This is proving to be a memorable week for us Apple fans as we are getting new launches one after another. The latest one to join the lineup is the MacBook Neo—the budget MacBook that was promised—and the one we had all been waiting for (at least us broke people). And boy, did Apple not disappoint! With a price tag lesser than the iPhone 17, this low-cost MacBook begins at just ₹69,900.
I say this every time Apple launches a reasonably priced product or service—and lately that’s been happening a lot— is this some alternate dimension that we have stepped into? Or have they managed to clone Apple as well like they have done with Jim Carrey?
Conspiracy theories aside, let’s take a better look at the MacBook Neo and find out whether we are getting a good deal or being hoodwinked by the “affordable” disguise.
The Hits
To start, let me just say there are quite a lot of things that Apple got right with this one. The most obvious being the price, of course.
Price: For the longest time, the entry-level MacBook experience began with the MacBook Air, which now starts at ₹1,19,900. The MacBook Neo knocks the ball out of the park with a starting price of just ₹69,900 for the 256GB model and ₹79,900 for the 512GB model. The starting price in the Education Store is even cheaper at ₹59,900!
This price point puts Apple in close competition with the Chromebook and other cheaper but strong-performing Windows laptops, and I think that was very much the intention.
Now, I can predict right off the bat that this is going to sell. A MacBook in this price range is not going to stay on the shelf regardless of its performance.
Design: At just 2.7 pounds or 1.22kgs, the MacBook Neo is lightweight and easy to carry in your backpack. The aluminium design with soft rounded corners make it easy to hold and bring a premium feel as well.
And the best part is the amazing colors that we are getting—blush, indigo, silver, and citrus. Maybe the name “Neo” is a play on the neon-ish color lineup that the device features.
Also, it’s quite funny how Apple is getting more experimental with colors in the affordable devices as seen in the newly launched iPhone 17e as well, which included a pretty pink color.On the other hand, premium device users are generally left with the more stoic colors like shades of black, white, grey, and blue. They did do the bold orange look for the iPhone 17 Pro but I have other qualms about it—best left unsaid.
The Standards
While there are some standout features, mostly the device is pretty standard and quite balanced in its offerings.
Performance: The MacBook Neo runs on the A18 Pro chip, the same processor used in the iPhone 16 Pro, instead of the usual M-series chips found in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. It features a 6-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, paired with a 5-core GPU. The device comes with 8GB of RAM, and storage options go up to 512GB.
These specifications are great for regular everyday uses like browsing the internet, watching shows and movies, creating documents, streaming content, and editing photos, among other things. Moreover, Apple Intelligence is also expected to be functioning pretty smoothly on the device. Whether it will do what you asked it to do though, that’s another question altogether.
Battery: The Neo has a 36.5 Wh battery and is rated to deliver up to 16 hours of video streaming on a single charge. Nothing too groundbreaking, but pretty solid in its own right. It will have your back if you need it on the go. There is also a 20W charger included.
Display: The device features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2408 × 1506 resolution and 500 nits of peak brightness. To keep the price lower, however, it does not include the ProMotion high refresh rate available on higher-end models. Even so, the display is both brighter and higher in resolution than most PC laptops in this price range, so it looks like a win there.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E provides fast wireless connectivity, and Bluetooth 6 ensures reliable wireless connections. There’s also a headphone jack for wired audio. The usual, decent stuff here–nothing to look out for.
The Misses
An Apple MacBook at this price range is obviously not being handed to us without some compromises and sacrifices. Of course, there are going to be some deliberate omissions.
No MagSafe: The lack of a MagSafe connector is quite a bit of a let-down, not gonna lie. So users will have to use the USB-C ports for charging. To make matters worse, instead of a pair of fast Thunderbolts 4 ports, we are getting two USB-C ports of the USB 3 and USB 2 variety, which are quite slower in comparison.
Non-Backlit Keyboard: Personally, this is not a deal-breaker, but the backlit ones do look good. So it is not like a functional cut but more aesthetic, to be honest. You’ll be typing just fine, it’s just not going to look as cool as it does in the other MacBooks.
This removal is a bit surprising though, considering you get the backlit keyboard in even the budget Windows laptops these days. Plus, the basic keyboard also lacks Touch ID as it is only included in the 512GB model.
Camera and Speakers: There is a downgrade compared to the Air models. It comes with an HD camera and only two speakers, even as the MacBook Air doubles things up to a 12-megapixel and quad speaker setup.
Who Is It Ideal For?
The MacBook Neo is mainly aimed at students and people who don’t plan to push their laptop with heavy workloads like gaming, designing, or video editing. For everyday, standard tasks, though, it seems great in most respects. From what I’ve seen in online discussions, many people are already considering it as a travel-friendly laptop as well.
The device is currently available for pre-order on Apple’s website and will go on sale starting March 11, 2026. Of course, the verdict on the MacBook Neo’s real-world performance is still out until people actually start using it. Still, I have to say to Apple: keep these surprises coming every launch season.
To be fair, though, it’s not like they’re doing us a favor. This price point dramatically expands their potential consumer base and will almost certainly translate into massive sales. In many ways, it’s simply Apple finally tapping into a huge pool of consumers they had largely ignored until now. Nevertheless, this looks like a pretty solid offering.
If someone had told me two years ago that we’d be getting a budget MacBook, I would’ve laughed it off—but here we are. These are surprising times, indeed. A MacBook at this price almost feels like a glitch in the matrix. Speaking of The Matrix, isn’t Keanu Reeves’ character called “Neo” in the movie? Coincidence? Or is Apple trying to tell us something?!
