Apple’s MacBook Neo brings a sub-$900 price tag to the Mac lineup

It's a real shame that Apple is only launching its new budget laptop, the MacBook Neo, in March. If it had come just six weeks earlier, this thing would have sold like hotcakes in the lead up to the school year.

The Neo starts at $899 in Australia RRP. That's significantly cheaper than you can pick up an old M1 MacBook Air, and that makes it exceptionally attractive for parents looking to buy their kids a laptop for school given Apple's Education pricing drops down to just $749.

A new look for the entry-level Mac

Apple has moved away from the tapered wedge of old, giving the MacBook Neo a modern, rounded aluminium chassis that weighs just 1.2kg.

It is also the most vibrant Mac we have seen in years, launching in four distinct colours: blush, indigo, silver, and a bright "citrus".

The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is a surprising inclusion for this price bracket, offering 500 nits of brightness. This means the screen is punchy enough to remain legible even in bright classrooms or near windows.

Pro power in a fanless design

Under the hood, the Neo uses the A18 Pro chip, the same silicon architecture found in the iPhone 16 Pro family of devices.

Apple claims this makes the Neo up to 50 per cent faster for web browsing and up to three times faster for AI-heavy tasks than competing Windows laptops with Intel Core Ultra 5 processors.

Because the chip is so efficient, the laptop is entirely fanless. This ensures it remains silent even when you are pushing it through photo edits or heavy multitasking.

"We’re incredibly excited to introduce MacBook Neo, which delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price," said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. "Built from the ground up to be more affordable for even more people, MacBook Neo is a laptop only Apple could create."

Built for the daily grind

Battery life is rated for up to 16 hours, which should comfortably get most students through a full day of classes and a homework session without needing to hunt for a power point.

The entry model comes with 256GB of storage on board, though there's als a 512 GB version that adds Touch ID as well. It will set you back $1,099.

For video calls, Apple has included a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a significant step up from the grainy 720p sensors often found in older budget models.

The laptop also features the Magic Keyboard and a large Multi-Touch trackpad.

Connectivity and Software

The Neo includes two USB-C ports and a dedicated headphone jack. It is important to note that only one of these ports supports external display output, so those planning on a dual-monitor desktop setup may need to look at the MacBook Air or Pro ranges.

The device runs macOS Tahoe and includes Apple Intelligence features out of the box. These tools help with writing, summarising notes, and photo editing, all while keeping data processed on-device for better privacy.

Pricing and availability

The MacBook Neo is available for pre-order in Australia now, with shipping from Wednesday 11 March 2026.

There are two models available. Here's what you're looking at:

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