I recently purchased the entry-level MacBook Neo for $599 (compensated affiliate link) to evaluate its capabilities. Positioned as Apple’s low-end laptop alternative to the Mac Mini, it can also be found for $499 through the Apple Education Store for students and school staff.
Check it out in my latest review!
The model I tested features the Apple A18 Pro processor, the same chip utilized in last year’s iPhone 16. It includes 8 gigabytes of memory and 256 gigabytes of solid-state storage. While the base storage and memory are fixed, a $699 variant offers 512 gigabytes of storage and a fingerprint reader.
The physical construction consists of a metal chassis with rounded edges, weighing 2.7 pounds. The 13-inch display operates at a 2408 by 506 resolution with a brightness of 500 nits and a 60-hertz refresh rate. Text and images render clearly on the display and it looks very close to my MacBook Air in overall quality.
The device includes a 1080p webcam equipped with OS-level filters like background replacement, blurring, etc. But I noted an operational detail regarding this webcam: there is no physical indicator light to show when the camera is active, relying entirely on an on-screen software notification. While Apple’s MAc OS is quite secure, not having a hardware light for the webcam makes me a little nervous.
Apple made distinct choices regarding input and port options to meet this price point. The keyboard feels nice and may have a little more travel than the MacBook Air, but it lacks backlighting. The trackpad uses a physical click mechanism rather than the solid-state haptics found on more expensive models.
Connectivity is handled by a headphone jack and two USB-C ports. One of the USB-C ports is limited to USB 2.0 speeds, while the other supports 10 gigabits per second data transfer, video output, and charging. Neither port supports Thunderbolt. Stereo speakers are present, though the audio can distort slightly if hands are resting on the chassis.
In practical testing, the A18 processor handles routine computing efficiently. Navigating websites in the Brave browser is responsive, yielding a score of 44.7 on the Browserbench Speedometer benchmark – one of the highest I’ve tested. High-resolution media, including 4K video at 60 frames per second, plays back without dropped frames.
Like other Macs, the Neo comes with excellent native applications like iMovie for video editing, Garageband for music, and a very functional office suite with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. All ran flawlessly and felt just as responsive as my more expensive Macs.
When utilizing Apple’s Pixelmator Pro (a Photoshop alternative), the system handled background removal tools and basic edits without noticeable lag. More demanding applications, such as Final Cut Pro, managed 4K 60fps video editing and real-time visual effects effectively, though the 8-gigabyte memory constraint means performance could decrease with larger, heavily layered project files.
Gaming and emulation present usable frame rates within reason. The native Apple silicon version of No Man’s Sky maintained frame rates in the high 50s at a 1408 by 881 resolution. The PCSX2 emulator ran PlayStation 2 titles at full speed without lag. I
The device scored 3,458 on the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme benchmark which puts it well below the M4 and M5 processors found on the Macbook Air and Mac Mini. Due to its fanless design, a stress test revealed the Neo will be hit with a 13 percent performance reduction over extended periods of heavy load due to thermal and power level throttling. But battery life reached between 10 and 12 hours for basic computing work.
The MacBook Neo demonstrates that a mobile processor can capably drive a full desktop operating system. The Neo provides a highly functional point of entry into the macOS ecosystem. There’s no doubt that this will drive competing PC manufacturers to up their game at the lower end of the market!