Apple MacBook Neo review: Can a Mac get by with an iPhone’s processor inside?
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MacBook Neo made me realise that I would really want iPhoneAir with some holo display that can dual boot with OS X or just run OS X all the time for the time where I want to travel light it still have a proper terminal
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As someone who just reupped everyone in my family I could convince to 16GB Lunar Lake HPs in either 14 or 16 inch sizes for $600/each with reasonable laptop build quality, you need to realize with this that the Windows MSRPs might not compete with this but the Windows deals easily beat this.
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Mildly disappointed that the comparison wasn't done against the WalMart Special base model M1 MBA with 8GB. I feel like the Neo is aimed squarely at that audience.
Re: tradeoffs. I would have liked to have seen MagSafe and a backlit keyboard, the absence of which eliminate this machine from my personal consideration, but maybe they can add them back in future revisions when there's a little more margin to spare.
Re: RAM. The Ars commenting community massively overestimates the actual day to day RAM needs for the vast majority of the computer using population. Is more better? Sure, of course. Is 8GB enough? Yeah, it is.
Re: $600 Windows laptops comparisons.
When I'm using a laptop, I'm carrying it places (so weight matters), opening and closing it and using it across my legs (so fit & finish and build quality matter), I'm interacting with the OS using the keyboard and trackpad (so fit & finish and build quality matter again) and looking at the screen (so screen quality matters). I'm also using it in various places, so battery life matters. Only after all of these are satisfied do I start to care about performance, assuming it crosses a baseline threshold (which this machine absolutely does, as it is comparable to the M1 8GB that I have two copies of, one in a MBA and one in a Mac Mini that serves as my 24/7 uptime ~server). I will 100 times out of 100 trade a performance ceiling for the physical artifact that I will carry and hold and touch and look at to be nicer and more pleasant to use.
Re: tradeoffs. I would have liked to have seen MagSafe and a backlit keyboard, the absence of which eliminate this machine from my personal consideration, but maybe they can add them back in future revisions when there's a little more margin to spare.
Re: RAM. The Ars commenting community massively overestimates the actual day to day RAM needs for the vast majority of the computer using population. Is more better? Sure, of course. Is 8GB enough? Yeah, it is.
Re: $600 Windows laptops comparisons.
When I'm using a laptop, I'm carrying it places (so weight matters), opening and closing it and using it across my legs (so fit & finish and build quality matter), I'm interacting with the OS using the keyboard and trackpad (so fit & finish and build quality matter again) and looking at the screen (so screen quality matters). I'm also using it in various places, so battery life matters. Only after all of these are satisfied do I start to care about performance, assuming it crosses a baseline threshold (which this machine absolutely does, as it is comparable to the M1 8GB that I have two copies of, one in a MBA and one in a Mac Mini that serves as my 24/7 uptime ~server). I will 100 times out of 100 trade a performance ceiling for the physical artifact that I will carry and hold and touch and look at to be nicer and more pleasant to use.
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Well, see, I want to run Linux. . . and from what I've seen, Linux on Snapdragon X isn't very well supported - there have been reports of some Snapdragon X systems mostly working, but others, not so much. Hit and miss.
But, that said, I'll have to research this later and see what I can find regarding Linux support for this particular model. I'm also concerned though as I seem to recall seeing an article, somewhere, possibly Phoronix, about some updates to the Linux kernel that actually made it run worse on Snapdragon systems (which may be resolved by now).
I just don't have a lot of confidence that Linux on Snapdragon X will be a good experience today and in the future.
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The Neo 2 with 16 GB RAM and two USB-3 ports will be an excellent laptop in 1.5 years, and this seems like a good step in that direction. I imagine it will sell well and the Neo 2 will eat much of the mid-low tier computer market.
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People saying Windows is has to be rooted either in them having not used it since Windows XP or because they bought extremely cheap computers.
I've used Windows and Macs at home for decades now, and since Windows 7 and SSDs I think Windows has been about as performant, stable, and useable as Mac. At this point, it largely boils down to what you are used to and what software you need to run.
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I don't think you'll see Apple getting into that space ever.
Folks are still stuck with crappy Jamf right?
