I was wrong about the MacBook Neo and Im glad about it Apples new MacBook is the best budget laptop you can buy right now

Date:
Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:05:16 +0000

Description:
I didn't believe Apple's MacBook Neo could be a great laptop, but it turns
out I was wrong.

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When we recorded the latest episode of the TechRadar podcast we were coming
in hot after the major new product announcements from Apple including the iPhone 17e , iPad Air M4 and its new budget MacBook .

Hearing that the affordable Apple laptop boasted an iPhone chip the A18 pro which debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro back in 2024 and only 8GB of unified memory (which we call RAM in the recording though its not the same as typical PC RAM) I just didnt believe it would be that great. Even at its budget pricing I thought it would be a major let down. Then we got to review the MacBook Neo and this thing blew us away. Our Computing Editor Matt Hanson called it the best budget laptop you can buy right now. Article continues below You may like The MacBook Neo isn't just cheap it's cheaper and easier to repair too Apple's MacBook Neo nails the netbook by being nothing like it These are 5 reasons why I'm opting for Apple's affordable MacBook instead of an iPad Clearly I was wrong, but what makes the MacBook Neo so excellent? MacBook Neo review: Apple takes on budget laptops and Chromebooks in style - YouTube Watch On Beautiful inside and out The first success of this machine
is its design.

Theres silver, black, pink, and a lime green which all look beautiful, and
the vibrant colorways are felt throughout the whole machine across its body, keyboard, accents, and even macOS elements.

Couple this with the silent fanless design, the already sleek macOS software, and a gorgeous 13-inch 2408 x 1506-pixel display, and the MacBook Neo oozes premium something most budget machines simply cant achieve. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

While not as essential as performance (at least in my books) the look of something is important. (Image credit: Apple) Case in point, Im currently testing the Rokid AI glasses and while they boast solid AI abilities to rival Metas smart specs they just dont share the Oakley or Ray-Ban pizazz. Even though they are cheaper the Rokid design just feels bland and plasticky, and its a serious let down that makes me much less inclined to use them.

The Neo, on the other hand, smashes the design its a budget gadget youll be proud to get caught using but it does succeed on the performance side of things too. What to read next Apple MacBook Neo review: the best budget
laptop you can buy Steve Jobs derided netbooks, and now Apples made one in
the MacBook Neo I put the MacBook Neo through the same tests as I did the MacBook Air M1 I think the results will surprise you We test MacBook Neo, unpacking Sam Altman's QuitGPT controversy, and how Sonos got its groove back - YouTube Watch On iPhone chip, MacBook performance Without an M-series chip
I didnt believe Apples MacBook Neo could deliver a laptop experience, but as our review discovered, this machine delivers an uncompromised version of macOS.

You arent locked out of any apps or locked into iPhone or iPad software, and this machine can multitask a fair amount too. Obviously we have to temper expectations 3D blender projects or serious 4K video editing arent what the Neo is for, as is to be expected in this price category.

But if you want to do typical productivity tasks, the Neo will be great. In fact, it boasts better Geekbench 6 scores than the MacBook Air M1 , and it beats the MacBook Air M2 in single core performance impressive feats for a phone chip. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) This supports what we
found in testing. Simpler tasks, even a little light gaming should be fine, but things like scientific simulations or hefty video editing will be slow with the Neos less impressive multicore performance and mere 8GB of unified memory (you may find this 8GB harms its future-proofing somewhat too).

And while this might not sound like an out and out victory for the Neo, you have to remember that cheap Chromebooks and Windows 11 machines come with
much stricter limitations and worse performance. Its not the best laptop ever made, sure, but the Neo is best in class if affordability is a priority.

And thus, Apple has wholeheartedly proved me wrong on the MacBook Neo, and
you know what? Im happy about it.

With costs rising, especially in tech, its nice to see some affordability victories especially from a big brand like Apple. The Neo stuck the landing for students and folks in need of a cheap productivity machine. Today's best Apple MacBook Neo deals 599 569.97 View Low Stock 569.97 View 599 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4 2. Best budget: Asus Chromebook CM14 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best gaming: Razer Blade 16 5. Best for pros MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro)



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/macbooks/i-was-wrong-about-the-macbook-neo -and-im-glad-about-it-apples-new-macbook-is-the-best-budget-laptop-you-can-buy -right-now


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