks. For some people, these ChromeOS-driven notebooks might actually be the smarter choice. This is doubly true if you mostly use Google's apps, like Docs, Drive, and YouTube.

Below, I'll detail some of the Chromebook options out there, along with the pros and cons of these budget laptops. Are Chromebooks worth getting over a MacBook Neo, or is Apple's affordable laptop the new budget king? Read on to find out!

The $200 tier

The MacBook Neo is the most affordable MacBook ever, but Chromebooks can still be significantly cheaper. Models like the Acer Chromebook 315 and HP Chromebook 14 cost $150–$250 less than Apple’s colorful new laptop, making the Neo two to three times as expensive at that price point.

One big advantage these cheap Chromebooks have is that they’re expendable. They’re the laptops you hand to a kid or toss in a backpack without a second thought. They handle Google Docs, YouTube, and email just fine.

That said, the daily experience isn’t great, thanks to their dim 250-nit screens, slow Celeron processors, and an overall cheap feel. The Neo’s brighter display and faster A18 Pro chip make it far more future-proof than a Chromebook you’ll probably replace in two years.

Unless you’re on an extremely tight budget, it’s worth spending a few hundred bucks more for the noticeably better experience the Neo delivers.

The $600 tier

This is where things get truly interesting. For the same $599, you can grab a more “premium” Chromebook Plus like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14. On paper, it can actually look like the wiser pick.

Chromebooks at this price give you several advantages the Neo skips: 2K OLED touchscreens, backlit keyboards, and even 2-in-1 designs that flip into tablet mode. The base Neo is a straightforward clamshell with no touch support and no backlit keyboard.

So if you work at night a lot or you’re an artist who wants stylus support, something like the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 still offers more everyday versatility—even if macOS is the more robust operating system overall.

Chromebooks: Pros and cons

Here’s a quick breakdown of what Chromebooks give you over the MacBook Neo, and what Apple’s laptop delivers that Chromebooks can’t.

Pros: Why you’d still pick a Chromebook

• Hardware perks: Touchscreens, OLED panels, and backlit keyboards.
• 2-in-1 options: Many mid-range Chromebooks convert to tablet mode.
• Port variety: HDMI, USB-A, and microSD slots are common.
• Simplicity: If you mostly live in Google’s apps, ChromeOS is basically all you need.

Cons: Where the MacBook Neo wins

• A18 Pro performance: Apple’s chip runs circles around the Intel Core i3 or i5 chips in most Chromebooks.
• Resale value: A four-year-old Mac still has solid trade-in value; a four-year-old Chromebook is usually e-waste.
• Native apps: Real desktop versions of Photoshop or Final Cut simply aren’t possible on ChromeOS.
• Build quality: Even “premium” Chromebooks lean on plastic; the Neo is precision-milled from aluminum end to end.

MacBook Neo vs. Chromebooks: Which one should you buy?

If your budget is locked under $300, a basic Chromebook is still a smart, practical choice, especially if you mainly stick to Google’s apps. If you can spend $600 and really want a touchscreen, backlit keys, or tablet mode, machines like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 offer a more versatile physical experience than the base Neo.

Chromebooks still serve a purpose, but for most people, the MacBook Neo is the stronger long-term pick. Sure, it skips a few features, but it makes up for those gaps with strong performance, more-than-all-day battery life, broader app compatibility, and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem. That combination is hard to beat when you’re shopping in the budget space.

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The MacBook Neo is a surprisingly capable laptop for its price. Starting at $599, Apple’s most affordable MacBook has specs comparable to the best iPhones thanks to its A18 Pro chip, 8GB of unified memory (RAM), and 256GB of storage. You won’t get the same performance as the new MacBook Air M5 or MacBook Pro M5, but this laptop is good for the basics.

Our friends at TechRadar recently posted a story about using Parallels to run Windows on the MacBook Neo, which is an interesting experiment to say the least. That inspired us to perform our own benchmark tests to see if running Windows 11 as a virtual machine on a MacBook Neo is worthwhile. Without spoiling the results, I’m not at all surprised. So, can the MacBook Neo serve as a Windows laptop replacement? Read on to find out!

What is a virtual machine?

Before getting to our results, I wanted to explain virtual machines and Parallels, so you have a better understanding of what the heck our experiment is about.

A virtual machine (VM) is basically a computer-within-a-computer. Instead of buying a separate PC that runs on a single Windows-only account, a VM uses software to make an operating system think it has its own dedicated hardware. It uses a slice of your Mac’s CPU and RAM to create a digital sandbox where Windows or Linux can live alongside macOS.

Parallels Desktop is one of the leading programs that makes this happen on a Mac. The “Coherence Mode” lets you run Windows apps as if they were native Mac apps that sit right in your Dock and share files with drag-and-drop. Parallels handles the load of splitting the Neo’s 8GB of RAM between two operating systems.

What we did

For our purposes, we ran our tests with 4GB of vRAM and 2 CPU cores in use, based on the automatic recommended settings Parallels applies. We could have tried to use more RAM, but that would risk macOS not working properly. We tested Windows 11 in full-screen mode in Parallels to make it feel closer to using an actual Windows laptop.

The aforementioned Coherence Mode lets you run Windows 11 apps on the Mac desktop, but we didn’t test it like that. Again, the point was to replicate the Windows experience on a MacBook.

Keeping in mind that we’re using half of the Neo’s RAM and a third of its CPU cores for this Windows on Neo experiment, here’s how it fared on the same benchmark tests we run on the best laptops and best MacBooks.

How the Neo performed

I used the MacBook Neo with Windows installed for an evening. While I was certainly able to browse the web or watch streaming videos, everything felt slow, like using a budget Windows laptop from half a decade ago.

Even moving the arrow cursor feels sluggish, something my colleagues at the office also immediately noticed when I had them try Windows on Neo. Sure, you can make do, but don’t expect a zippy experience like on a modern notebook.

So how well did the laptop do in our benchmark tests? On Geekbench 6, which tests overall CPU performance, the MacBook Neo scored 2770 in single-core and 4090 in multi-core. Those scores are much lower than when just running the native macOS on Neo.

We benchmarked the MacBook Neo vs budget Windows laptops, and as you can see, its single-core scores were on a par when running Windows. This is why opening tabs and web browsing, while slow, wasn’t a nightmare. However, for multi-core performance, the results weren’t even close.

To prove that point, the Windows-driven Neo took nearly 23 and a half minutes to convert a 4K video to 1080p in our HandBrake test, which is around 14 minutes slower than on Neo running macOS. The Windows laptops also did better, but they’re able to utilize more RAM and CPU cores.

I should note that we used the ARM64 version of Handbrake, which is the same version we use on Windows for ARM laptops like the Surface Laptop 7. That matters because this version is optimized for ARM chips like the A18 Pro.

We also tried to run 3DMark to gauge the GPU performance. Unfortunately, when running the various 3DMark tests, they would freeze or give scores of zero. This is likely due to the app running in a VM. We eventually stopped running this test after 3DMark froze multiple times and caused the VM to crash. To be fair, 3DMark did warn us that the tests might not run and aren’t compatible.

Speaking of 3D testing, we wanted to benchmark a couple of games. However, there wasn’t enough storage to install either Borderlands 3 or Cyberpunk 2077 since, by default, Parallels splits the available storage in half for each operating system. In this case, going from 256GB to 128GB. Keep in mind that Parallels alone is 41GB.

Regarding that last point, we also installed benchmarking apps and copied a folder with those apps. So while Parallels took up 41GB for us, yours might be different. Storage is adaptive, so it starts small and grows as needed.

While we could have allocated more storage to Windows, it might have impacted macOS, which in turn would negatively affect the laptop’s overall performance. Besides, the games would run poorly since they’d be running on two cores. It would be like watching a slide show.

Lastly, we weren’t able to run our battery test since the app for it doesn’t work in the VM. Our tester doesn’t believe running a battery test in a VM makes sense, and I agree with that assessment. But, hey, at least we tried.

The costs

As you can see, there are many caveats when running Windows on the MacBook Neo. All of the above might be too much to deal with, but the cost of this endeavor will likely be the main deal-breaker for most.

Parallels typically costs $119 for a one-year subscription, but there is a 14-day trial you can try for free. A Windows license costs $139 for the Home version. You can install and use Windows without a license key, though some personalization options and features might be limited — not to mention the potential legal ramifications of using the OS without a valid license.

So, doing things by the book, you’re looking at a total cost of around $857. Considering all the compromises you’re already making, it’s not worth spending so much on what’s supposed to be an affordable laptop.

Bottom line

While you can use Parallels to run Windows as a virtual machine on the MacBook Neo, you need to go through several hoops and deal with certain sacrifices to get it going.

The MacBook Neo is surprisingly powerful for its price range, but it’s not meant to be a laptop for running multiple operating systems. With all the effort and money you’re putting in, you’re better off buying a proper Windows laptop that runs Microsoft’s OS natively.

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5. vs. MacBook Pro M5: Which one is best?
• I played 5 games on the MacBook Neo — here's my report card
• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours — and I'm shocked

For a long time, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro were the two main Apple laptops to choose from. Thanks to the MacBook Neo, there’s now a third and more affordable option. Choosing one of the best MacBooks isn’t as straightforward as it used to be, but that's why I'm here to serve as your guide.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a MacBook. While some may be drawn to the Neo for its low price, it’s not the best choice if you need a laptop for heavy workflows or better connectivity options. A MacBook’s size and weight are other factors, especially if you mostly plan to use it on the go.

Should you choose the humble MacBook Neo, the upgraded MacBook Air M5, or the powerful MacBook Pro M5? Below, I’ll detail all of their main features to help you decide.

MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5 vs. MacBook Pro M5: Specs

MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5. vs. MacBook Pro M5: Price

At $599 ($499 for students), the MacBook Neo is the most affordable MacBook in the lineup. You’re not getting the highest specs or all the premium features of the Air M5 and Pro M5. However, if you’re just browsing the web or watching videos, you’ll be fine with the 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.

Then we have the 13-inch MacBook Air M5 starting at $1,099. That’s $100 more than the previous model, but it packs 512GB of storage and starts with 16GB of RAM. The Air also adds a backlit keyboard (which the Neo lacks).

On the opposite end of the MacBook Neo is the MacBook Pro M5, which starts at $1,699 for the 14-inch model with the standard Apple M5 chip. If you need more power, you can upgrade to a version with an M5 Pro chip ($2699) or an M5 Max chip ($3599), and upgrade to more powerful versions of those chips with more CPU and GPU cores for $200 and $300 (respectively). Upgrades like nano-texture glass, more RAM, and additional storage also bring up the price.

If budget is your primary concern and you only need the basics, then get the Neo. But as you’ll see, that low cost means living with several trade-offs.

MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5. vs. MacBook Pro M5: Design

All MacBooks have a premium look and feel thanks to their sturdy aluminum designs. While they might appear similar, there are differences.

The MacBook Neo has more playful colors, with options such as Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver. There’s a color-matched keyboard as well. The notch in the top center of the display isn’t there, but that could be good news for some. Of the available MacBooks, the Neo is the most welcoming, visually.

Both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro retain the same utilitarian design that MacBooks have featured for the past five years. You get a sleek slab of aluminum that’s suitable for any work or personal environment. The MacBook Air comes in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Sky Blue, while the MacBook Pro M5 only has Space Black and Silver options.

Port selection isn’t the same across the board. For instance, the MacBook Neo has two USB-C ports like the MacBook Air. However, they’re both at slower USB 3 and USB 2 speeds (respectively), while the Air M5 supports faster USB 4 speeds.

Both the base Pro M5 and Air M5 support Thunderbolt 4/USB-C and have MagSafe charging ports, but the Pro also features an additional USB-C port, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot. M5 Pro and M5 Max models have Thunderbolt 5 ports.

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro both have Touch ID, which lets you quickly unlock password-protected sites. The base Neo lacks Touch ID, but you can get this feature along with 512GB of storage for $100 extra. Also, there’s no backlighting on the Neo’s keyboard, which will make it difficult to type in the dark if you’re not a touch typist.

MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5. vs. MacBook Pro M5: Display

All MacBooks deliver a comfortable viewing experience thanks to their respective Liquid Retina displays. The biggest difference is that the Neo’s screen lacks True Tone, which adjusts the panel to look more natural and reduces eye strain. Other than that, these MacBooks have excellent screens.

As you can see from our display benchmark results, color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3) and color accuracy (Delta-E) aren’t too different from one laptop to another. The Neo and Air have comparable SDR and HDR brightness, but the MacBook Pro’s Liquid Retina XDR display can get much brighter.

The Neo’s display is bright and colorful, but the lack of True Tone puts it behind the other MacBook screens. The MacBook Pro M5 has the edge not only in terms of higher brightness, and you can also get a 16-inch model if the 15-inch MacBook Air’s screen isn’t big enough for you.

MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5. vs. MacBook Pro M5: Performance

While the MacBook Neo can handle everyday tasks for the average user, power users will want to gravitate towards the Air and Pro.

The MacBook Neo has a version of the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro. This processor is capable of handling web browsing, 4K streaming, and basic multitasking without a problem. This laptop also tops out at 8GB of RAM. For casual use, the Neo is more than enough.

Conversely, the M5 chip is the latest M-series processor and is built to handle heavier loads like 4K video rendering, 3D modeling, and playing demanding games. This is especially true for Pro models with an M5 Pro or M5 Max chip, which are the most powerful versions of the M5. The base Pro M5 starts with 16GB of RAM, while the M5 Pro and M5 Max models start with 24GB and 36GB, respectively.

It’s not surprising that the M5-powered MacBooks outperform the MacBook Neo, often by a staggering amount. Whether those benchmarks involved CPU performance (Geekbench), video transcoding (Handbrake), or SSD speeds (Blackmagic), the MacBook Neo lagged far behind. If you want snappier web browsing with tons of tabs open, faster video exporting, 4K rendering, or anything truly demanding, you’ll need an M5 machine.

MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5. vs. MacBook Pro M5: Battery life

Every MacBook offers incredible battery life, which is a testament to the energy efficiency of Apple’s silicon. You won’t have to panic if you left your charger at home, as a MacBook can last for well over a day (and then some). That said, you’ll get longer battery life from the more powerful M5 MacBooks.

In the Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness, the MacBook Neo lasted 13 hours and 28 minutes, which is great for a laptop in this price range.

Right now, the MacBook Pro M5 Pro is one of the longest-lasting laptops we’ve ever tested at over 21 hours, making it a true endurance champ. The MacBook Air M5 lasted 15:28, which is in between.

MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5. vs. MacBook Pro M5: Bottom line

Deciding on a new MacBook to get might seem tricky at first glance, but when you get down to it, there’s a clear choice, depending on your needs.

If you’re on a budget and only need a laptop for the basics, then get the MacBook Neo. Conversely, the MacBook Pro is best for video editing and playing graphically demanding games. For a great middle ground between price, performance and battery life, you can’t go wrong with the MacBook Air.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours
• We benchmarked the MacBook Neo vs budget Windows laptops
• I played 5 games on the MacBook Neo — here's my report card

While I already own and use a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Max as my main video editing machine, I often find it too bulky when I don’t need that extra horsepower. So after some back and forth, I decided to pick up a MacBook Neo as an affordable companion for basic tasks like note-taking, research and emails.

I wasn’t expecting a powerhouse. After all, we recommend machines with much more RAM than this for video editing. But as a content creator at heart, I was naturally curious: if I were in a pinch or working on the go, could the Neo and its A18 Pro chip handle my video projects?

Shockingly up to the task

As part of my latest video for Tom’s Guide where I pit the MacBook Neo vs the iPad Air, I ran a few video exports in DaVinci Resolve and came away with some interesting insights. I started with a simple project: 4K clips shot on my iPhone 17 Pro, cut down to a 1:23 timeline. Scrubbing was smooth, and playback remained locked at 29.97fps with no dropped frames.

Applying a simple color grade with a slight contrast curve and saturation adjustment seemed to have zero impact on performance. RAM usage for Resolve hovered around 4GB, and the program and the rest of the laptop never felt sluggish. I could even keep Apple Music, Safari, and Notes open with a little extra headroom. Exporting that timeline took just 52 seconds.

That was a good start, but I wanted to push things further. For my next test, I imported footage from my "pro camera," the Panasonic Lumix S1R II. I used DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) footage shot at 120fps in LOG. These high-bitrate files are not heavily compressed, meaning the Neo has to decode a massive amount of information on the fly. It is a task that usually brings budget laptops to their knees.

To my surprise, playback remained completely smooth even with a color grade and a mix of real-time and 4x slow-motion footage. DaVinci’s RAM usage climbed to about 5.5GB due to the additional stress of this footage. In the end, my two-minute timeline took 1 minute and 48 seconds to export. That is pretty solid.

The pain point

Since I know a lot of you are debating between the MacBook Neo and the iPad Air, I wanted to see how they compared in a more "Apple-to-apples" benchmark. The 11-inch iPad Air (M3) also has 8GB of RAM, and that exact same timeline exported in 1 minute and 36 seconds which is roughly 12.5% faster than the Neo.

Honestly, I was surprised the little Neo kept up so well, which prompted to rerun the test three separate times to ensure it wasn’t a fluke. Sure enough, the results were consistent. However, I quickly discovered just how easily I could bottleneck both the Neo and the Air due to their 8GB of RAM.

As soon as I jumped into the Fusion page in DaVinci Resolve, which is where you handle advanced effects, I attempted some object tracking.

RAM usage immediately spiked to 10GB on the Neo. At moments like this, the RAM will offload some work to the SSD, and given it’s significantly slower in the Neo, things took a severe hit.

The tracker tool averaged a horrendous 3.5 seconds per frame. For a measly 2-second clip that my MacBook Pro M1 Max with 32GB of RAM would normally knock out in a heartbeat, the Neo estimated a 28-minute render time. No thanks.

How much better was the iPad Air? Interestingly, the tracker was significantly faster. At one point, it reported 34.47 frames per second and estimated it would finish the tracking in just two seconds. That sounds impressive until I tell you that it failed every single time with the warning message "Render did not complete."

I suspect this is due to the Air also running out of RAM, but since iPadOS does not have a system resource manager for me to monitor usage, I cannot be 100% sure. On one hand, the Air’s M3 processor was ready to smoke the Neo. On the other hand, while both share the same RAM constraints, only the Neo was actually capable of completing the task — even if it’d take a horrifyingly long time to do so.

RAM is the obstacle

These tests reveal two very important takeaways. Despite being a budget laptop, the MacBook Neo is remarkably capable of editing video. It can handle demanding file types and light color grading with relative ease.

Where it falls short is when more complex effects require additional memory. In a heartbeat, I would have spent an extra $100 for a 16GB model if Apple actually offered one. While I realize this workflow isn't typical for the Neo’s target audience, it proves that the A18 Pro chip inside has plenty of oomph.

It wasn't nearly as big of a limitation as I expected and it really wasn't that far behind the M3. What would truly allow this laptop to reach its full potential is more RAM. For now, it should be a solid choice for my simple social content on the go, provided I can keep that memory usage in check.

More from Tom's Guide

• I've tested every MacBook Neo alternative — the Asus Zenbook A14 leads 3 rivals that should worry Apple
• Windows fans mocked MacBook Neo’s 8GB RAM — my testing shows why that’s wrong
• MacBook Neo may win the budget laptop war before it even starts — cheap Windows laptop prices could jump by 'hundreds of dollars'

It’s the most popular way right now to troll Apple’s new $599 MacBook Neo. And I keep seeing the comments all over TikTok and Instagram.

“The MacBook Neo is just an iPad with a keyboard.” Are the naysayers right? Not at all. Here’s why they’re totally off the mark based on experience testing Apple's budget laptop.

Where macOS still beats iPadOS

First, the MacBook Neo runs macOS 26, which is more robust and still better for multitasking than the improved iPadOS 26.

Yes, you can run multiple apps on screen at once with iPadOS 26 with Windowed Apps, and you get a more familiar trackpad pointer for the cursor. Plus, there are “traffic lights” now in the top left of apps for minimizing, closing etc; an enhanced Files app; Menu bars and a Preview app. iPadOS is more Mac-like than ever.

However, I still prefer macOS as you’re not limited to the number of apps on screen at once (it’s 12 for iPadOS). And macOS feels always-on, compared to the “parked” state for apps in iPadOS when you’re not using them.

macOS also gives you multiple Spaces, whereas iPadOS gives you a single workspace. I like seeing a birds-eye view of multiple Spaces at once in Expose mode.

From a hardware perspective, I like that you don’t have to buy a case for the MacBook Neo to protect it, and that you get two USB-C ports, compared to one for the iPads. The iPad can only support one external display, too, while the Neo can support two with the right accessory.

In addition, the trackpad itself on the MacBook Neo is considerably larger than on the iPad Air’s Magic Keyboard, which makes working simply more comfortable.

The iPad Price Trap

Second, people are ignoring the fact that the iPad + keyboard combo is super expensive if you want the same size screen.

The 13-inch iPad Air M4 starts at $799 without a keyboard — $200 more than the Neo. And that’s with half the storage! To be fair, this iPad has a faster chip and more RAM (12GB vs 8GB), so it might be the better option for you if you need to edit video.

However, if you jumped up to the same 256GB of storage as the Neo and added the Magic Keyboard, you’re now up over $1,200. For those scoring at home, that’s two MacBook Neos. Adding an Apple Pencil would cost over $100 more.

So what about the 11-inch iPad? It can be had with a keyboard for $599, but you’ll be stuck with a smaller display, a weaker A16 chip and (again) half the storage. I don’t know about you, but I would never use a tiny 11-inch iPad as my everyday laptop.

Bottom line

I understand why people are saying the MacBook Neo is an iPad with a keyboard. Just know that you’re wrong. They’re still very different beasts, and if you care about value first and foremost, the Neo is a no-brainer.

Whether you’re thinking about upgrading from a Chromebook or ditching Windows for good, there’s never been a better time to switch to Mac, especially with the release of the new MacBook Neo. Starting at $599 (or $499 for education), this is Apple’s most affordable MacBook yet and a great way to get started with macOS. However, it’s not your only option at this price point.

Released back in 2024, the Mac mini M4 also starts at $599 (with that same education discount available). Sure, you will need a separate monitor along with a keyboard and mouse but chances are, you probably already have a display and your existing peripherals will likely work with macOS. While the MacBook Neo is arguably the best budget laptop you can get right now, the Mac mini M4 is one of the best mini PCs overall.

If you don’t plan on bringing the Neo with you and will mostly be using it at home, then the Mac mini M4 becomes a much more compelling option. Then it just comes down to whether or not you prefer to be anchored to a desk or sitting on the couch when using your computer. Although you’re paying $599 for either machine, one comes equipped with a mobile chip while the other uses a full-blow desktop chip that’s significantly more powerful.

Now that we’ve tested and reviewed the MacBook Neo, we can see how it stacks up against Apple’s smallest Mac mini yet. If you only have $599 to spend on a new Mac, read this first before you rush out and buy the Neo as the Mac mini M4 is an equally impressive machine.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Specs

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Design

The design of these two Macs couldn’t be more different. While the MacBook Neo is a 13-inch laptop, the Mac mini M4 is a compact mini PC that Apple redesigned in 2024 to be its smallest Mac ever.

Despite being the most affordable MacBook yet, the Neo borrows quite a lot from the aesthetic of the MacBook Air. It sports a fanless design, an ultra-thin chassis made from aluminum and comes with rounded corners for a more modern look.

In addition to Silver, the Neo is also available in three vibrant shades: Blush (pink), Indigo (deep blue), and Citrus (yellow). Meanwhile, like other desktop Macs, the Mac mini M4 only comes in Silver.

At 2.7 pounds, the Neo is very light and extremely portable which makes it easy to slip into a backpack. On the other hand, the Mac mini M4 is technically lighter at just 1.5 pounds. However, since you’ll need a monitor along with a keyboard and mouse, it’s not nearly as easy to bring with you.

