The MacBook Neo is now Apple's entry-level MacBook, undercutting the MacBook Air by $500. To deliver such a dramatically lower price, the MacBook Neo has a significant number of tradeoffs. Here's everything that's different between the two devices.
Apple's introduction of the MacBook Neo expands the company's laptop lineup with a far more affordable entry point, sitting well below the MacBook Air in both price and capability. While the two machines share a similar size and lightweight design, they are aimed at very different types of users. The MacBook Neo focuses on delivering the essentials of the Mac experience at the lowest possible cost, while the MacBook Air offers significantly more performance, features, and flexibility.
Design
The MacBook Neo and the 13-inch MacBook Air have similar dimensions. The MacBook Air remains thinner, but the MacBook Neo has a slightly smaller overall footprint owing to its smaller display. Both machines weigh 2.7 pounds (1.23 kg).
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 0.50 inch (1.27 cm) | 0.44 inch (1.13 cm) |
| Width | 11.71 inches (29.75 cm) | 11.97 inches (30.41 cm) |
| Depth | 8.12 inches (20.64 cm) | 8.46 inches (21.5 cm) |
There are still some notable design differences. The MacBook Neo does not have a backlit keyboard or a haptic trackpad, and only has Touch ID when configured with 512GB of storage for an extra $100. They are also available in different selections of color options, with the MacBook Neo's color extending to the Magic Keyboard in a lighter shade.
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air |
|---|---|
| Available in Silver, Blush, Indigo, and Citrus | Available in Silver, Sky Blue, Midnight, and Starlight |
| Touch ID on 512GB models only | Touch ID |
| Magic Keyboard or Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID |
| Color-matched Magic Keyboard | Black Magic Keyboard |
| Mechanical Multi-Touch trackpad | Haptic Force Touch trackpad with pressure-sensing capabilities |
| Display "notch" |
Display
The MacBook Air's display is slightly larger and supports True Tone and P3 wide color. Both are Liquid Retina displays with 500 nits of brightness.
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air |
|---|---|
| 13-inch Liquid Retina display | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (15-inch model also available) |
| 2408 by 1506 pixel resolution | 2560 by 1664 pixel resolution |
| sRGB | Wide color (P3) |
| True Tone technology | |
| Thicker display borders | Slimmer display borders |
Performance
The MacBook Neo is Apple's first Mac to contain an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro is still a capable chip, but the M5 is around 20% faster for single-core tasks and 80% faster for multi-core tasks. The M5 chip also has more than double the GPU throughput of the A18 Pro and features Neural Accelerators.
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air |
|---|---|
| Apple A18 Pro chip | Apple M5 chip |
| Made with TSMC's second-generation 3nm process (N3E) | Made with TSMC's third-generation 3nm process (N3P) |
| 6-core CPU | 10-core CPU |
| 5-core GPU | 8-core GPU |
| Neural Accelerators | |
| 8GB unified memory | 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB unified memory |
| 60GB/s memory bandwidth | 153GB/s memory bandwidth |
Battery and Charging
The MacBook Air has up to two hours of extra battery life over the MacBook Neo, along with support for charging via MagSafe 3 and fast charging.
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air |
|---|---|
| Integrated 36.5-watt-hour lithium-ion battery | Integrated 53.8-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery |
| 16-hour battery life | 18-hour battery life |
| MagSafe 3 charging | |
| Fast-charge capable with 70W USB-C Power Adapter or higher | |
| Comes with 20W USB-C Power Adapter | Comes with 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max |
Cameras, Speakers, and Microphones
The MacBook Air has a superior array of camera and audio hardware, resulting in a slightly better experience with video calls, listening to music, and recording audio.
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air |
|---|---|
| 1080p FaceTime HD camera | 12MP Center Stage camera |
| LED webcam indicator light | |
| Desk View support | |
| Dual-speaker sound system | Four-speaker sound system |
| Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking when using supported AirPods | |
| Dual-mic array with directional beamforming | Three-mic array with directional beamforming |
Connectivity
The MacBook Neo's connectivity is more limited than that of the MacBook Air. While both have two USB-C ports, the MacBook Air's are considerably more capable in terms of data transfer and external display support.
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi 6E connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 connectivity |
| One USB 3 (10 Gb/s) port and one USB 2 port (480 Mb/s) | Two Thunderbolt 4 ports (40 Gb/s) |
| Support for one 4K external display at 60Hz | Support for two 6K external displays up 60Hz or 4K at 144Hz |
| 3.5mm headphone jack | 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones |
| Magnetic MagSafe 3 charging port |
Other Differences
The most significant difference between the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air is price: The MacBook Air costs $500 more. It is also much more configurable, with higher amounts of memory and storage available.
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air |
|---|---|
| Ambient light sensor | |
| 256GB or 512GB storage | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB storage |
| Starts at $599 | Starts at $1,099 |
Which to Choose?
Choosing between the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air primarily comes down to how demanding your needs are and how much you want to spend. The MacBook Neo is clearly positioned as Apple's most accessible notebook, delivering the core Mac experience at the lowest possible price. For users who primarily need a reliable computer for basic everyday tasks, the Neo provides enough performance. Its lower cost also makes it an appealing option for households purchasing multiple computers, such as for kids or family use.
For first-time Mac owners, the MacBook Neo is also likely to be the most sensible starting point. It offers the same software experience as Apple's more expensive laptops, allowing new users to explore the platform without a large financial commitment. In many cases, buyers moving from inexpensive Windows laptops or Chromebooks will find the Neo significantly faster and better built than devices in the same price range.
The MacBook Air, by contrast, is aimed at users who expect higher performance, greater longevity, and a more feature-rich, premium experience. Its more powerful M5 chip, memory options, larger display, and significantly more capable connectivity make it far better suited to multitasking, professional workloads, and creative applications. Users who regularly work with large files, run demanding software, connect multiple external displays, or want a machine that will remain comfortable to use for many years will benefit from choosing the Air.
In practical terms, the MacBook Neo is best viewed as a budget entry point into the Mac lineup, while the MacBook Air remains Apple's mainstream ultraportable for most people. Buyers who simply want a dependable Mac for everyday computing can save money with the Neo, but those who want stronger performance, better hardware features, and a laptop that will scale to more demanding tasks over time should consider spending the extra money on the MacBook Air.
