---
title: 'MacBook Neo Impressions: Reincarnated!'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=kBX5WH9b4M4'
video_id: 'kBX5WH9b4M4'
date: 2026-07-19
duration_sec: 527
channel: 'Marques Brownlee'
---

# MacBook Neo Impressions: Reincarnated!

> Source: [MacBook Neo Impressions: Reincarnated!](https://youtube.com/watch?v=kBX5WH9b4M4)

## Summary

Apple has announced the MacBook Neo, a new entry-level 13-inch laptop starting at $599, powered by the A18 Pro chip. It targets students and budget-conscious users, offering a premium build at a lower price point.

### Key Points

- **MacBook Neo Announcement** [00:04] — Apple introduces the MacBook Neo, the cheapest entry to the MacBook lineup, starting at $599.
- **Specifications** [00:17] — 13-inch laptop with A18 Pro chip (5-core GPU), 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, aluminum body, two USB-C ports, headphone jack, side-firing speakers, 1080p webcam, no notch.
- **Colors and Design** [00:47] — Available in indigo, blush, citrus, and silver with tinted keyboards matching the color.
- **Pricing and Positioning** [01:15] — At $599, it's the cheapest Mac laptop, same price as Mac Mini, targeting users who do basic tasks like web browsing and email.
- **Performance Expectations** [01:43] — A18 Pro chip is sufficient for everyday tasks but not for intensive work like video editing. Comparable to a Chromebook but from Apple.
- **Battery Life** [02:50] — Quoted at 16 hours, similar to MacBook Air's 18 hours, due to efficient chip and larger battery.
- **Build Quality** [03:16] — All-metal body, nice hinge, feels premium despite lower price. Base model lacks Touch ID; 512GB version adds it for $100 more.
- **Trackpad and Display** [03:56] — Physical clicking trackpad (not haptic), 13-inch 1440p 60Hz display at 500 nits, weight 2.7 lbs.
- **Target Audience: Students** [04:36] — Ideal for students, especially with education discount bringing price to $499. Competes with Chromebooks in education market.
- **Comparison to 12-inch MacBook** [05:46] — Similar to the 2015 12-inch MacBook but now feasible with efficient Apple Silicon instead of Intel.
- **Other Announcements** [07:09] — New Studio Display, iPhone 17E with MagSafe, M5 MacBook Pro, M4 iPad Air. Sponsor: Ridge.

### Conclusion

The MacBook Neo is a well-built, affordable laptop for basic tasks, especially appealing to students. It fills a gap in Apple's lineup with a starting price of $599.

