There\u2019s been talk of a new low-cost MacBook for a while, and those rumours were fanned earlier today when Apple apparently leaked the name of this new device.<\/p>\n
We now know those rumours were true. Say hi to the new MacBook Neo<\/b>.<\/p>\n
This is big news for Mac users because it\u2019s an entirely new type of MacBook. Obviously, we have to start with the price. Starting at S$849<\/b>, this is the most affordable MacBook by some margin. For context, the MacBook Air starts at S$1,599 \u2013 nearly double the price.<\/p>\n The MacBook Neo comes in four bright finishes.<\/p>\n Photo: Apple<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n For that money, you get an iPhone-class chip. Inside the MacBook Neo is the A18 Pro chip<\/b>. However, it\u2019s not quite the same as the one found in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. Here, you have 6 CPU cores and 5 GPU cores \u2013 one GPU core less than the A18 Pro chips found in the iPhones. Crucially, Apple claims it is up to 50% in \u201ceveryday tasks\u201d than the best-selling PC that\u2019s shipping with the Intel Core Ultra 5.<\/p>\n As for storage, you can order a MacBook Neo with either 256GB or 512GB of storage<\/b>. Curiously, if you spec your MacBook Neo with 512GB of storage, the keyboard will also feature Touch ID. <\/p>\n Despite the price, the body is aluminium, and it comes in four finishes: Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo. It\u2019s 12.7mm thick and weighs 1.23kg<\/b>. I thought it would weigh less.<\/p>\n It has two USB-C ports. One supports USB 3 (10Gbps), while the other is only USB 2 (480Mbps).<\/p>\n Photo: Apple<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The display is 13 inches, and it\u2019s a Liquid Retina display<\/b> with a resolution of 2408 x 1506 pixels. It supports a billion colours and has a maximum brightness of 500 nits. There\u2019s no notch for the camera. And the camera is just a regular 1080p FaceTime HD camera without support for Center Stage.<\/p>\n It will have two USB-C ports<\/b>. One supports USB 3 and has a maximum data transfer rate of 10Gbps, while the other supports USB 2 and is limited to 480Mbps. There\u2019s also a 3.5mm headphone jack, but there\u2019s no mention that it\u2019ll support high-impedance headphones.<\/p>\n It has a 36.5Wh battery, and Apple says it\u2019ll last up to 16 hours<\/b> while streaming videos and 11 hours if you are surfing the web. <\/p>\n All in all, the MacBook Neo looks like it could be an enticing option for users. The price is certainly attractive, and it will be interesting to see just how well an iPhone chip will handle macOS and its apps. Stay tuned for our review.<\/p>\n The MacBook Neo in the Blush finish.<\/p>\n Photo: Apple<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Pre-orders start on March 6 at 9am SGT, and it will be available in stores on March 11. There will be two variants available. The most affordable version that comes with 256GB of storage is S$849<\/b>, while the pricier version with 512GB of storage and Touch ID is S$999<\/b>.<\/p>\n You can find it at the Apple Online Store, and Apple\u2019s official storefronts on Lazada and Shopee.<\/p>\n Apart from the MacBook Neo, Apple also announced a new MacBook Air, new MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, new Studio Displays, a new iPad Air, and also the iPhone 17e. You can read more about them below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nAvailability and pricing<\/h2>\n