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Yep. It comes down to what compromises are made to hit that price point. It looks like for a lot of people the Neo will give them the functionality they need for their use cases. For browsing, media consumption, and basic productivity applications, this is more than enough without the compromises with the screen quality, build, and materials that typify most laptops in that price range.
My phone has been an iPhone SE for the last 2 generations. The reviews often griped about the small screen, the home button, and the single-lens camera design carried over from the iPhone 8. But, I don't really care about the camera upgrades since I use a DSLR and different lenses for more focused photography, while the SE's camera is good enough for snapshots. And I prefer the smaller body, and I prefer Touch ID.
So, it has what I need, and nothing I don't. In that case, Apple cut the corners that aligned with my use case, such that the compromises were actually positives for me.
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It's becoming difficult to see how this is a better replacement for the Walmart M1 Air, other than being more widely available and in colors. It has the same price but worse performance, worse battery life, less resolution screen, worse ports, worse trackpad, etc.
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This seems like it will hit a sweet spot for general use. For its audience, I don't think the 8GB RAM is going to hinder it that much. I have a Dell laptop from 2019 with 8GB RAM that somehow wasn't Windows 11 compatible so I threw Fedora on it. It works great when I need to be portable and doing lighter tasks. For heavy video editing or something I have workstation at home to do it.
The 8GB RAM has never really been an issue for the "out and about" use I have, and I have no doubt Apple won't be able to keep these on the shelf. If I was in the market for a general use laptop this would be a very serious contender, and I haven't used a Mac since the G4 longer ago than I want to think about.
The 8GB RAM has never really been an issue for the "out and about" use I have, and I have no doubt Apple won't be able to keep these on the shelf. If I was in the market for a general use laptop this would be a very serious contender, and I haven't used a Mac since the G4 longer ago than I want to think about.
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That’s what I thought. What the reviewer called “normal use” is…. Not normal for people who buy these cheap laptops.
As soon as he mentioned editing RAW photos or using Audacity, he moved outside the target market.
I suspect the use cases listed are beyond what most MacBook Air users do, let alone the target market for the Neo.
I was personally hoping to see more performance from the A18 pro, I assumed it wouldn’t be throttled like it is in a phone. But when I think of my Mom (on an M2 Air 8GB) who actually has standard use cases for the Neo target market, I doubt she would notice a difference (performance wise… she uses a lot of I/O so would notice the port downgrade).
ETA: I have a Mac Studio 32GB for any heavy work, so I think what I do on my M1 Air 8GB is more in-line with a standard Neo targeted user. I’ve never felt limited on the Air, despite having dozens of tabs open between Chrome and Safari.
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Weird review. All the comparison devices are:
And I think it's a litle sad in 2026 that Ars has not developed a cross-platform battery life script for macOS and Windows laptops: battery life is a key feature of laptops and Ars really has nothing but anecdotes?
- Not available new, or
- Cost 2x-4x as much, or
- are macOS devices.
And I think it's a litle sad in 2026 that Ars has not developed a cross-platform battery life script for macOS and Windows laptops: battery life is a key feature of laptops and Ars really has nothing but anecdotes?
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Oh yeah, sorry can't say on running Linux on this one (or any Snapdragon). I thought Linux had okay ARM support for some reason. This is a little bit more expensive at $750, but seems solid for what you are looking for.
https://www.bestbuy.com/product/hp-...ry1-tb-ssd-glacier-silver-aluminum/JJGH2LFK84
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Generally agreed, but I would counter with: Longer support period.
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Linux has excellent ARM support. Apple silicon uses the ARM instruction set for the CPU, but ARM support doesn’t mean Linux will automatically support the custom GPU, custom NPU, all of the hardware such as the trackpad, Wifi, etc etc.
Standard Linux on ARM is much more of a server and embedded market thing (and raspberry pi of course).
ETA: Ditto for snapdragon x machines. same issue, the ARM instruction set is not the roadblock.
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Resistance
Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
If the base model had touch id and a backlit keyboard I would probably buy one. I've never owned an apple device for more than just occasional use and have been tempted over the last few years.
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I figured he was just trying to give us a glimpse of how the machine would function under heavy load in some real world testing ... so that it wasn't just all benchmarks or something.
I could see young people trying to use a Neo to remix their garage band recordings or dabble in other edge cases.
Though yeah. If you're a photographer toting around several k in camera gear, Neo isn't the device for you.
