{"id":34674,"date":"2026-03-08T18:32:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T10:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=34674"},"modified":"2026-03-08T18:32:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T10:32:39","slug":"apple-takes-on-cheap-windows-laptops-and-chromebooks-with-the-599-macbook-neo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=34674","title":{"rendered":"Apple takes on cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks with the $599 MacBook Neo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Right off the back of the iPhone 17e, new iPads and MacBook Airs, Apple also announced a keenly priced new laptop. The  is a multi-colored low-cost Mac ($599), running on an iPhone chipset with most but not all of the hardware features you find on the MacBook Air and Pro. All models of the MacBook Neo ship with an extremely scant 8GB of RAM, which might be the main productivity bottleneck for demanding tasks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Neo has a 13-inch Retina display, a 1080p webcam, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack and optional Touch ID, if you&#8217;re willing to pay a little more. A lot has been said about whether this is Apple marching to the beat of its own drum again, in a year of RAM shortages and AI obsessions. This is a direct attack on cheap Windows laptops and underperforming Chromebooks. Tempted? Check out our initial impressions from Apple&#8217;s event earlier this week, right here. Oh, and for everything Apple announced \u2013 we&#8217;ve pulled all the news together here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">\u2013 Mat Smith<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><strong>The other big stories this week<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading-mb col-body text-[1.125rem]\/[1.375rem] font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"design-wise-it-seems-a-little-safer-than-the-companys-usual\">Design-wise, it seems a little safer than the company&#8217;s usual.<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"TMA\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/JqquQSK1ogr0XuO73kvXPg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-03\/99d56a81-194e-11f1-bbff-7d208badb7b1\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"\/><span>Engadget<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">There&#8217;s no flagship Nothing Phone 4 this year, but the company has put a lot of effort into making its A-series almost flagship, including a notable design pivot with the Phone 4a Pro. The transparent back is now aluminum, and the trademark Nothing aesthetic has been boxed into the camera unit. It looks more grown-up, perhaps, but a little less fun? That said, the egregious camera bump on the Nothing 3a Pro last year is no more. Both 4a phones are sleek slabs of smartphones. The company has also substantially upgraded the devices, with better cameras, more batteryand improved screens. Only the 4a Pro will be coming to the US later this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><strong>Continue reading.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading-mb col-body text-[1.125rem]\/[1.375rem] font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"the-stealth-upgrade\">The stealth upgrade.<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"TMA\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"384\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/9jDzE5peM8fFQyLidopWIA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-03\/99d56a80-194e-11f1-bbbd-7f4469f32e89\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"\/><span>Engadget<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">While MWC 2026 offered us plenty of Chinese smartphones ready to wow us, established player Samsung managed to surprise us with its S26 Ultra the week before. Sure, it doesn&#8217;t have a ton of major improvements, but it brings subtle upgrades across the board, along with a standout new display for anyone who cares about privacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Privacy Display is the standout new feature \u2013 one we&#8217;ve never seen before on a smartphone. When you turn the Privacy Display on and view the phone from less than head-on, everything fades to black, like those privacy-sticker screen protectors, but at the hardware level.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The S26 ultra can even selectively activate Privacy Display under specific situations, turning on when you get notifications or open certain apps (like for banking or authenticators). The phone can also enable the feature when you need to enter a PIN, pattern, or password, though this is only for system-level prompts, such as your lock screen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><strong>Continue reading.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading-mb col-body text-[1.125rem]\/[1.375rem] font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"the-company-promises-to-keep-filmmakers-at-the-center-of-the-process\">The company promises to keep &#8220;filmmakers at the center of the process.&#8221;<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"TMA\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"336\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/mECpO6oeRBySvGCYzwvA.w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUwNA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-03\/99d4f550-194e-11f1-bfaf-b4af562e7f15\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;expand&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;image-lightbox&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;lightbox-open&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"\/><span>Engadget<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">What could go wrong?<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><strong>Continue reading.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/general\/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121523538.html?src=rss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Right off the back of the iPhone 17e, new iPads and MacBook Airs, Apple also announced a keenly priced new laptop. The is a multi-colored&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[156,5040,15965,603,818,8330,1013,3789],"class_list":["post-34674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-gadgets-reviews","tag-apple","tag-cheap","tag-chromebooks","tag-laptops","tag-macbook","tag-neo","tag-takes","tag-windows","wpcat-32-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}