On the MacBook Neo, you get two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the left side of the laptop with no ports on the right side at all.

Unlike with the previous model, Apple decided to add ports to the front of the Mac mini M4 and just like on the Neo, there are two USB-C ports as well as a headphone jack. Around back though, the Mac mini M4 comes equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, a gigabit Ethernet port and a power port.

When it comes to power, the Mac mini M4 can only be powered using the AC port at the back and the included power cable. The Neo comes with a compact 20W charger and is capped at a slower charging speed so you can’t use a higher-wattage one to quickly charge it.

You can use either of the Neo’s USB-C ports for charging. However, the front one is the better option for charging as it’s a slower USB 2.0 port while the one at the rear is USB 3 and can be used to connect to an external display or for an external SSD.

The keyboard on the Neo feels great to type on with 1mm of travel but it isn’t backlit. On the base model, you also don’t get Touch ID like on more expensive MacBooks.

If you want to use your fingerprint to login or for authentication instead of entering your password, then you’re going to need to spend an extra $100 on a Neo with this functionality and extra storage. Likewise, the Neo has a mechanical trackpad instead of a Force Touch one like on the MacBook Air.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Performance

Performance varies greatly between the MacBook Neo and the Mac mini M4, as they’re powered by entirely different classes of silicon. While the Mac mini uses the desktop-grade M4 chip, Apple brought the Neo’s price down to $599 by using the A18 Pro — the same mobile processor that powered the iPhone 16 Pro back in 2024.

In our lab tests, both chips showed comparable single-core performance. This means for 'burst' tasks like opening apps or loading a heavy webpage, both Macs will feel equally snappy. However, the Mac mini M4 pulls ahead in multi-core workloads, making it the superior choice for video editing or heavy multitasking.

The biggest performance divider isn't just the chip, but the memory. The $599 Mac mini M4 ships with 16GB of RAM as standard, whereas the Neo is stuck with 8GB and there’s no way to upgrade. In our real-world stress test, the Neo began to struggle once we hit 20 open browser tabs, leading to sluggishness and tab reloads. The Mac mini, with double the memory, handled twice that load without breaking a sweat.

Thermals also play a big role when it comes to performance. The Neo’s fanless design makes it completely silent, but it will eventually throttle or slow down during long 4K video exports or heavy gaming sessions to stay cool. The Mac mini M4 features an internal fan that, while near-silent, allows it to maintain peak performance indefinitely.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Display

The MacBook Neo has a 13-inch LED-backlit panel with a 2408 x 1506 resolution at 219 pixels per inch (ppi). As such, it meets Apple’s “Retina” standard and it’s also quite bright at 500 nits. Still, even with this extra brightness, you’re better off using it indoors since it has a glossy finish and you can’t upgrade to Apple’s Nano-Texture glass option like you can with more expensive MacBooks.

With only one high-speed USB-C port, you’re limited to connecting the Neo to a single external display. Likewise, you’re also stuck at 60Hz which means you won’t be able to take full advantage of high refresh rate monitors that go up to 120Hz — like Apple’s new Studio Display XDR — or even higher.

You don’t get a display with the Mac mini but thanks to the power of the M4 chip driving it, you can connect up to three external displays at the same time. When it comes to their resolution, you can run two displays at 6K at 60Hz and a third at 5K at 60Hz over Thunderbolt 4. There’s also an HDMI port around back that can output at 4K at 60Hz. Likewise, if you only want to run a single monitor, the Mac mini M4 can actually drive an 8K display at 60Hz or a 4K display at 240Hz.

Using the Neo with a single, large external display will likely be enough for most people. However, if you want to run a dual or even a triple-monitor setup for maximum productivity, then the Mac mini M4 is the better option.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Graphics

Both the MacBook Neo and the Mac mini M4 are surprisingly capable gaming machines for $599, thanks to their support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. However, while the Neo often relies on MetalFX upscaling to hit playable framerates, the Mac mini M4 has the raw horsepower to push higher settings natively.

Since the Neo uses the A18 Pro, it handles AAA titles that have been ported to iOS remarkably well. In our testing, Resident Evil 4 and the long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong played surprisingly well on the Neo's 13-inch screen. You can also tap into the entire Apple Arcade library, including the newly released Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea, which looks beautiful on the Neo's glossy Retina display.

However, Cyberpunk 2077 pushed this budget MacBook to its absolute limits. Since the Neo is fanless, it began to thermally throttle after about 20 minutes of gameplay, causing the framerate to dip into the low 20s. The 8GB of RAM also led to occasional stutters in open-world sections.

The Mac mini M4 is a much better option for extended play sessions. With 10 GPU cores and 16GB of RAM as standard, it didn’t slow down at all during our hour-long Cyberpunk stress test. Its internal fan kept the temperature stable, allowing the M4 to maintain its clock speeds indefinitely. If you’re a casual gamer who wants to play indie hits or mobile ports on the go, the Neo is a delight. However, if you want a machine that can actually act as a budget gaming PC at your desk, the Mac mini M4 is the clear winner.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Outlook

Switching to Mac has never been easier with two excellent options for the same $599 price. However, choosing between the two isn’t necessarily about which one is better, but rather where you plan on working.

The MacBook Neo is the most affordable MacBook yet and as such, it’s the perfect laptop for students, writers and travelers that need a machine they can go from a backpack to open on a table in seconds. You are giving up raw power for portability but in return, you’re getting a beautifully designed laptop with a 13-inch retina display that blows most budget Windows laptops and especially Chromebooks out of the water.

Now if you want a desktop workstation on a budget and already have a monitor and the necessary peripherals, then the Mac mini M4 is a more powerful though stationary computer. With double the RAM and a desktop-class chip, it’s ideal for multitasking and more demanding workloads. Plus, thanks to its internal fan, it won’t throttle under pressure.

Ultimately, the choice between the newer MacBook Neo or the slightly older Mac mini M4 comes down to whether you value portability or power more. If you need a computer you can bring with you or even move from room to room easily, then the Neo is the better choice. However, if you don’t mind working at a desk and paying a bit more for a monitor and peripherals (if you don’t have them already), then the Mac mini M4 is still an excellent option.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours — and I'm shocked
• I hated the Mac mini M4’s power button until I accidentally proved Apple was right
• I played 5 games on the MacBook Neo — here's my report card

The $599 MacBook Neo was designed for lighter workloads, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play games on it. Sure, you’ll get better performance on one of the best gaming laptops or the M5-powered 15-inch MacBook Air. But if you want to play select titles on Apple’s most affordable MacBook, you aren’t just limited to mobile games.

I recently posted about spending 48 hours with the MacBook Neo and found it surprisingly capable of handling everyday tasks like web surfing and streaming. But as a gamer, I had to see where the A18 Pro chip would actually redline. To that end, I decided to push this machine to its limits, testing a range of titles from Apple Arcade, the App Store and Steam.

For my testing, I monitored frame rates using the Metal Performance HUD. I also played at a game’s default resolution and graphical settings when possible, since I know most folks don’t touch those settings. This gave me a solid (and fair) foundation to see how games run on the Neo.

Can the Neo’s 8GB of unified memory and fanless design actually maintain a stable, playable experience, or will the hardware buckle under the heat? Read on to find out!

Apple Arcade and macOS native titles

These games have native Apple Silicon optimization, which means the MacBook Neo should be able to run them decently. That’s not just Apple’s claims — I tested a few to see how they perform on the Neo. Overall, the results were impressive!

Resident Evil 4 Remake

By default, Resident Evil 4 Remake had a choppy frame rate in the mid-20s. However, enabling the upscaling and frame-boosting MetalFX option brought it into the mid-40s. Sure, that’s not the 60 fps minimum I want for games, but 40ish fps isn’t exactly sluggish either.

The game’s fps can dip during action scenes, but I never saw it drop below the 30s, which is commendable. However, it can reach the low 60s if you’re indoors, where the game doesn’t have to render large environments or dozens of crazed villagers.

Resident Evil 4 Remake also looks great on the MacBook Neo’s 13-inch Liquid Retina display. Whether it was the introductory dark forest or the overcast Spanish village, everything came through in sharp and vivid detail. I kept the resolution at 1080p and set the graphics settings to low.

Oceanhorn 3

We tested Oceanhorn 3 in our MacBook Neo review, but I wanted to try it for myself. This is basically Apple’s answer to The Legend of Zelda, and it’s one of the more visually ambitious games on Apple Arcade. Though it generally runs well, it pushes the A18 Pro further than Sneaky Sasquatch.

Oceanhorn 3’s performance differs depending on your current environment. For instance, the game can remain at a consistent 60 frames per second at 1408 x 881 resolution if you’re inside a dungeon or other indoor area. However, the fps hovers between 45 and 60 when you’re exploring outdoor environments. Performance also takes a dip during heavy combat sequences.

This test was a bit of a mixed bag. Oceanhorn 3’s art style is undeniably appealing, but at this resolution (which I wasn’t able to change), the game can appear blurry on the Neo’s display. This is a reminder that while the Neo is a capable laptop, it’s still balancing thermal headroom against raw visual fidelity. Overall, though, Oceanhorn 3 is very much playable on the Neo.

Sneaky Sasquatch

Sneaky Sasquatch is a popular game on Apple Arcade, and it’s the No. 1 title on the store at the time of writing. It’s a quirky game where you play as a, well, sneaky sasquatch who dodges forest rangers, steals food from park visitors, and even fails upward into corporate jobs. Due to its popularity, it was perfect for my testing.

Not surprisingly, Sneaky Sasquatch runs like a dream on the MacBook Neo. At 2816 x 1762 resolution, it ran buttery-smooth at 60 frames per second. The affordable MacBook doesn’t have to strain very hard, given this game’s simple graphics. The Neo’s fanless design is also as quiet as the silent sasquatch!

Overall, this is the kind of game the Neo was made for. Sneaky Sasquatch proves that 8GB of RAM is more than enough for Apple Arcade.

Steam games

Steam is available for Macs, but it doesn’t have many games available on Valve’s storefront. Still, there’s a decent selection. To that end, I decided to run a lighter title and something more demanding to see how the Neo would handle them.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 still makes even the best gaming rigs sweat, even five years after its launch, so I consider this the end boss for the MacBook Neo. How well does the MacBook Neo handle such a graphically demanding title?

At 720p resolution, low graphics settings, and MetalFX set to performance mode, the game fluctuated between 30 and 45 frames per second. In less crowded areas, frame rates got closer to 40, but I frequently saw them dip into the low 30s while driving through the densely packed Night City or when I had to teach some cybernetic thugs a lesson.

There are some tradeoffs here. Due to the aggressive upscaling, the game can look soft. Finer details, such as text or power lines, can look blurry or choppy. Because the Neo has only 8GB of RAM, the game may stutter in dense areas. And since the Neo is fanless, it can get pretty warm. After 15 to 20 minutes of playing, I noticed performance degradation.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

To counter the demanding Cyberpunk 2077, I fired up Hollow Knight: Silksong from the Steam store. This is still a very popular game, so that’s also a reason I wanted to see how it ran on the Neo. Let’s dig into the results.

There are very few compromises here. At 2816 x 1762 resolution, the game maintained a locked 60 frames per second. It only ever dipped during transitions between areas or during the 30 fps cinematics. I also didn’t feel any input lag, with every attack and parry feeling instant. The graphics also remained sharp throughout.

This is yet another game that’s perfect on the Neo. Silksong’s moody visuals and flashy effects pop on the Neo's 13-inch display. It also runs as smooth as silk, pun intended. Silksong shows you can have a great time playing small indie games on the MacBook Neo.

MacBook Neo: Limits

The MacBook Neo can punch above its weight when gaming, but don’t expect an experience comparable to that of a dedicated gaming laptop or even the iPad Air M4. There are some hard physical limits here that you just can't ignore.

The paltry 256GB of storage on the base model is one of the biggest hurdles. When games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Resident Evil 4 can easily devour 100GB combined, you’ll constantly find yourself deleting one game just to make room for the next.