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IIUC, Linux does have decent ARM CPU support, the problem is drivers - things like GPU, Sound, Network, Cameras, Power Management, USB, Wifi, Bluetooth, etc.
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The stronger throttling is probably related to the A18 Pro using DRAM stacked directly on top of the actual SoC die so the DRAM is both hindering heat transfer and the DRAM itself is sensitive to heat as well so the processor needs to keep its heat under control to maintain safe and reliable operation of the DRAM on top.
So the processor also won't generate so much heat that it is significantly noticeable from the outside of the machine.
Heat can only be dissipated through the PCB and through the stacked DRAM, so cooling is much more difficult in that configuration.
The M-SoCs all have their RAM mounted to the sides of the SoC chip, so heat can be pulled from the SoC directly, and also from the DRAM chips separately, so there is a lot more heat and power margin in these bigger machines.
This is one point where the smartphone SoC package shows its limitations, even if it's still a remarkably capable system given what it is.
So the processor also won't generate so much heat that it is significantly noticeable from the outside of the machine.
Heat can only be dissipated through the PCB and through the stacked DRAM, so cooling is much more difficult in that configuration.
The M-SoCs all have their RAM mounted to the sides of the SoC chip, so heat can be pulled from the SoC directly, and also from the DRAM chips separately, so there is a lot more heat and power margin in these bigger machines.
This is one point where the smartphone SoC package shows its limitations, even if it's still a remarkably capable system given what it is.
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The version with 512GB of storage and Touch ID is $699.
As I type this, it's possible to pick up an HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 2-in-1 for less than $600 with fantastic metal build quality, sub-3lb weight, Ultra 7 256V with excellent Arc 140V integrated graphics and fantastic Lunar Lake battery life, 16GB LPDDR5x-8533, gorgeous 14" 3K OLED touchscreen, nice keyboard, great haptic touchpad, 1TB SSD, Wifi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
I seriously doubt you'd have any issues with the quality of that laptop. I just picked one up for $549 for a relative, and can confirm that it's an excellent machine (and I am predisposed to hating HP products because of their shitty take on printers).
It is certainly possible to get the things you claim you want in a similarly priced Windows laptop.
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Yeah, I've been looking at the Omnibooks, in particular the Aero. They are about what I want, and apparently they used to be cheaper, but their price went up about $200 the last few months. Although it's hard to say, because I don't know that the model that I saw a price for in a video from December, is exactly the same as the model I was comparing too.
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The same issues that Cunningham noted with reviewing $500 notebooks would also apply with refurbs -- namely the inconsistent availability (by the time any guide gets posted, the models included in the guide might already be unavailable) and proliferating configuration combos (when the models are new, they are often have config options that are no longer available by the time they hit the refurb stock).
I will often just search the older reviews if I see a refurb or clearance deal. Those deals typically don't last long.
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My first Mac was the SE (the only classic Mac with built-in dual floppies). List price at that time was $3,100 after Apple bumped up the price by over $100 during a RAM shortage (keep in mind this was for a 1 MB model). Student pricing fortunately kept my price at $1,750.
Later on, I paid $600 for a third-party external 20 MB hard drive (same price as Apple's 20 MB hard drive, except they charged an extra $200 if you wanted the faster SCSI interface, which the third-party model provided).
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ChrisMarshallNY
Ars Praetorian
I still use a 13-year-old MacBook Air 11" for running Zoom meetings.
Works great.
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If Apple still sold the Walmart special $599 M1 Air, I'd probably suggest that to family and friends, but for the target audience and especially with educational pricing, the Neo is a good value.
While more memory would have been great, the one big positive of an 8 GB Neo might be that we'll see macOS updates for the oldest Apple Silicon models for a few more years.
While more memory would have been great, the one big positive of an 8 GB Neo might be that we'll see macOS updates for the oldest Apple Silicon models for a few more years.
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As with any larger RAM complement you can tell when your usage exceeds the resources.
So if you're using relatively few programs at the same time, avoid having large numbers of browser tabs or large numbers of document windows open and if you don't need heavy-duty programs you may never notice the limits of 8GB RAM.
And that is indeed the target audience for this machine.
When you're using it more intensely (which you still can) you will at some point notice it slowing down a little, then after further increases of your demands it can slow down a lot more. That's when the bigger Macs can make more sense if you can and want to afford them.
