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There\u2019s a good chance the MacBook Neo could become the most important laptop of 2026. I\u2019ll list some reasons why.<\/p>\n
This is the first all-new MacBook in years. That has to be celebrated. And then there\u2019s the fact that it\u2019s being powered by the A18 Pro, an iPhone chip. Almost the same chip you\u2019d find in last year\u2019s iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max (more on that later).<\/p>\n
Finally, and most of all, it is priced more affordably than any MacBook. There\u2019s just two variants, and with prices starting at S$849<\/b>, it\u2019s almost half the price of the MacBook Air (which now starts at S$1,599). The pricier version, which comes with double the storage (512GB), is just S$999<\/b>.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s obvious that Apple wants to go after a new market with the MacBook Neo. And after using it for a couple of days, I think not only will they succeed, but they might also have a huge hit on their hands.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nArticle jumplist<\/p>\n
<\/default:svg><\/button><\/p>\n\n1. Aluminium and colours<\/li>\n 2. The details matter<\/li>\n 3. Trade-offs<\/li>\n 4. Performance & battery life<\/li>\n 5. Final thoughts & buying advice<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\nAluminium and colours<\/h2>\n\nThe MacBook Neo has an all-aluminium body and feel as solid as Apple\u2019s pricier laptops. <\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The first thing most people will notice about the MacBook Neo is that it comes in pretty funky colours. The star colours must be Citrus and Blush. To my eyes, Citrus is an interesting mix of yellow and green \u2013 I can\u2019t decide if it\u2019s more yellow or more green. Blush, on the other hand, is a soft shade of pink. Those who feel Citrus and Blush are too zany can opt for the more sober colours of Silver or Indigo, which is a dark shade of blue.<\/p>\n
What is impressive about the Neo is its build quality. Despite the price, the chassis is aluminium, and it feels solid. And if there\u2019s any difference in the quality of the aluminium used in the Neo and the more expensive MacBooks, it is imperceptible<\/b>. The ultimate praise I can lavish upon the Neo is that it doesn\u2019t in any way feel or look like a laptop that costs less than a thousand dollars.<\/p>\n\nThe speakers are excellent and are located just beneath the palm rest.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
My sole complaint would be that it\u2019s thicker and heavier than I expected. Given that it\u2019s running an iPhone inside, I would have thought the Neo would be thinner and lighter. But it\u2019s actually a tad thicker and the same weight as a 13-inch MacBook Air. And it\u2019s not as if the battery is larger than the Air\u2019s \u2013 it\u2019s actually nearly a third smaller. Hopefully, someone conducts a teardown soon because I want to see what\u2019s inside. <\/p>\n
The details matter<\/h2>\n\nFor the price, the display is really great. It\u2019s a Retina display, not some low-resolution Full-HD thing.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
There are other things that make the Neo look and feel more expensive than it is. The screen, for example, is a 13-inch Liquid Retina display<\/b> with a resolution of 2408 x 1506 pixels \u2013 no pitiful Full-HD garbage, thankfully. It\u2019s sufficiently sharp and crisp, but since I\u2019m a stickler for details, I noticed that the text on the screen has a slight haziness about them. Still, this doesn\u2019t detract from the fact that it\u2019s a mostly great display that\u2019s more than adequate for a laptop in its price category.<\/p>\n
The speakers are a surprise. It may only have dual speakers, but they sound noticeably better than the 4-speaker system of the MacBook Air. The sound is more full-bodied, and the bass hits harder<\/b>. Given that speakers need volume to sound their best, I guess this is one of the upsides of the Neo\u2019s larger-than-expected dimensions. One downside is that because of their position, the palm rests vibrates noticeably. It\u2019s also apparent that sound isn\u2019t coming from the screen, which can feel a little odd when you watch your first video. Thankfully, you\u2019ll soon get used to it.<\/p>\n\nThe keyboard and trackpad are faultless. <\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The keyboard and trackpad are great too. The keycaps are colour-matched to the chassis, which is a nice touch. However, they do not have backlights, and that could be a problem for some when typing in dark environments. The trackpad is not haptic, but clickable. Crucially, it\u2019s expansive, responsive, and accurate. <\/p>\n
Ultimately, insofar as look and feel are concerned, the Neo nails what it means to be an Apple product. It feels solid and premium, and doesn\u2019t in any way feel inferior to the Air, which is remarkable considering its price. <\/p>\n
Trade-offs<\/h2>\n\nTouch ID is only available if you opt for the model with 512GB of storage.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Obviously, to get the Neo down this price, there has to be some trade-offs. I\u2019ll list some, but luckily, none of them are dealbreakers. To start, the webcam is just 1080p<\/b>. It\u2019s not terrible, but it\u2019s clearly not as good as the 12MP Center Stage cameras found on the pricier MacBooks. <\/p>\n
It also only has two USB-C ports, and neither of them supports Thunderbolt. Not only that, one of them only supports USB 2.0, which means speeds of up to 480Mbps<\/b>. This limits its usefulness. In fact, Apple recommends that this port only be used to connect to peripherals like keyboards and mice. Thankfully, the other USB-C port supports USB 3.0. This means speeds of up to 10Gbps, and it can also be used to connect to an external display. However, it\u2019s also the only port you can use for charging. This probably means some sort of USB-C hub will be required.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s not much in the way of memory and storage options. The Neo only comes with 8GB of memory, and there\u2019s no way to upgrade it. I\u2019ll touch on this below. Storage options are limited to just 256GB and 512GB<\/b>. This should suffice for most people, but if you need more, you\u2019ll need to augment it with some form of external or cloud storage. It\u2019s worth mentioning also that if you opt for the 512GB model, you\u2019ll get Touch ID on your keyboard.<\/p>\n