Then there’s the thermal ceiling. Since the Neo is fanless, it relies on its aluminum chassis for passive cooling. This leads to something called heat soak. During shorter sessions, the laptop can handle the load well enough, but if you play for more than 30 minutes, the chassis starts to overheat. That’s when the A18 Pro hits its thermal limit and starts throttling, which results in graphical stuttering and lower frame rates as the system tries to stay cool.

Lastly, there’s the 8GB RAM cap and the limited memory bandwidth. At 60GB/s, the Neo’s data pipeline is much narrower than the 153GB/s on the M4 Air. When you're playing demanding open-world games, the system struggles to swap assets in and out of that small 8GB pool fast enough. This results in micro-stutters during high-speed driving or intense combat. While lighter games like Silksong aren’t a problem, the Neo can feel the squeeze once you play a more taxing title.

MacBook Neo: Gaming performance overview

Here's a recap of how each game I played performed:

Bottom line

The MacBook Neo isn’t a gaming laptop, but it’s more capable of gaming than you’d expect. If you mainly play Apple Arcade games, you’re going to have a fun time. However, you’ll have to compromise when it comes to bigger games.

If you want a better gaming experience, you’re better off with an M5 MacBook Pro or a dedicated gaming rig. If you just want to occasionally play less demanding titles or something light from Apple Arcade, then the MacBook Neo is enough.

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M5 — which laptop should you buy?
• We benchmarked the MacBook Neo vs budget Windows laptops
• MacBook Neo has 'shocked' PC makers who aim to fight back

No offense, but this could be the dumbest thing any tech executive has ever said about an Apple product. This is a direct quote from Asus CFO Nick Wu during the company’s Q425 earnings call last week when he was asked about the $599 MacBook Neo.

“It’s probably focused more on content consumption. This differs somewhat from mainstream notebook usage scenarios, because in that case, the Neo feels more like a tablet — because tablets are mostly for content consumption.”

I’ll let that sink in. The MacBook Neo is absolutely not an “iPad with a keyboard” as many have labeled this device. It runs the full macOS 26 and based on my own testing for Tom’s Guide’s MacBook Neo review, this device should spell trouble for PC makers who are now scrambling for an answer.

It’s true that the MacBook Neo can be used for content consumption like watching videos and surfing the web, but it is a real productivity tool for work, from getting research done and editing photos to doing presentations and just multitasking with several apps open.

You also get other things from the Neo that cheap Windows PCs lack, including an aluminum design, bright 500-nit display, and side-mounted speakers that don’t suck.

MacBook Neo vs my MacBook Pro

I actually replaced my MacBook Pro M4 during my week with the MacBook Neo and I was shocked at how much I didn't miss. My MacBook Pro is definitely better at handling more than 25 tabs at any given time because it has 16GB of RAM, compared to just 8GB on the Neo. I also missed the MacBook Pro's anti-glare display when working outdoors.

But generally speaking, the Neo handled my daily workload just fine. This laptop had no problem juggling multiple conversations in Slack, doing quick photo edits in Pixelmator and editing articles in our CMS or in Google Docs. And I oftentimes had Spotify playing in the background.

MacBook Neo vs iPads

As for the tablet comment, Asus' CFO is missing the point. Apple had just updated the iPad Air with the M4 chip, which is much more of a content consumption device than the MacBook Neo. You have to pay extra for the keyboard, and while the multitasking has improved in iPadOS 26, macOS 26 is still not as intuitive as a desktop OS.

Plus, the iPad Air M4 starts at $799 for the 13-inch model, and once you add a keyboard it balloons up to $1,118. That's even pricier than the new MacBook Air M5 ($1,099).

What about the regular iPad? That starts at just $349 and you can get add a keyboard for under $600, but that's with an underpowered A16 chip and a small 11-inch display compared to 13 inches for the MacBook Neo.

MacBook Neo a real threat to budget Windows laptops

If you're on the fence about the Neo, I would check out our MacBook Neo benchmarks story vs Windows laptops. You'll find that the A18 Pro chip inside this machine punches well above its weight.

You can even play some AAA games on the MacBook Neo like Cyberpunk 2077 — if you're willing to dial the settings way down.

To be fair to Asus' Wu, he acknowledged that the Neo is a threat, saying that all major PC vendors are now "seriously discussing how to compete with this product in the entire PC ecosystem."

But in order to seriously compete with the MacBook Neo, you need to understand what it is. And I'd argue that Asus does not based on the CFO's comments.

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Neo Chrome tab test: How many tabs can 8GB RAM actually handle?
• We just tested the MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M5 — which laptop should you buy?
• MacBook Neo battery life tested — I can't believe the results

Although Apple recently released the powerful MacBook Air M5 and the even beefier M5 Pro and M5 Max models, the laptop I’ve found most interesting is the MacBook Neo.

Starting at $599, this entry-level MacBook matches or exceeds the best Windows laptops in that price range. With RAMageddon still forcing companies to raise costs across the board, this budget-friendly MacBook is a welcome relief, and one I can easily recommend to most people.

In our MacBook Neo review, we called it the best budget laptop ever, thanks to its premium design, bright display, and solid A18 Pro performance. There are some trade-offs, but for $599, it’s a compelling purchase for anyone looking for a wallet-friendly laptop.

I just spent 48 hours with the MacBook Neo as my main computer, and the experience was insightful, to say the least. Though it’s a fantastic machine for what it costs, it also has some trade-offs — especially if you’re used to more powerful MacBooks. Here are my hands-on thoughts.

MacBook Neo: What I like

Design

The MacBook Neo is a striking laptop, and not just because it’s available in several fun colors. Instead of the usual cheap plastic designs you see at this price, the Neo has an elegant all-aluminum frame like its pricier MacBook siblings, complete with the same rounded corners. It’s a beautiful machine that feels great to hold.

On paper, the MacBook Neo weighs 2.7 pounds, the same as the 13-inch MacBook Air. However, it feels slightly heavier because it’s a bit bulkier (and slightly thicker). Still, it’s a laptop you can easily slip into your backpack and forget it’s there.

I really enjoy the Neo’s Magic Keyboard, which has the same snappy feedback as the one on the MacBook Air. It’s roomy and comfortable to type on, even if you have big hands like me. There’s no Force Touch trackpad here, but the mechanical trackpad is still plenty responsive and never misses a gesture.

Finally, the Citrus color of our review unit immediately sets this MacBook apart. My praise for it, and the other available shades (Indigo and Blush), is noteworthy, since I normally don’t care for colorful electronics. If I were buying one, I’d probably stick with boring Silver, but I love that buyers have eye-catching options.

Performance

There’s been plenty of negative feedback about the MacBook Neo’s 8GB of RAM. As someone who has always told people never to settle for less than 16GB, I completely understand the concern. However, unless you’re doing demanding work, the Neo won’t disappoint.

To push its RAM to the limit, I opened a bunch of Chrome tabs. With 10 tabs open, pages loaded instantly, and scrolling stayed perfectly smooth. At 15 tabs, though, pages took about half a second to load, and scrolling slowed noticeably, which is reminiscent of the behavior we showed in our TikTok video.

The A18 Pro might be a phone chip, but it’s no slouch in the MacBook Neo. On the Geekbench 6 CPU test, the Neo scored 3,535 in single-core, which is 15% higher than the Surface Laptop Go 3. Its multi-core score was 28% higher. Compared with the MacBook Air M1, the Neo is slightly faster on both Geekbench tests. (You’ll still get better CPU performance from the M5 MacBook Air, of course.)

Gaming-wise, the MacBook Neo is surprisingly capable as long as you stick to Apple Arcade titles or games optimized for Apple silicon. Resident Evil 4 Remake typically runs at around 25 fps on the Neo, but enabling MetalFX upscaling and choosing the “Performance” setting pushes frame rates into the low 40s, which isn’t the desired 60 fps but is still very playable.

You won’t be rendering 4K video or playing Cyberpunk 2077 on it. However, for everyday tasks like web browsing, Google Docs, and YouTube, it’s more than capable.

Display

The MacBook Neo packs a 13-inch Liquid Retina panel with a 2408 x 1506 resolution. In our testing, it hit 480 nits of HDR brightness — literally outshining most budget Windows laptops (which usually top out around 300 nits). Color reproduction and accuracy are strong, delivering vivid, pleasing picture quality overall.

Though the Neo’s display is nearly as good as the MacBook Air’s, there are a couple of drawbacks. The 13-inch screen is smaller than the Air’s 13.6-inch panel, so you get slightly less real estate. You could argue the Neo makes up for it by ditching the notch, but I still prefer the Air’s bigger display.

I’ll cover my main gripe with the screen in the next section, but your eyes definitely won’t be offended by what this panel delivers. For $599, it’s a pretty fantastic viewing experience.

MacBook Neo: What I don’t like

No True Tone

The one thing I really miss is True Tone. For those unfamiliar, it automatically adjusts the display’s brightness and color temperature to match your ambient lighting, reducing eye strain, especially helpful during long work sessions or nighttime viewing.

As someone who stares at screens all day, True Tone has been a genuine eye-saver for me. Its absence stood out immediately on the Neo. While the laptop still has automatic brightness adjustment, it doesn’t feel as precise without True Tone, so I found myself adjusting the brightness with the F1 and F2 keys more often.

No Touch ID (on base model)

Unless you step up to the $699 model with 512 GB of storage, you won’t get Touch ID. That might not sound like a huge deal, but if you log into password-protected sites constantly, it quickly becomes frustrating.

With every other recent MacBook, I set up Touch ID right away because it makes logging in so seamless. I caught myself instinctively pressing the power/lock button on the Neo more times than I care to admit. Touch ID is like a band’s bassist — you don’t notice how important it is until it’s gone.

The good news is that, unlike the fixed 8GB RAM, you can upgrade to Touch ID but be ready to spend the extra $100.

Other trade-offs

I’m grouping these because they’re relatively minor to me (though they might matter more to others).

Limited ports

The Neo has two USB-C ports, but without MagSafe, one is essentially tied up while charging. Port speeds are also modest: only one supports fast USB 3 transfers (up to 10 Gb/s), while the other is limited to USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s). External SSD transfers will feel sluggish.

Audio and camera downgrades

The 1080p camera is fine, but it lacks Center Stage (so you’re not kept in frame when you move) and Desk View. A basic two-speaker system handles audio. That's fine for podcasts, but thin on bass for music.

No backlit keyboard

This doesn’t bother me at all (I’m a touch typist who rarely looks down), but for anyone who works in dim lighting, the lack of backlit keys could be a real annoyance.

Bottom line

At $599, the MacBook Neo delivers a surprisingly premium experience compared with other laptops in this price range. Though I’d still prefer my MacBook Air, I wouldn’t feel too limited if the Neo were my only machine.

Yes, there are compromises, but most are inconveniences rather than deal-breakers. For the price, the MacBook Neo is an excellent notebook.

More from Tom's Guide

• We just tested the MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M5 — which laptop should you buy?
• We benchmarked the MacBook Neo vs budget Windows laptops — here's the truth
• Apple M5 vs. Intel Panther Lake vs. Snapdragon X2 — which chip wins?

The MacBook Neo’s 8GB of unified memory has been a major topic of conversation since Apple announced this new budget-friendly $599 laptop. And that makes sense, given how resource-heavy web pages have become, along with Chrome’s infamous high memory usage. If you’re the kind of student or digital nomad this laptop is aimed at, it’s natural to wonder if the Neo can handle your average workflow.

To that end, we decided to put the MacBook Neo through a stress test that simulates a typical day of use. While you might not ever have so many open tabs and apps running on the Neo, it’s interesting to see what Apple’s entry-level MacBook can and can’t handle. At what point will you hit a bottleneck?

Here, we opened Chrome tabs one by one, loading lighter and more demanding websites, and kept going until we started noticing slowdown. To make the test more demanding, we disabled Chrome’s memory saver feature. This is a RAM-saving feature I recommend enabling when using Chrome on the best laptops and best computers, but for this test, we wanted to see how well the Neo would perform without it.

Without spoiling the results, the MacBook Neo is more capable than you would expect from a machine with 8GB of RAM. You need to have a lot going on before you’ll feel the laptop buckling under the workload. Though capable, it’s important to remember that this is a budget machine, so don’t expect to render 4K videos or run other demanding apps without hitting constraints.