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And my point is, regardless of whether there are consistently good (for some functions of that word) ones on sale for $600, it's not actually competing with those $800 machines, because those don't come with the things these buyers actually tend to want.
Most buyers like you, you mean. Because what I am attempting to tell you is that the buyers this is aimed at are shopping for completely different things than you are, according to criteria you don't value. They are not shopping for "the best specs available for $600." They are shopping for integration with a service ecosystem, familiarity, simplicity, and "it just works," and now they can get that for $600 instead of $1100.
I guess I agree that the comparison is not relevant, but not because you can buy higher-MSRP machines for the same price - because the comparison isn't really happening in the first place. It's the same reason nobody compares a 10-year-old Audi with a timing belt that hasn't been replaced and a brand-new Toyota or Lexus.
If one never touches an application or workflow that uses more than that, why would it not? The hardware will last. The OS will get updates for 5-7 years. It looks sharp and doesn't creak. And sorry man, but Word, Safari, Photos, Music, and Pages do not use 8GB of RAM, maybe even simultaneously.
That's my point. So why did you spend the previous couple sentences arguing it?
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I'm surprised that more posts haven't mentioned the educational pricing, which is $100 off. That puts the base price right at $500 and $600 for the Touch ID model with 512 GB storage. That also moves the Neo squarely into the range for higher end Chromebooks. It wouldn't be that much more for a full-featured Mac that can do a lot more than a Chromebook.
So many posts focus on specs, but the Neo seems to outclass most models at this price point in the consumer-facing facets -- the screen, the case build, and the keyboard. With most lower end PCs, they compromise big time on screen. Lower res and/or narrow viewing angles, etc. And in general they feel cheap. And that's before we get into the platform integration for those who use iPhones or iPads. Being able to do something simple like send and receive iMessages on a Neo and have them show up on their iPhone might seem rudimentary. But, it adds value.
So many posts focus on specs, but the Neo seems to outclass most models at this price point in the consumer-facing facets -- the screen, the case build, and the keyboard. With most lower end PCs, they compromise big time on screen. Lower res and/or narrow viewing angles, etc. And in general they feel cheap. And that's before we get into the platform integration for those who use iPhones or iPads. Being able to do something simple like send and receive iMessages on a Neo and have them show up on their iPhone might seem rudimentary. But, it adds value.
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That was a misunderstanding due to a now long-fixed bug in the reporting API as far as I remember. Apple Silicon Macs actually do not stress their Flash storage any more than Intel Macs do, due to them swapping a lot less they can actually stress their Flash less than the older Macs!
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In my industry experience, yes. Jamf does not come anywhere near the ease and convenience of how Chromebooks are provisioned.
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The Neo replaces that. Otherwise totally agree with your post.
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Best Neo review I've seen, bravo Andrew! I appreciate the real world examples of what it can, and can't do. For a future update, I would be interested in seeing Puget Bench numbers comparing the Neo to other Macs + PC for creative work too.
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I have been contemplating buying another new M1 MacBook Air - but I have been put off by the lack of signals on macOS support longevity for Apple Silicon Macs.
I have ordered the base model in Citrus as my new personal runabout to leave at work. I do not do anything personal on my work machine (too many people here have had personal stuff swept up in eDiscovery) so I always keep a personal MacBook or Surface at the office. (yes, this is allowed - we even have a dedicated Wi-Fi network for "feral" devices.)
I have ordered the base model in Citrus as my new personal runabout to leave at work. I do not do anything personal on my work machine (too many people here have had personal stuff swept up in eDiscovery) so I always keep a personal MacBook or Surface at the office. (yes, this is allowed - we even have a dedicated Wi-Fi network for "feral" devices.)
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Using a Vet Discount I just priced a 512 model with 3 years of AC+. At about $750.
I like AC, when I moved from Win to OS I took advantage of the included 24/7 Tech Support. Under appreciated is this includes software support. This is viable service as a product.
For a first Mac, this seems like a solid choice (my $750 Dollar config). I was skeptical on the price, but then I looked up what I paid for a 13” M1 MBP 16/512 on launch. It was about $2,000.
I like AC, when I moved from Win to OS I took advantage of the included 24/7 Tech Support. Under appreciated is this includes software support. This is viable service as a product.
