Apple Just Raised the Price of the MacBook Neo - MacRumors
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Apple Just Raised the Price of the MacBook Neo

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Apple today announced that it is raising prices on many products, including the MacBook Neo, which now starts at $699 in the United States.

MacBook Neo on Yellow Feature
The price increases are due to the ongoing memory chip shortage, which has led to skyrocketing prices for the RAM and SSD storage used in products like the MacBook Neo. Companies such as OpenAI and Meta have been purchasing large amounts of memory chips for AI servers, resulting in a supply-demand imbalance that is driving up prices.

"We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," said Apple.

When it was released in March, the MacBook Neo started at $599 in the U.S. with 256GB of storage, so the colorful laptop has received a $100 price increase.

The higher-end configuration with 512GB of storage and a Touch ID button also received a $100 price increase and now starts at $799, up from $699.

The price increases extend to Apple's education store, with the MacBook Neo now starting at $599 for college students in the U.S., up from $499.

Here is a summary of the MacBook Neo pricing changes in the U.S. today:

  • 256GB (Education Store): $499 → $599
  • 256GB: $599 → $699
  • 512GB with Touch ID (Education Store): $599 → $699
  • 512GB with Touch ID: $699 → $799

The increases also apply to other countries around the world, with the exact price changes varying based on local currencies. In Canada, for example, the MacBook Neo now starts at $949 with 256GB of storage, up from $799 when it launched.

Powered by an iPhone-class A18 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM, the MacBook Neo remains Apple's most affordable MacBook available right now. The colorful laptop is positioned below the MacBook Air, which now starts at $1,299 in the U.S., up from $1,099.

Related Roundup: MacBook Neo
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Neo

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Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
sniffies
12 weeks ago
Well, it was nice while it lasted.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
krspkbl
12 weeks ago
$700 for 8GB is insane.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
DEMinSoCAL
12 weeks ago

$700 for 8GB is insane.
And an old iPhone chip.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
R
racer1441
12 weeks ago
Should have left the Neo alone. Even if that meant shifting the price increases higher on the pro lineup. Let the companies and big spenders pay but keep the Neo going as a cheap entry into the eco system to get people locked in.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
DEMinSoCAL
12 weeks ago

Call me crazy, $699 is still a good(-ish) starting price
A couple days ago, Amazon had the 13" MacBook Air with a real M3 chip and 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD for $799.

I'd take that all day over a Neo with a phone chip and 8GB RAM.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Happy_John Avatar
Happy_John
12 weeks ago

3-5 years ago 8gb was still a (laughable) argument people could at least try to make. For anything beyond very basic use this thing might not age so gracefully. I wonder what future OS limits Apple will force onto it.

12gb RAM should’ve come with the price hike… at least
There an argument here for making 8 gigs of memory age more gracefully, by slimming down processes.

Given the current climate, making systems run better on less power and on less memory, and giving up on "I want lots of memory and lots of cores purely as a flex" can't happen too soon.

The smart move now is to ask yourself "Do I really need those specs, or do I just want them because I've been told to by the industry?" ( influencers, YouTubers and sites like MR are very much a part of the industry).

As prices keep going upwards, maybe it's time to spend more time distinguishing between "want" and "need", and then to buy less stuff that you don't need.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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