Are you worried about the 8GB RAM limit, or do you think it’s enough for the light work the MacBook Neo was designed for? Share your thoughts in the video and in the comments section below. Also, don’t forget to check out our separate gaming test featuring Cyberpunk 2077 and Resident Evil 4 Remake on the Neo.

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M2: What’s the best bang for your buck?
• We benchmarked the MacBook Neo vs budget Windows laptops — here's the truth
• We just tested the MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M5 — which laptop should you buy?

Ever since the MacBook Neo launched as Apple’s budget-friendly laptop, gamers and tech enthusiasts have wondered just how capable it is beyond everyday work.

Priced at just $599 with an A18 Pro chip, 5-core GPU, and 8GB of unified memory, it wasn’t designed as a gaming machine. That said, Apple’s improvements in macOS gaming support, thanks to the unified memory architecture and tools like MetalFX, have some questioning whether this budget notebook can punch above its weight in modern titles.

We decided to find out for ourselves by putting the MacBook Neo through a real-world AAA gaming test. Rather than sticking to smaller Apple Arcade games, we chose two demanding titles that would truly stress the system’s integrated graphics and limited memory.

The games in question were Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most graphically intensive open-world titles, and Resident Evil 4 Remake, a game that has already proven it can run well on the best iPhones thanks to strong optimization.

To give the Neo a fair shot, we adjusted the resolution and graphics settings for both titles. We ran them at approximately 1080p where possible, testing various presets and enabling Apple’s MetalFX upscaling technology (both on and off) to see how much it could help the 5-core GPU and 8GB of unified memory handle these games.

Without giving away the results (watch the video for that!), the good news is that the MacBook Neo can play games. Apple Arcade titles and other lighter, well-optimized releases can run smoothly. However, it’s no replacement for one of the best gaming laptops.

Make sure to leave your thoughts in the video and in the comments below. Also, don’t miss our separate Chrome tab stress test for the everyday performance side of the story.

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M2: What’s the best bang for your buck?
• We benchmarked the MacBook Neo vs budget Windows laptops — here's the truth
• We just tested the MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M5 — which laptop should you buy?

If you’ve ever shopped for a "cheap" MacBook, your options were either waiting for a holiday sale, snagging a previous-gen model, or gambling on a refurbished one. That all changes with the $599 MacBook Neo. It’s not packed with every premium MacBook feature, but it’s built for the basics, such as web surfing, streaming videos, and even light gaming.

First-time Mac users or anyone on a budget who doesn’t need a powerhouse will do well with the Neo. But if you want a more premium device without shelling out for something like the MacBook Pro M5 Pro, the new MacBook Air M5, starting at $1,099, is absolutely worth considering.

While they look similar and have comparable screen sizes, these two machines are quite different. If you want the cheapest MacBook possible, you can stop right here and grab the Neo. But if you’re weighing your options, the choice isn’t as straightforward as it seems.

We’ve tested and reviewed both the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air M5. They’re both fantastic laptops, but one will fit you way better than the other. Here are the biggest differences that actually matter.

MacBook Now vs. MacBook Air M5: Price

Let’s start with the biggest difference: price. The MacBook Neo starts at $599, which is a price we've never seen for new MacBooks unless they’ve been heavily discounted. If you’re budget-conscious, the conversation might end right here, especially if you just want a reliable laptop for everyday tasks.

Then there’s the MacBook Air M5, which starts at $1,099. That’s a $100 increase over the MacBook Air M4 it replaces, though Apple says that’s because it’s doubling the base storage to 512GB and starting with 16GB of RAM. So the $100 price bump isn’t egregious.

Side by side, the Air M5 is almost double the price of the Neo. We’ll get into the specifics, but if you’re not a power user and just need a machine for Google Docs or Netflix, the Neo wins here. However, if you need that extra power, then you’ll need to splurge on the Air M5.

MacBook Now vs. MacBook Air M5: Design

The MacBook Neo and MacBook Air M5 are both made of sturdy aluminum, but there's some pretty noticeable differences otherwise.

The Air M5 retains the same utilitarian design that MacBooks have had since late 2021. It’s a svelte slab of aluminum that wouldn’t look out of place at a cafe or boardroom. The four available color options (Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Sky Blue) are also relatively understated. It’s a fine industrial design that won’t turn heads.

Conversely, the MacBook Neo is more playful, with vibrant color options including Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver. You also get a color-matched keyboard. Because of that, this laptop feels like an extension of the iPad lineup. The Neo also lacks a notch in the top center of the display, which some might consider a win. Overall, the Neo has a cleaner, friendlier look.

MacBook Now vs. MacBook Air M5: Display

There was some initial worry that the MacBook Neo’s display would be inferior to the MacBook Air's. Sure, both have Liquid Retina displays, but the Neo’s screen doesn’t have True Tone, which adjusts the display to look more natural and reduce eye strain. While that’s true, our testing shows that your eyes won’t be upset by the Neo’s screen.

Both screens are evenly matched for SDR and HDR brightness. Unless you have super-sensitive eyes (or fancy benchmarking tools), you won’t notice the difference. Both displays get plenty bright, whether you’re at your home office or your favorite cafe.

The MacBook Air does have a bit of an edge when it comes to colors. Higher sRGB and DCI-P3 means richer, more vibrant hues. The Neo’s a bit more color-accurate (0.22 Delta-E, where closer to 0 is best), but that’s invisible to most.

For its slightly better color reproduction and features like True Tone, the MacBook Air has a better display. But the Neo's screen is absolutely amazing for the price.

MacBook Now vs. MacBook Air M5: Performance

Performance is where we see the biggest differences between the Neo and Air. The MacBook Neo is the first MacBook to run on an A-series chip, specifically a version of the A18 Pro from the iPhone 16 Pro. It’s a fairly speedy chip, and it can handle web browsing, 4K streaming, and basic multitasking with relative ease. You can almost view it as an M1 reboot with performance comparable to the MacBook Air M1.

The MacBook Air M5 is better for power users. The M5 chip inside packs a 10-core CPU and a Neural Accelerator in every GPU core. If you’re doing on-device AI work, heavy photo editing in Lightroom, or even playing games, the M5 will perform better.

Additionally, the Air M5 starts with 16GB of RAM, whereas the Neo is capped at 8GB. In 2026, you want at least 16GB of memory if you want your laptop to be usable for more than three years.

The MacBook Air M5 outperformed the Neo in our lab tests. The Air pulled ahead of the Neo in both single- and multi-core performance on the Geekbench 6 CPU test. That means web browsing and opening programs feel snappier on the Air.

How about video editing and file handling? The Air M5 also crushes. Handbrake video exporting took 4 minutes and 34 seconds, whereas the Neo took nearly ten minutes. The Air also hits blazing-fast SSD speeds compared to the Neo. Copying huge files, opening apps, or working with big projects will feel instant on the Air. The Air M5 also dusts the Neo for on-device AI tasks.

The MacBook Air M5 is the superior performer. But the MacBook Neo should be fast enough for most users on everyday tasks.

MacBook Now vs. MacBook Air M5: Battery life

To be clear, both the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air deliver more than all-day battery life. If you’re out and about, you won’t have to worry if you left your charger at home. That said, the Air M5 endures longer than its more affordable counterpart.

In Tom’s Guide's battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness, the MacBook Neo lasted 13 hours and 28 minutes, which is great for a laptop in this price range. In comparison, the MacBook Air M5 lasted over two hours longer.

MacBook Now vs. MacBook Air M5: Features

As detailed in my article, Apple's $599 MacBook Neo — what are the trade-offs?, here’s a quick look at some of the other features Apple had to cut to get the starting price down to $599:

• Touch ID: The base Neo doesn’t have it, so you’ll need to type in your password when logging into secure websites. You can pay $100 extra to get Touch ID (which also upgrades storage to 512GB), though that bumps the laptop’s price to $699.
• Keyboard backlighting: Unless you’re a touch typist, you might have a hard time using the Neo in the dark, as the keyboard is not backlit.
• MagSafe: Unlike the Air M5, the Neo doesn’t have a MagSafe port. You’ll have to charge the Neo via one of its two USB-C ports, which means you’re down to just one port for peripherals while plugged in.
• Camera: Though the Neo thankfully has a 1080p webcam rather than 720p, the Air’s 12MP Center Stage camera is superior.

MacBook Now vs. MacBook Air M5: Bottom line

MacBooks are some of the best laptops out there, so you won’t go wrong with either the Neo or Air M5. However, if you have specific needs, then one will be better for you than the other.

If you’re a student, a parent buying a first computer for your child, or just someone who mostly surfs the web or watches YouTube, the MacBook Neo is a solid choice. It offers a premium build and decent performance for a price that competes with the best Chromebooks and best budget laptops. Just be aware of some of the limitations detailed above.

The MacBook Air M5 is another excellent addition to Apple’s popular laptop lineup, offering everything you’d want and need from a computer. If you plan to do heavy-duty multitasking and. more challenging workloads like video editing, coding or AI tasks, the $1,099 investment will be worth it. Between 16GB of RAM, the more powerful M5 chip, and other features like MagSafe and the P3 display, the Air M5 is a great choice.

To sum up, the MacBook Neo is best for most people, but the Air is the choice for more demanding users.

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M2: What’s the best bang for your buck?
• MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Which budget Apple laptop should you buy?
• MacBook Neo has 'shocked' PC makers who aim to fight back

I’m not sure about you, but growing up in the nineties meant I didn’t get the chance to enjoy the magic of Mac until I was in my early teens, and even then, it felt too different to fully embrace.

Schools, offices, and just about everything else ran on Windows, and while I acknowledge that’s still the case for many, Apple’s new MacBook Neo might just upset that balance. And, in a way, I wonder if it could change the computing habits of the generation after mine.

A Neo way of looking at things?

In case you missed the reveal, the MacBook Neo is a much cheaper MacBook model that runs on the Apple A18 Pro chip, has a modest 8GB of unified memory, and a 13-inch display.

Is it built to rival a MacBook Pro, or even the Air? Not on your life, but what it does do is drastically lower the barrier to entry for using a Mac.

Apple’s ecosystem has long been an expensive one to embrace, not just for consumers but for enterprise and more. In fact, the easiest way to get on board has long been the base iPad, and as Windows grew in complexity and (politely speaking) AI cruft, many have moved to the simple pleasures of an Apple tablet.

My parents are one such example. We always had a family PC in our home growing up, sparking a love of technology that set me down the career path I’m on, but in recent years they’ve been using iPads exclusively.

The trouble is that an iPad, for all of its strengths (and with all of iPadOS’ latest enhancements), doesn’t quite fit into the same usage parameters as a laptop.

Horses for Courses

The iPad is great for reading, browsing social media, responding to email, and FaceTime. Its limitations begin to become clearer when you try to manage files, do some printing, or need to connect additional devices.

All of a sudden, the simplicity that makes the iPad so appealing becomes arguably its biggest roadblock to getting things done, and there have been plenty of times where ‘Tech Support Lloyd’ has to come over, MacBook in hand, to help.

The MacBook Neo, while more pricey than an iPad, offers multitasking without needing to use touchscreen gestures, a keyboard that’s easy to get to grips with (physically and in terms of its practicality), and might just convert those that Windows scared away to give laptops another chance.

It could well be an ideal first Mac for many, and not just those who are picking one up for school work or dorm rooms. Make no mistake, this could be the Mac that helps the Mac reach the mainstream.

Apple’s already done the hard work

Apple has been working to bring its platforms closer together for years at this point, both in terms of hardware like Apple Silicon in iPads and Macs, and also in terms of software being able to be shared across devices.

That means that anyone jumping onto a Mac, even if they’ve only ever used an iPad (or an iPhone) will have at least some sense of familiarity. Sure, getting to grips with the menu bar and dock might take a little bit of time (especially for anyone whose only previous computing touchstone is Windows), but knowing the Calendar app, or Mail, or Safari are much the same as they are on the iPad (and with data shared across the devices) is a huge boost for newcomers.

