Our editor-in-chief Chance Miller has been testing the MacBook Neo for just under a week, and his review described it as “a truly great Mac at an unbelievable price.” Other reviewers clearly share his view. While there are of course compromises, everyone agrees that this machine leaves all of the Windows competition in the dust …
Engadget says that the Neo puts every $600 Windows PC to shame.
I really don’t know how Apple did it. The MacBook Neo is a $600 laptop that doesn’t feel like an afterthought, which is a curse that has befallen so many cheap Windows notebooks. Sure, it has a slower A-series processor and it’s limited to 8GB of RAM.
But the MacBook Neo still feels as deeply considered as Apple’s most premium hardware. Its screen, trackpad and overall usability is so far ahead of the competition, every Windows PC maker, including Microsoft, should be ashamed.
Stuff echoed that contrast, adding that this is the Mac most people need.
The look and feel is probably the biggest triumph – it has the same aluminium finish that you’d expect from a MacBook Air and many would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a silver Neo and the silver Air. There’s certainly no PC out there that is as good-looking […]
The positives outway the negatives significantly. Just as the entry-level iPad is the iPad most people need, so this is the Mac most people need. Most of us just want to answer emails, write scripts, work out a budget. And if that’s you, you’re just about to bag a bargain.
CNN said it was the most exciting piece of tech tested in years.
The MacBook Neo is the most exciting piece of tech I’ve tested in years, with the potential to be the best MacBook for everyone who doesn’t already own one […] A dozen tabs in Chrome or Safari stayed responsive as I jumped around Drafts, Slack, Todoist, Photos and Messages while Music blasted Charli XCX’s “365” in the background […]
The most amazing thing about the MacBook Neo is how great it is for audio and video, something I never expected to say about a $599 laptop […] For everyone who is looking for a great 13-inch laptop that doesn’t make you think as hard about your budget or financing options, the MacBook Neo is the one for you.
The Verge finds it hard to believe it’s powered by an iPhone chip.
The Neo’s hardware simultaneously embarrasses an entire class of affordable (and even far pricier) Windows laptops, as well as just about any Chromebook. And the thing runs on an iPhone chip […]
I’ve tested much more expensive Windows laptops that make major compromises on their screen, speaker, keyboard, trackpad or webcam quality — or more than one, so the fact that the Neo has no major flaws is a big deal […] The Neo is the new default recommendation for students and laptop newcomers who want something easy to use with minimal fuss.
CNET says it’s the perfect first laptop for students, though does recommend upgrading to the model with Touch ID if budget permits.
It’s by far the most affordable MacBook, yet it still offers the same premium design and durability as Apple’s pricier MacBooks. It’s also lightweight and compact, making it easy to take to school, and comes in three fun colors (plus standard silver). The Neo costs the same as the cheapest iPhone and lets parents set their kids up with a phone and laptop combo that works well together, costing only $100 more than the cheapest MacBook Air. And unless your kid is a budding filmmaker or building their first LLM, he or she don’t need the power of an Air or MacBook Pro.
As cute and colorful as it is, the $599 MacBook Neo is more than just a laptop for kids. It’s also equipped to get college students through four years of school, and it makes a great laptop for anyone who wants an extra laptop for kicking back on the couch at night to browse the web, watch a show or movie, perform some light edits on the photos you took earlier in the day on your iPhone and text using all 10 fingers on a keyboard than just two thumbs on your iPhone.
Macworld agrees it’s the perfect first Mac, but also an excellent second Mac for many existing users.
The MacBook Neo is a terrific Mac for a first timer. It’s a great way for a newcomer to realize what the Mac is all about. Dedicated Mac users stay for the macOS experience because we find the UI and its operability much more satisfying than other platforms. And until now, we were willing to pay a little more for it. Now, it’s a lot easier for people to find out what the Mac is all about. To all you newcomers, welcome to Macintosh […]
I can see many Mac users getting a MacBook Neo as a secondary at their disposal. For example, it can be the laptop you take with you on vacation instead of your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, laptops that are more expensive to replace.
Finally, ArsTechnica posted the most skeptical review I’ve seen, suggesting that a refurbed M1 MacBook Air could be a better buy, but does conclude that it will work for many.
All of that said, I really like the MacBook Neo for its target audience. It could be a good first Mac for people who have only owned an iPhone and/or iPad; it could be a first laptop for any kid or cash-strapped college student, especially with the $100 educational discount; and it could be a reasonably good upgrade for all the beat-up, rickety, out-of-support 2010-to-2019-vintage non-Retina Intel MacBook Airs that I still see with some regularity in coffee shops and on trains.
The hardware is cut down, right up to the edge of what we’d consider acceptable in some cases. But Apple has landed on the right side of the line most of the time, cutting features without messing up anything essential.
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