## Transcript

new release stuff and it's all headlined by what I saw today, which is the newest cheapest entry to the MacBook lineup, the MacBook Neo. First of all, word from Apple before. I thought when it was leaked it was maybe just a code
name. I would have bet it's just called the MacBook, but no, it's actually MacBook Neo. And the basics are this. It is a 13-in laptop powered by the A18 Pro chip, 8 gigs of RAM, 256 gigs of starting and it is a super thin and
decently light all aluminum laptop. Two USB type-C ports on the left-hand side, jack on the left as well and then there's some side-firing stereo speakers. And it comes in four colors, indigo, blush, citrus, and silver. They
all have this sort of a whitish keyboard that is kind of tinted to match the the lighting is terrible in here, but it was kind of hard to tell when looking at they're side by side with each other see that the keyboards are tinted. And
there's a 1080p webcam up at the top hidden in that bezel, no notch. And most hidden in that bezel, no notch. And most importantly, the starting price, $599. And this is really interesting. They actually hit the price. This is now, you
know, the cheapest entry-level Mac laptop. It's the same price as a Mac Mini, which has actually been one of the best deals in tech for a little bit now to be pretty good value. Now, the X-factor is how will the A18 Pro chip
perform inside a computer? Now, in case you don't remember, the A18 Pro is the same chip that was in the iPhone 16 Pros last year. But actually, this is a bend version. This is a five-core GPU version instead of six-core.
But I think in general, there's a lot of tasks that regular people do on regular computers that clearly don't require a ton of power. Web browsing, emailing, shopping, spreadsheet type of stuff, right? And before I've done any testing,
few minutes, it seems like it would be totally fine for that. I would not expect to edit videos or do anything really intensive on this thing. That'd be kind of crazy. But I also wouldn't be surprised if it could handle some light
just, you know, generally be a solid computer. Think of it like a Chromebook, but the Apple one. It's like a the Safari book, basically. This is like it's a super basic computer. If you're
I wonder if this has enough RAM for what I'm trying to do." This isn't the computer you should be looking at. If you're thinking, "I wonder why they're, you know, USB type-C ports and not Thunderbolt."
It's probably not for you. You're You're watching an MKBHD video on the day that it was uploaded cuz you're subscribed to a tech channel on YouTube. you. Now, I'm thinking the battery life could be interesting. Obviously, it's
the same chip as an iPhone, but with a chassis and the battery size of a laptop, so it seems like a good combo. And I think they're quoting 16 hours right now, which doesn't mean much to me except that they also quote MacBook Air
at 18 hours, so it should be in the same ballpark. So, why do they do this? Why Well, I think the obvious answer is just to have something much more attainable available. Up until now, the cheapest laptop available was the MacBook Air and
that just got a price bump up with the M5. That's an $1,100 laptop. So, this is the cheaper one, but in my limited hands-on time, it doesn't feel cheap, advantages here is it's going to probably be the best-built laptop at
this price with this all-metal body, this nice hinge weight. Everything still feels very much like the other more premium MacBooks. There's also a couple smaller things I noticed, too, like the base version with 256 gigs doesn't have
Touch ID. It's just a lock button on the keyboard. So, you spend another 100 bucks and you get the 512 gigs of storage and Touch ID. The trackpad also is actually not a haptic trackpad like the rest of the MacBooks. It's a real
moving, clicking, old-school trackpad, I guess, but it also feels totally fine. not amazing. It's 13 in corner to corner, pretty normal-looking bezels.
The rooms we're in are not very bright, but this maxes out at 500 nits and it's a little higher than 1440p resolution at 60 hertz. And I also actually found little bit lighter since it's on the small side, but it's still all metal and
spec for spec, it looks like it's the same weight as the slightly bigger MacBook Air, 2.7 lb. You know who this will really kill for? Students. Education. Like and not just college students. I think high school
and even younger. Especially where Chromebooks have been killing it for years. Chromebooks have been cheaper and have been just dominating in education pie. Now, this isn't Chromebook cheap, but it
is a lot closer than the $1,100 MacBook Air is. And with a student discount, if you look on their site, this is also now a $499 laptop. So, it's a little more classic Apple thing. Like, "Oh, we offer something in the same category. Would
you rather get the thin and light laptop from Acer or the one from Apple?" the iPhone you have. And you know, up until now, a lot of students I've seen were trying to undercut a MacBook Air with either going cheaper, refurbished,
or with an iPad. Thing about the iPad is it's actually not that much cheaper now. If you go with the cheapest base iPad, that's $329, but then the keyboard accessory that they make for it costs 250 more
dollars. So, before you even get a pencil, you're already at just about 600 bucks. And that's only 128 gigs and an A16. So now, this looks like a much better value to actually get a Mac. Now, I have to bring this up. Do you remember
This, you know, some of you are younger, you might actually not remember this from about 10 years ago, but Apple tried to make, before Apple Silicon, a 12-in MacBook. And that was supposed to be an even thinner and lighter and
smaller laptop than the MacBook Air. And it was, but it also wasn't a very good laptop at all. It was running a 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel processor that throttled if you looked at it for too long. And it cost
looked at it for too long. And it cost $1,300 still. But it was a smaller, thinner machine, ultra-portable, a 12-in display, 8 gigs of RAM, 256 gigs of storage. And it was their first laptop with only USB type-C ports. Sound
familiar? This was basically their first attempt at making a netbook. So, that has obviously since been retired, but my theory is that once they spun up Apple Silicon and their chips got much more efficient
and much better integrated, they finally had the ability to make that machine but they were going to do that well with Intel chips. And so now, here we are in Intel chips. And so now, here we are in 2026 and this is basically that old
12-in MacBook reincarnated. Now, I also happen to think that the old Intel-powered trash can Mac Pro had the same problem and that the new Mac Studio machine to be, which is why they're going to kill the Mac Pro.
But that's a story for another video. Now, there's a couple other from Apple. There's a new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR to replace the Pro Display. There's also an iPhone 17E with MagSafe and double the starting
storage and a new pink color. And a spec-bumped M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro with slightly less text on the keyboard and a spec-bumped M4 iPad Air. that stuff you're most interested in seeing a review of. And make sure you
get subscribed to be among the first to see those reviews when they do come out. this video. Ridge was started 13 years ago by Paul and Daniel Cain with one pretty simple goal, gear built better. And that mission lines up pretty
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