Plus, there’s every chance a new Mac user genuinely looks at the iPhone 17e as a new phone option. My parents have been using affordable Android handsets for decades at this point, but that’s more because they’re cheaper - something Apple is seemingly keen to change perceptions on.

Aside from the generation before, there’s a lot to be said about how Apple’s new MacBook Neo could set up the next generation as Mac users, too.

My son turns seven this year, and while I’ve still got a little while to go before I introduce him to computing in any serious way, if the MacBook Neo continues to evolve, it could be a generational device — in more ways than one.

I’d feel more comfortable sending him to school when he’s older with a more traditional laptop capable of running a lot of the touch-first apps he knows from prodding my iPad every now and again, but knowing he’d have the tried-and-true keyboard and trackpad combo to hand when he needs it.

What do you think? Is the MacBook Neo the missing link for iPad owners looking for something more traditional for their computing needs, or will the seemingly inevitable touchscreen MacBook render all of this moot anyway?

More from Tom's Guide

• Windows fans say MacBook Neo’s 8GB RAM is ridiculous — so I tested it, and the results are shocking
• MacBook Neo may win the budget laptop war before it even starts — cheap Windows laptop prices could jump by 'hundreds of dollars'
• MacBook Neo has 'shocked' PC makers who aim to fight back — but saying the Neo is 'just a tablet' is missing the point

The MacBook Neo is a game-changer for anyone looking for a $600 laptop. This low-cost Apple notebook packs a powerful A18 Pro mobile chip, a bright 13-inch display, more than all-day battery life, and a durable aluminum body in fun colors. It’s a perfect notebook for first-time MacBook users or anyone who’s looking for a budget laptop.

While the MacBook Neo has a lot to offer, its $599 price means it has some limitations. Chief among those, it tops out at 8GB of non-upgradeable RAM, which is something our readers have expressed concern about in our initial Facebook post about the new entry-level MacBook. The laptop’s A18 Pro-driven performance is another thing some have questioned.

To that end, let’s compare the MacBook Neo against similarly priced Windows laptops to see if this budget-friendly MacBook is hampered by its processor and RAM. We’ll also go beyond raw specs and benchmarks, exploring build quality, battery life, and other factors to help you decide if the Neo is a better option over its Windows rivals.

Who is the MacBook Neo for?

The MacBook Neo brings Apple's quality to the budget laptop space with a starting price of $599 (or $499 for education buyers). Since it’s powered by the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro, it’s tailor-made to handle everyday tasks like web browsing, streaming videos, and light photo editing without drawing excessive power.

To that end, the Neo is ideal for casual users, students, and first-time Mac owners who want seamless integration with the best iPhones or best iPads. Naturally, it’s also perfect for budget-conscious folks eyeing an upgrade from older Intel Macs or the best Chromebooks. Parents shopping for their kids or cash-strapped college students will appreciate the Neo’s simple design and overall reliability for schoolwork and entertainment.

It’s important to keep in mind that the Neo isn’t built for power users like video editors, 3D artists, or developers whose workflows demand more than 8GB of RAM, a beefier processor, or extensive multitasking capabilities. Likewise, if you’re a hardcore gamer or Linux enthusiast, you’re better off with one of the best gaming laptops or best gaming PCs. The Neo prioritizes affordability and basics over raw performance.

With all that said, let’s head straight into the comparisons!

MacBook Neo vs. Windows laptops: Benchmarks

To give you a clear side-by-side view, we've compiled our lab-tested benchmarks into tables below. These cover CPU performance, AI capabilities, gaming, storage speeds, display quality, and battery life. Keep in mind, these numbers reflect real-world testing scenarios, but your mileage may vary based on usage.

The MacBook Neo performs exceptionally well in single-core performance, scoring 3,535 on the Geekbench 6 CPU test. As you can see above, it outperformed the $649 Dell 14 Plus (2,721), the $549 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3X (2,124), and the $749 Asus Vivobook 14 AI (2,617). Basically, the Neo doesn’t have much trouble with quick, responsive tasks like launching applications or browsing multiple tabs.

Things are a bit different for multi-core tasks that handle heavier workloads, such as video rendering or running multiple programs simultaneously. The Neo falls behind both the Dell 14 Plus and IdeaPad Slim 3X. It also falls behind the Vivobook 14 AI, but not by much in our testing.

The MacBook Neo is also quite capable with on-device AI tasks. It scored 45,204, which leaves the other laptops in this test in the dust. Even if Apple’s AI efforts are still somewhat undercooked, it’s clear that, hardware-wise, the company does a great job of optimizing on-device AI processing.

In our gaming tests, the MacBook Neo achieved 26.1 frames per second in Solar Bay for ray-tracing and 21.9 fps in Wild Life Extreme for general graphics. This is decent enough for light mobile games you’d find on Apple Arcade.

I should note that we don’t have results for the Windows laptops, as we typically don’t run gaming tests on budget laptops like those. Overall, if gaming is a priority for you, get a gaming rig, as the Neo and its competitors won’t give you the smoothest experiences across a variety of titles.

The MacBook Neo's SSD delivers write speeds of 1,440 MB/s and read speeds of 1,585 MB/s, which are decent enough for things like saving documents and loading apps quickly. But as you can see, these scores lag behind Dell's 3,456/3,018 MB/s and Asus's 6,891/6,701 MB/s, with Lenovo data unavailable.

If you’re not constantly transferring large files, the Neo’s SSD speeds will be fine enough. However, if you’re a professional editor who handles large media files, the Neo will be way too slow for your needs.

In our battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness, the MacBook Neo lasted for 13 hours and 28 minutes. Even if that doesn’t quite match Apple’s 16-hour rating, it offers fantastic endurance that’ll get you through a full workday.

The Neo effectively matches the Vivobook 14 AI and Dell 14 Plus in battery life, but it can’t hit the impressive endurance of the IdeaPad Slim 3X. In fairness to the Neo, that Windows laptop runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chip, which is designed for laptop efficiency and often allows the machines to last as long as, or longer than, MacBooks with M-series processors.

This test isn’t directly tied to the processor or RAM, but I wanted to compare the Neo’s display benchmarks against the Windows laptops, since you want a good screen for work and play.

The Neo’s screen can get plenty bright, hitting 452 nits in our display testing. Color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3) is also strong, as is its color accuracy (Delta-E). This all makes for bright and colorful images. The Neo literally outshines the competition here.

Other factors to consider

It’s easy to fall into the trap of discussing specs. Still, there are other factors to consider when discussing the MacBook Neo’s overall value, especially when comparing it to other laptops. There’s more to Apple's notebook than numbers on a spec sheet.

For starters, the MacBook Neo has a full-aluminum chassis that’s sturdy and flex-free, unlike many similarly priced Windows laptops that rely on plastic shells prone to creaking and bending. The Neo’s durable design not only enhances longevity, but it also makes it look more premium. This is especially true thanks to color options like Blush, Indigo, and Citrus.

Then there’s arguably the Neo’s biggest edge: its integration with the Apple ecosystem, which enables seamless continuity with Apple devices like iPhones and iPads, including features like Handoff, AirDrop, and universal clipboard. This is a major perk that Windows laptops can’t easily replicate.

Bottom line

The MacBook Neo isn’t a powerhouse laptop, nor is it trying to be. Sure, it doesn’t have all the features you’d get in something like a MacBook Air, but for $599, it has everything you’d need for the basics. And as I hope I’ve demonstrated, Apple’s entry-level laptop can hold its own, or even exceed, similarly priced Windows competitors.

Ultimately, the MacBook Neo proves you don’t need to shell out the big bucks for a premium-like experience. Don’t let the 8GB of RAM make you dismiss the Neo. For $599, this laptop absolutely rocks.

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Which budget Apple laptop should you buy?
• 12 excellent MacBook Neo accessories to enhance your experience with Apple's newest laptop
• MacBook Neo has 'shocked' PC makers who aim to fight back

So something happened when we published our MacBook Neo review (spoiler alert: it’s very good). Outside of those asking “bUt DoEs It RuN LiNuX” (I see you), a lot of folks looked at the amount of system memory and laughed.

“Don’t do 8GB of RAM…we aren’t living in 2010,” one commenter said. “8GB of non upgradeable RAM in 2026 is a joke,” another balked. All very fair points…if this were a Windows laptop. But it’s not, and this is a very different situation — a breakthrough in achieving affordability through ruthless optimization of RAM usage.

So much so, in fact, that in my own testing, I found that a Windows 11 laptop could use nearly 4X more RAM for the same set of tasks as a MacBook Neo does. What is causing this? And will Microsoft see this as a wake-up call given the impending RAM price crisis killing affordability?

To answer this, I have to get a bit geeky here and tell you about the difference between RAM on a Windows 11 laptop and unified memory on a MacBook. Put simply, it’s not about how much you have, it’s about how it’s used.

MacBook Neo vs Windows PCs: By the numbers

I set up a simple test. On both the MacBook Neo (with 8GB of unified memory) and the Asus ProArt GoPro Edition (with 128GB of RAM…yes this is a huge mismatch), I ran the following:

• Google Chrome with 20 tabs — one of them a 4K YouTube video stream and memory saver turned off.
• Apple Music with music playing
• Adobe Photoshop

And then we ran the numbers to see just how much memory each of them ate up, and the difference on paper is stark.

Of course, the total memory usage is complicated to explain in terms of the way each treats background tasks (more on that in a minute). But even on an app-by-app basis, outside of Photoshop munching up roughly the same amount of memory, Chrome is virtually twice as consuming on Windows compared to macOS and Apple Music being very much the same!

So what’s going on here? Let me break it down.

RAM vs Unified Memory explained using pizza

I’ve got a slice next to me, and my explanation of M5 Pro and M5 Max with tasty ‘za did well. So let’s go back to the well! To explain the different philosophies, think of them as two different pizza parties.

The Windows party is a full blown two-table buffet (a system RAM table and a VRAM table) — throwing all the pizzas into the oven and having them available. Even if nobody is eating them, they’re ready if you suddenly get a craving.

Windows 11 is designed to fill your RAM as much as possible to speed up the UI — looking at your habits and preloading parts of your apps into the RAM before you click them. You’ll often notice this caching trap in the Task Manager with a lot of “In Use” apps. A lot of these you’re not actually using, but the OS has given it a portion of RAM to ensure they open fast.

Put simply, it looks like you’ve “used” all the pizza but in reality, half of it is sitting there just in case. Then, there’s the background services — the number of which will depend on a lot of different things like what you have installed and whatnot. But as a baseline, Windows 11 will typically use around 3-4GB of RAM when idle (vs the 1.5-2GB of macOS).

Empty pizza boxes are being left on the table until that table is literally falling over, because Microsoft is thinking someone may want to lick the grease later (that’s the caching part).

Meanwhile, there’s the MacBook Neo party: the just-in-time kitchen. The chef only serves exactly what you’re chewing on the table — having complete control over the distribution of pizza, while having extra slices in a high-speed warming drawer ready to serve, rather than just leaving it on the table.

Unified memory, unlike a Windows PC, gives Apple Silicon and macOS control to delegate chunks of the same pool of memory to different tasks. There is a level of caching on here (otherwise your computer would feel like it’s from 2005). But it treats caching differently like a single fast conveyer belt of stuff you need rather than a warehouse of items you may refer back to.

So what you’re left with is a magical chef who is literally living inside the oven — no need for extra boxes, as they can just grab a slice the second it's cooked and shove it in your mouth. Oh and that messy table? The MacBook Neo is a neat freak. The moment a slice is finished, the chef will recycle that plate straight away and give it to someone else.

Pizza party representation

Of course, there are some other things going on in the background here, such as macOS’ legendarily aggressive RAM compression, or going into more detail about reserving buffers of RAM on Windows 11 laptops. But the pizza principle is sound.

And what that means you’ll get is a Task Manager/Activity Monitor reading that seems way over the top. I mean I was floored when I saw a 4x difference (more on that in a second), but there’s an explanation to it.

You see, with the way Apple Silicon handles unified memory means that you’ll only see what is actively being used in the Activity Monitor (only the pizza currently inside people’s mouths), whereas in Windows 11 Task Manager, you’ll see the pizza, the boxes, the napkins, and the just-in-case leftovers.