For a first Mac, this seems like a solid choice (my $750 Dollar config). I was skeptical on the price, but then I looked up what I paid for a 13” M1 MBP 16/512 on launch. It was about $2,000.
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With Apple's budget models for any product, you always have to look at something like the Neo as a supply chain and production play. With the iPhone SE, for example, they just updated the SoC and cellular modem, and kept the rest of the design intact. They were able to keep the phone current while maintaining high margins at a $400-450 price point (helps that the production lines were already amortized and the cost of the older spec parts were lower).
In all likelihood, Apple has already stopped M1 production, while the A18 is still in volume production and uses a previous generation 3nm node. The A18 delivers comparable performance and already deployed across multiple product lines. Any decline in demand for the iPhone 16 is now partially mitigated by the uptake for the Mac Neo.
For the Neo, Apple designed a new body that includes color options but is likely cheaper to produce than before. This will likely carry over into future product cycles, with Apple only updating the SoC. Any costs incurred with the new design will be made up by keeping the basic design and then iterating the innards.
Because of the limited distribution of that Walmart M1 Air, Apple might not have hit the margins they normally get. Might have just been a way of working through their remaining inventory of M1 SoCs, while keeping an amortized production line going longer. With the Neo, they are more consciously designing a $600 Mac that can hit their target margins and that they can widely advertise as something new rather than something that dates back to 2020.
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I don’t understand the European price setting. Over here the base model is €699 when a new M5 Macbook Air starts at €1190 or a refurbished M4 Macbook Air (16GB) for €829.
That extra €130 adds a lot more value, so I would have a hard time to recommend the Neo to even a casual user.
(Edit: replaced “price point” with “price setting”)
That extra €130 adds a lot more value, so I would have a hard time to recommend the Neo to even a casual user.
(Edit: replaced “price point” with “price setting”)
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I think the value of being able to walk into an Apple store and have them help with any software and hardware problem is huge for many of the target consumers.
Many folks need help with computers, so they lean on family if there is someone computer literate or they pay someone to come by the house every few months to help them. Even with the traditional Apple pricing I've seen elderly folks be so relieved that they can get help when they want, without "bothering the kids." The help was really valuable to them, but it was hard to justify a $1000+ computer when on a limited income.
For someone like this the Neo looks great. They are not comparing specs in Best Buy. They are comparing the Neo to a Windows computer at Best Buy where they can't get any help if something goes wrong or they get confused (e.g. WiFi got turned off, the cat chewed on the power cable). With the Neo it is not just pretty with nice touch surfaces and does everything they need, it is at an accessible price and they can get free help whenever they need it.
It almost isn't a fair comparison for these folks, a Neo is a much better deal because of the free help. The fact that it comes in their favorite color is just chef's kiss.
Many folks need help with computers, so they lean on family if there is someone computer literate or they pay someone to come by the house every few months to help them. Even with the traditional Apple pricing I've seen elderly folks be so relieved that they can get help when they want, without "bothering the kids." The help was really valuable to them, but it was hard to justify a $1000+ computer when on a limited income.
For someone like this the Neo looks great. They are not comparing specs in Best Buy. They are comparing the Neo to a Windows computer at Best Buy where they can't get any help if something goes wrong or they get confused (e.g. WiFi got turned off, the cat chewed on the power cable). With the Neo it is not just pretty with nice touch surfaces and does everything they need, it is at an accessible price and they can get free help whenever they need it.
It almost isn't a fair comparison for these folks, a Neo is a much better deal because of the free help. The fact that it comes in their favorite color is just chef's kiss.
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Expanding on the added value of the Apple service bar:
If you had someone in your life who isn't a 'computer person', has light computing needs, a limited budget, and doesn't have access to help via family or friends but can get to an Apple store, can you honestly recommend anything other than a Neo? How much cheaper would a chromebook or budget Windows computer need to be to be a better value than a Neo that includes free support from Apple?
If you had someone in your life who isn't a 'computer person', has light computing needs, a limited budget, and doesn't have access to help via family or friends but can get to an Apple store, can you honestly recommend anything other than a Neo? How much cheaper would a chromebook or budget Windows computer need to be to be a better value than a Neo that includes free support from Apple?
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