New budget MacBook Neo announced, starting at $599 in 4 fun colors

The budget MacBook is here. Today, Apple announced the all-new MacBook Neo during "special Apple experiences" in New York, London, and Shanghai. The 13-inch laptop comes in four fun colors and starts at just $599 (or $499 for students), making it $500 cheaper than the MacBook Air. It tees up fierce competition for Chromebooks and entry-level Windows laptops — a new frontier for Apple.

Preorders for the MacBook Neo opened Wednesday, March 4 ahead of its formal launch on March 11. The new iPhone 17e, M4 iPad Air, M5 MacBook Airs, upgraded MacBook Pros, and Studio Displays, which Apple unveiled earlier this week, are also now up for preorder. The company is reportedly anticipating high demand for this wave of new devices.

The MacBook Neo marks Apple's first dedicated entry in the low-cost laptop space. It replaces the M1 MacBook Air that Apple started selling through Walmart for $699 in March 2024, then eventually discounted to $649. That model has been out of stock in new condition since early 2026, fueling reports of the MacBook Neo's arrival.

Speaking of: The MacBook Neo's announcement comes after months of spec leaks and rumors, which were pretty much spot-on. Here's everything we know about it so far.

MacBook Neo specs

The MacBook Neo has an aluminum design and runs on an A18 Pro chip, the same processor powering the iPhone 16 Pro. (It's the first MacBook with an iPhone chip.) In a press release, Apple said it "can fly through everyday tasks, from browsing the web and streaming content, to editing photos, exploring creative hobbies, or using AI capabilities across apps." The company claimed it's 50 percent faster in everyday tasks and up to three times faster running local AI workloads compared to bestselling Windows laptops with the latest Intel Core Ultra 5 chip.

Here's a closer look at the MacBook Neo's spec sheet. It's only available in two configurations: one with 256GB of storage, and another with 512GB of storage and Touch ID.

• Processor: A18 Pro chip with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU

• Memory: 8GB RAM

• Storage: 256GB to 512GB SSD

• Display: 13-inch 2,408 x 1,506 Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness, 60Hz refresh rate, and an anti-reflective coating

• Battery life: Up to 16 hours

• Webcam: 1080p camera

• Ports: Two USB-C ports and a headphone jack

• Connectivity: Wi6E and Bluetooth 6

• Audio: Dual side speakers with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio support

• Keyboard: Magic Keyboard with optional Touch ID

• Colors: Silver, indigo, blush, and citrus

• Weight: 2.7 pounds

Mashable tech editor Timothy Beck Werth is on the ground at Apple's "special experience" in New York, where Apple is showcasing the MacBook Neo for the first time. Stay tuned for his initial hands-on impressions.