Meet the MacBook Neo, Apple’s stylish answer to the Chromebook, starting at $599

Apple on Wednesday unveiled an affordable, entry-level laptop it called MacBook Neomarking the first time the company is targeting the same audience as Google did with its Chromebook.

Starting at $599, the MacBook Neo is aimed at students or users whose work doesn’t involve extensive workflows such as video editing or 3D rendering. The 13-inch MacBook Neo comes in four colors: silver, blush, citrus, and indigo. The base model comes with 256GB of storage, and the $699 model upgrade gives you 512GB of storage, including Touch ID.

Apple seems to be able to offer the Neo at this price point because the laptop runs on the A18 Pro chip, which powers the iPhone 16 Pro models, instead of the more powerful, expensive one. M5 section which the latest MacBook Air uses.

With the help of the A18 Pro, MacBook Neo can fly through everyday tasks, from browsing the web and downloading content, to editing photos, checking art preferences, or using AI capabilities in all applications,” Apple wrote. “In fact, it’s up to 50 percent faster in everyday tasks like web browsing, and up to 3x faster when working on AI tools like using advanced graphics, compared to the best-selling PC with Intel Core The latest Ultra 5.”

The laptop comes with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera and dual microphones, plus speakers that light up on both sides of the laptop to support Spatial Audio. Apple says the laptop’s battery can last up to 16 hours on a single charge, which is supplied via one of two USB-C ports. The Neo also has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The MacBook Neo uses a 5-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, which can support similar levels of gaming and AI functions on devices like the latest iPhone. It’s fanless, like the MacBook Air, and can work quietly.

Since the lack of RAM makes Apple’s top models like the MacBook Pro up to $400 more expensive than its predecessor, the MacBook Neo has the potential to appeal to users who don’t need a lot of tech…