Bottom line: It’s a bad-faith argument

So, before Windows fans come at me in the comments, I do need to make it clear. While the numbers do tell this story, they miss a whole other side where the Windows 11 way of doing this does beat the MacBook Neo handsomely:

• Gaming: Having a dedicated GPU is always going to reign supreme over a MacBook’s capability to game.
• Wasteful can be good sometimes: Having apps cached like this makes Windows 11 more prone to throw RAM at background projects so it never has to touch the SSD. Whereas macOS’s tendency to compress data ruthlessly is actually a performance penalty.

Put simply, Windows pays a heavier RAM tax so that when you click on a window, it’s already rendered and ready. And while MacBook Neo is a dream machine for minimalism, Windows 11’s hoarding techniques make it better for power users.

However, that is not to say that Microsoft can’t learn a thing or two here from the numbers. The biggest tax being paid is some of those stupidly massive background tasks, and efficiencies have to be made — especially for machines with far less memory than the one I used to run this test.

Because simply saying “lol 8GB of RAM is not enough” is completely missing the point when you’d struggle with what I just did even on a machine with 4x the amount of memory. The idea of a budget laptop was something that Windows 11 dominated — now Apple has pulled a bright green tank onto its front lawn.

The risk is significant. Take action now.

More from Tom's Guide

• The era of cheap PCs may be over — RAM prices are about to jump 15% with no relief until 2028
• MacBook Neo may win the budget laptop war before it even starts — cheap Windows laptop prices could jump by 'hundreds of dollars'
• Apple solved budget laptops with MacBook Neo — now a touchscreen MacBook Ultra could be next

The $599 MacBook Neo is a fantastic budget laptop for everyday work and entertainment. Gaming-wise, it’s built to run many of the games available on Apple Arcade, as well as some casual/indie titles, as we said in our MacBook Neo review. But how well can it run more graphically demanding titles?

YouTuber Andrew Tsai, known for Apple gaming benchmarks, recently uploaded a detailed test video in which he ran 10 titles and Nintendo Switch emulation on the MacBook Neo (via TechRadar).

The results, while limited by the 8GB RAM ceiling and occasional throttling, show the compact laptop punching well above its weight. This is especially true for native macOS games and older/optimized titles.

How games performed

Andrew Tsai put the MacBook Neo through its paces across a mix of native macOS titles, Windows games via CrossOver, and even Nintendo Switch emulation. As you’d imagine, well-optimized native games run surprisingly well, while memory-hungry titles quickly hit the 8GB RAM wall.

The demanding Cyberpunk 2077 performed surprisingly well. Running on its native macOS version at the absolute lowest settings and 720p resolution (with MetalFX upscaling from an internal 360p source), Cyberpunk delivered “just about playable” performance, according to Tsai, often holding 30–40+ FPS. However, dense city areas caused some stuttering. He called managing this on the tiny, fanless machine a miracle.

Lighter titles shone. Minecraft Java Edition was the star here, easily hitting 50–300 FPS at 1080p depending on the preset, and even with shaders and mods, it stayed in a smooth 50–60 FPS range. World of Warcraft ran acceptably on reduced settings, dipping only in crowded areas but remaining perfectly usable for casual play.

Control also performed very well, reaching around 40–50 FPS at 1080p on low settings with MetalFX upscaling. Both Resident Evil titles Tsai tested showed solid results: Resident Evil 2 Remake came close to a steady 60 FPS at 1080p with default graphics and upscaling. At the same time, Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) delivered respectable performance straight out of the box. Dark Souls Remastered also impressed, running near 60 FPS at 1080p low and feeling smooth and responsive.

CrossOver results were more mixed. The 2D game Mewgenics ran great, but bigger Windows titles struggled. Counter-Strike 2 became completely unplayable due to memory constraints, and the open-world Elden Ring averaged only the mid-20s FPS at a low 450p resolution, plagued by stuttering and poor frametimes.

For Nintendo Switch emulation, the MacBook Neo maintained a mostly stable 30 FPS, with minor hitches during shader compilation.

Bottom line

Native macOS-optimized games excel, proving Apple silicon’s gaming potential even in a budget, fanless MacBook. Windows titles via CrossOver are hit-or-miss and heavily limited by the 8GB RAM limit, as anything memory-hungry quickly becomes unplayable. Sustained sessions may throttle due to passive cooling, but for short bursts or lighter/older games, the MacBook Neo is surprisingly competent.

While it won’t replace one of the best gaming laptops or a higher-RAM MacBook Pro, the MacBook Neo shows that even Apple’s cheapest laptop can deliver real gaming fun. This will become truer as more native ports arrive.

We're going to perform more extensive gaming tests on the MacBook Neo ourselves, so stay tuned for that when it arrives!

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Which budget Apple laptop should you buy?
• 12 excellent MacBook Neo accessories to enhance your experience with Apple's newest laptop
• MacBook Neo has 'shocked' PC makers who aim to fight back

Apple shocked the laptop world with its budget-friendly MacBook Neo, but it may also be the most unique laptop in the company's lineup. One of the first teardowns we've seen, courtesy of Australian YouTubers Tech Re-Nu, reveals one of the most modular and repairable MacBooks we've ever seen.

In their video, Tech Nu-Ru was able to take most of the laptop apart in just about six minutes. The Neo is held together by Torx screws and features a clean cable layout showcasing a surprisingly simple design ethos.

Like the MacBook Air and Pro eight screws hold the bottom lid on. Where it differs is the amazing lack of tape or glue in the entire laptop, a first for a modern MacBook. The battery is held in place by 18 screws and lifts straight suggesting it's possible for even the less repair-inclined to relatively quickly swap in a new battery.

Additionally, the two USB-C ports, speakers and the headphone jack are all modular, meaning they can be swapped out or replaced as needed.

Tech Nu-Ru didn't take the entire Neo apart but earlier this week Apple released a MacBook Neo repair manual that revealed it's possible to remove the keyboard for repair without replacing the entire top case.

All of these individual replaceable parts make the MacBook Neo one of, if not the most, repairable MacBook. It makes replacing parts for the company's own "Genius Bar" employees faster and easier, but also enables the average user to fix their computer if they need to.

Apple has been hit or miss with right to repair. Since 2024, the company has expanded its Self-repair program to include a plethora of devices and the iPhone 16 is the most repairable iPhone to date. However, the company still wants you locked in their systems and heavily lobbied against a right to repair bill in Oregon.

Still, at $599, the MacBook Neo is already a bargain, but its repairability makes it one of the best budget laptops available.

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• MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Which budget Apple laptop should you buy?
• iPhone Fold leak just revealed an absolute multitasking overhaul with iPad-like interface
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If you’ve been considering upgrading to one of the best MacBooks, you’re in luck: Apple just released the MacBook Neo. Starting at $599 (or $499 for education), this is Cupertino’s most affordable laptop yet and a fantastic entry point into the Mac ecosystem.

Up until now, you had to choose between the $1,099 MacBook Air for portability or the $599 Mac mini M4 if you were willing to stay tethered to a desk. In our MacBook Neo review, we praised the new device as the best budget laptop yet, but there is still another option worth considering.

First launched back in late 2020, the MacBook Air M1 surprisingly still holds up today. Though it initially launched at $999, the release of the M2, M3, M4, and now the MacBook Air M5 has driven the price of the original Air with Apple Silicon down significantly. In fact, you can often find the M1 on sale for $599, putting it in direct competition with the brand-new Neo.

Now that we’ve fully tested the MacBook Neo, we can see how it stacks up against the legend. If you’re deciding between the two, read this before you rush out to buy Apple’s most colorful MacBook yet.

MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Specs

MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Design

The MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air M1 are both 13-inch laptops, though the Air sports a slightly larger 13.3-inch display. This also gives it a minor edge in resolution, but the real difference is in the look: the Air M1 keeps its "classic" square corners and thicker bottom chin, while the Neo adopts modern, rounded corners.

The biggest design departure is the color. In addition to Silver, the Neo comes in three vibrant shades: Blush (pink), Indigo (deep blue), and Citrus (yellow). We tried out the Citrus model, and its bright greenish-yellow hue definitely pops the most. Another nice touch is that the Neo's keys are color-matched to its shell, making the whole machine feel cohesive.

However, that keyboard comes with a compromise. While you get the same reliable scissor-switches and 1mm of travel found on the Air M1, the Neo doesn't have a backlit keyboard. You also lose out on standard biometric security; while Touch ID is included on every Air M1, getting it on the Neo requires an optional $100 upgrade.

Apple simplified the trackpad to cut costs, too. While the Air M1 features a Force Touch trackpad that uses haptics to mimic a click, the Neo’s trackpad is mechanical. It still feels great, but it’s a physical "diving board" click rather than the high-tech feedback found on more expensive MacBooks.

Physically, these two are close but not identical. The Neo is smaller overall, but the Air M1 still feels like the "sharper" device thanks to its iconic tapered wedge that thins out at the front. The Neo is also the new lightweight champ at 2.7 pounds, beating the Air M1 by a hair.

Port layout is another area where "budget" becomes a factor. Both have two USB-C ports on the left, but only the Air M1 gives you high-speed Thunderbolt 3 on both. On the Neo, the rear port is a faster USB 3, while the front one is a slow USB 2 port mostly meant for charging. The Neo also moves the headphone jack to the left, whereas it sits on the right on the Air M1.

Where the Neo finally pulls ahead is the webcam. Its 1080p camera is a massive upgrade over the Air M1’s grainy 720p sensor, even if both laptops still lack Center Stage.

Finally, the audio vibes are different. The Air M1 hides its speakers under the keyboard for a fuller soundstage, while the Neo uses side-firing speakers. While the Neo supports Dolby Atmos, the Air M1’s three-mic array still gives it the edge for sounding your best on video calls compared to the Neo’s dual-mic setup.

MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Performance

The most debated part of the MacBook Neo is its brain. While the Air M1 uses a true M-series computer chip, the Neo runs on the A18 Pro — a powerhouse originally designed for the iPhone 16 Pro.

In our testing, the Neo’s "phone chip" proved it has some serious speed, especially in single-core tasks where it feels much snappier for day-to-day browsing and app-launching. However, it still falls slightly behind the M1 in sustained tasks like our Handbrake video transcoding test. It’s also worth noting that we tested the Neo with the newer Geekbench 6, while our older Air M1 results come from Geekbench 5.

As a daily driver, the Neo held its own with a couple dozen Chrome tabs open while juggling Slack and photo edits in Pixelmator Pro. It’s a responsive machine for the most part, though we did notice some lag when jumping into the Display settings right from Finder while connected to a Studio Display — likely a reminder that this mobile architecture has its limits.

The Air M1, by contrast, feels like it has a bit more "breathing room" during heavy multitasking. Part of that is thanks to its faster SSD, and part is because our review unit was configured with 16GB of RAM, whereas the Neo is strictly capped at 8GB.

Ultimately, both chips are designed for different missions. The M1 was built from the ground up to handle the "heavy lifting" of macOS, while the A18 Pro was optimized for the efficiency of iOS. For web browsing and schoolwork, the Neo is a delight; but if your workload is on the heavier side, the M1’s desktop-class architecture is still the better choice.

MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Display

Although the Neo and the Air M1 appear to have almost identical screens at first glance, there are some key differences between the two. They both feature 13-inch LED-backlit panels with Apple’s “Retina” branding but deciding on the better laptop display will come down to your workflow.

Given its more affordable price, the Neo lacks the color depth of the P3 Wide Color gamut found on the Air M1 and uses the sRGB color gamut instead. This is fine for writing emails, watching videos and doing schoolwork but you won’t get the same pop that you will with the Air M1’s screen. Likewise, you don’t get True Tone technology on the Neo which uses sensors to adjust the color temperature of the Air M1’s display to match a room’s ambient lighting.

There’s one last big difference between the two laptops as well and that comes down to brightness. Since it uses an older display, the Air M1 only managed to reach a max brightness of 365 nits in our lab tests. Meanwhile, the newer Neo hit 480 nits in the same tests. If you plan to use either Apple laptop outdoors for extended periods, the Neo will be much more visible in direct sunlight.

MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Graphics

You won’t be playing the latest AAA games on either of these more affordable MacBooks, but you will be able to do some light gaming. Given the A18 Pro chip inside the Neo, it naturally handles mobile games designed for iOS well, while the M1 chip in the Air is better suited for actual PC games — albeit older ones.

For instance, when we originally reviewed the Air M1, we were easily able to play older titles like Bioshock 2 Remastered at its native 2560 x 1600 resolution. Rise of the Tomb Raider and Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm were both playable too, though neither hit a steady 60 fps.

It’s worth noting that those were older Intel-based versions running via Rosetta 2; in the years since, many more games have been ported to run natively on Apple Silicon, meaning there is an even larger library of older titles you can enjoy on the Air M1 today.

With the Neo, we tested out Oceanhorn 3 via Apple Arcade for our review and then later, the Resident Evil 4 Remake. While the graphics looked smooth for the most part, we did notice some skipped frames here and there.

The Neo does have one graphical trick up its sleeve, however: hardware-accelerated ray tracing. This allows it to render more realistic lighting and reflections in modern, optimized titles — a feature the M1 lacks entirely. Still, neither MacBook is a gaming powerhouse.

MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Battery life

The MacBook Air M1 should technically have the advantage here with its larger 49.9-watt-hour battery, compared to the Neo’s smaller 36.5-watt-hour cell. However, since the Neo is powered by an extremely efficient 3nm chip, the A18 Pro helps this new MacBook come much closer to the Air M1 than you’d expect.

In our Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits of screen brightness, the results were surprisingly close. As you can see in the table above, you’re essentially getting one hour less with the Neo compared to the Air M1. Still, 13.5 hours of continuous use is quite a lot for an affordable MacBook designed for students and office workers; you can easily make it through a full workday without having to reach for a charger.

The charging situation is where you'll find the biggest day-to-day difference. While the Air M1 can be charged via either of its identical USB-C ports, the Neo requires a bit more strategy. We recommend using the front port for charging, as its slower USB 2.0 speeds are perfect for power. This leaves the faster rear port free for a high-speed SSD or for connecting to an external monitor.

Finally, there’s the question of charging speed. The Neo ships with a compact 20W charger, while the Air M1 comes with a standard 30W adapter. If you’re in a hurry, the Air M1 has a distinct advantage: you can plug it into a higher-wattage 60W or 100W GaN charger and it will pull up to 45W, cutting your wait time significantly. Unfortunately, the Neo is capped at its lower speeds, so you'll be waiting a bit longer to get back to 100%.

MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1: Outlook

Choosing between the new MacBook Neo and the veteran MacBook Air M1 is surprisingly difficult, even with six years of tech evolution between them. While the Neo sports a much more modern design with vibrant colors and a sharper webcam, the Air M1 still feels like a "pro" machine in an older body.

If you want a laptop that feels current and will be supported by Apple for years to come, the Neo is the better choice. It’s snappy enough for daily tasks and serves as a fantastic upgrade for anyone coming from a Chromebook or a budget Windows laptop. For those who spend most of their time in a browser or on FaceTime, the Neo’s modern aesthetic and improved camera are hard to beat.

However, if you aren't willing to sacrifice the premium features Apple cut to hit the Neo’s $599 price point, the Air M1 is the better option. With its backlit keyboard, standard Touch ID, faster SSD, and dual Thunderbolt ports, it remains better suited for users who need to multitask or handle slightly more demanding workloads.

Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with either, but longevity is the tie-breaker. The Neo is likely to receive macOS updates until the early 2030s, whereas the Air M1 is nearing the end of its software support cycle. If you want a machine that is "set and forget" for the next several years, the Neo is Apple’s colorful, affordable answer to the entry-level Mac.

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Apple's low-cost MacBook Neo is finally here and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has some thoughts about the new laptop and its future. Plus, he put out a roadmap for the first MacBook Air OLED.

Like all tipsters and analysts, Kuo can be hit or miss but he's been pretty right on with the Neo. Last summer, he predicted Apple would release a cheap MacBook with an A18 Pro chipset and a 13-inch display.

Kuo also said it would arrive in late Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026. We're in late Q1 2026, but otherwise he was correct. He also said it would come in silver, blue pink and yellow, which proved correct with the silver, indigo, blush and citrus hues.

With that in mind, what is Kuo saying about the future of Neo?

No touchscreens

Now that the MacBook Neo is actually out, it is of course immediately time to turn our focus to devices that don't exist yet like the Neo 2.

"Neo 2 was originally expected to feature a touch panel to compete with Chromebooks," Kuo wrote. However, he says the Neo 2 may not adopt it.

With Apple specifically gunning for the budget-conscious laptop market, a lack of a touchscreen isn't terribly surprising. Apple has yet to even put such a panel on any of its more premium MacBooks.

Current rumors suggest the next MacBook Pro will feature a touchscreen and could release before the end of 2026, likely in October. Still, Chromebooks feature touch displays, so there's no reason Neo couldn't get one.

OLED MacBooks

Beyond MacBook Neo, Kuo corroborated Bloomberg's reporting that Apple will finally adopt an OLED panel for the MacBook Pro, followed by the MacBook Air. Kuo expects the OLED MacBook Pro to arrive this year, or perhaps in early 2027.

We may have to wait for the OLED Air. Kuo suggests the upgrade won't launch until 2028 or 2029.

"Memory market chaos" and iPhones

Interestingly, Kuo predicts that Apple will use the ongoing RAM crisis to steal market share from PC makers and other phone manufacturers. The company will "secure the chips, absorb the costs, and grab more market share," he says.

As major PC manufacturers struggle to survive the RAM crisis, the MacBook Neo is set to dominate the low-cost laptop zone.

Kuo believes Apple will keep prices unchanged on new iPhones going forward, since the goal is to expand its market share and not just surive the memory shortage.

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Apple's new MacBook Neo is almost unbelievably good value, and is likely to be putting the rest of the laptop industry on notice for the immediate future. The last thing you will want to do with your low-cost MacBook is have to pay out for expensive repairs, should something go wrong.

Out-of-warranty Apple repairs can be prohibitively expensive if you're not careful, but the AppleCare Plus repair plan conveniently makes it a lot more affordable. Those repairs are not free, but in many cases, it's still the most affordable way to fix your device.

But considering MacBook Neo buyers pay an extra $5 a month, $50 a year or $139 for three years of coverage, is it even worth the price? The short answer is probably yes. But let me elaborate on that.

What's the damage?

Apple's repair website breaks down the cost of repairs if you have AppleCare Plus, versus if you choose to save yourself that ongoing payment. If you look, you'll notice that there's quite a discrepancy between the two, since Apple doesn't actually offer many repair estimates for off-plan MacBooks.

In fact, it'll only confirm that a MacBook Neo battery service will cost a flat $149, while other damage will require Apple to "inspect your product to provide a personalized estimate." Which doesn't bode well from a cost/analysis perspective.

Meanwhile, when you do have AppleCare, various other options are available to you. Repairing damage to the screen of the external enclosure will set you back $49 each, while other accidental damage comes with a flat $149 fee. And that $149 battery service for non-AppleCare machines? That's now free.

So if you ever have to have any MacBook Neo battery work done in the first three years of its life, you've actually saved money by paying for AppleCare Plus. We wouldn't expect you to experience major battery issues in a short period of time, but you also have to remember that the AppleCare subscription unlocks a bunch of extra repair options with pre-set pricing.

Plus, fitting for a MacBook that's designed to be more affordable, the prices are lower than you'd find with other Macs.

It pays for peace of mind

Battery servicing is still free, but the rest of the prices for MacBook Air M5 and MacBook Pro M5 (including Pro and Max) are doubled compared to the MacBook Neo. That means screen and external damage repairs cost $99, while other accidental damage is going to set you back $299 per repair

The small print confirms repair prices are the same at every Apple store and Authorized Service Provider across the U.S. So you won't go in with a dented MacBook Neo and find that the cost of repair is almost as much as a replacement.

Even if you don't end up needing any repairs throughout the Neo's lifetime, you're still paying for peace of mind that potential problems can be fixed easily and relatively cheaply. It's the same reason I pay for home insurance, after all.

If you're still on the fence about purchasing a MacBook Neo, be sure to check out our full MacBook Neo review for a rundown of everything it can do. And if you're worried about it not lasting, check out MacBook Neo battery life results — because we're pretty astounded by what's on offer.

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We just finished reviewing the MacBook Neo, and we’re stunned by its battery life. While it’s not one of the longest-lasting laptops we’ve tested at Tom’s Guide, Apple’s most affordable MacBook endures far longer than the best budget laptops in this range. It’s no exaggeration when I say you’re getting near M-series MacBook battery life from the Neo.

The MacBook Neo runs on an A18 Pro chip, the same processor that drives the iPhone 16 Pro. That slice of Apple silicon is designed for the iPhone's tight thermal constraints, so it’s not too surprising that this affordable MacBook is punching well above its weight class in efficiency. When you buy one of the best MacBooks, you expect all-day (and then some) battery life, and the Neo certainly fits that bill.

But how does the MacBook Neo compare against its MacBook siblings and rival laptops? Let’s take a look at our test results!

Battery life results

Apple rates the MacBook Neo for 16 hours of battery life while playing video. That kind of battery life is typical for M-series MacBook Air laptops, so advertising the A18 Pro-powered MacBook Neo with comparable battery life is rather bold. While our testing shows the Neo doesn’t quite hit that mark, it’s also not far off.

In our Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness, the Neo lasted for an impressive 13 hours and 28 minutes. Even if the result isn’t the claimed 16 hours of battery life, I doubt many users will complain about endurance that will get them through an entire workday and then some. Again, this is a $600 laptop.

As Mark Spoonauer said in his MacBook Neo review, he worked unplugged for a couple of hours, jumping between multiple Chrome windows with Slack running in the background and the screen set to 75% brightness. During that time, the battery meter only dropped to 74%.

Naturally, your own results will vary depending on what you’re working on or viewing, but it’s safe to say you can work for several hours without worrying about the Neo suddenly running out of juice.

Versus Windows laptops and Chromebooks

The MacBook Neo doesn’t disappoint when it comes to battery endurance, but how does it stack up against other laptops we’ve tested? To keep things fair, I’m comparing its battery life to that of similar or lower-priced laptops — specifically, budget laptops.

Starting with some of its Windows 11 rivals, the $529 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 lasted less than 9 hours on the same battery life test. The Neo also blew away the $299 Acer Aspire Go 15 by over three hours. However, the $529 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x outlasted the Neo by three hours, which is likely due to its extremely efficient Snapdragon X laptop chip.

There was a time when the best Chromebooks reigned supreme as the longest-lasting laptops, but Apple’s M-series brought that supremacy to an abrupt end. Even without an M-series chip, the Neo maintains this status.

For instance, it outlasted the $159 Asus Chromebook CX15 by an astonishing six hours. It only lasted 10 minutes longer than the $549 Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, but the Neo runs on macOS Tahoe, which is a more robust and feature-rich operating system than ChromeOS.

MacBook Neo versus other MacBooks

Now comes the big question: how does the MacBook Neo’s battery life compare to other MacBooks? Here, I’ll stick to the 13-inch MacBook Air laptops we’ve reviewed, since they pack entry-level M chips and also have fanless designs like the Neo.

We ran battery tests on both MacBook Air M5 models, and each lasted about 15 and a half hours. The fact that there's only a two-hour difference between the Neo and the new Airs is impressive.

Each subsequent MacBook Air generation since the MacBook Air M1 has generally seen better battery life, as you can see above. The Neo trails behind all of them except the M1 Air, which it outlasts by 10 minutes. Still, this is a strong showing for Apple’s budget MacBook.

Bottom line

The MacBook Neo delivers exceptional battery life for its price, ensuring that you’re not getting short-changed (pun intended) on endurance.

Again, your results will vary depending on use, but based on our testing, it’s clear Apple didn’t skimp on this essential MacBook feature. As we’ve proven here, it’s hard to find such a long-lasting laptop for $599.

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