Laptops · Review
Apple MacBook Neo (8GB/256GB)
The best-built laptop near $700, provided your work fits comfortably in 8GB of memory.
85
out of 100
Our verdict
The MacBook Neo is Apple's entry laptop, built around the iPhone's A18 Pro chip in an aluminum chassis. Reviewers found everyday performance smooth and silent, and Notebookcheck measured a bright screen averaging over 500 nits with no PWM flicker. Tom's Guide recorded about 13.5 hours in its web-browsing battery test. The cost-cutting shows in 8GB of memory that fills quickly under heavy multitasking, a keyboard without backlighting, and one of the two USB-C ports limited to USB 2 speeds. It launched at $599, but Apple raised the list price to $699 in June 2026.
What's good
- Premium aluminum build at a budget price
- Bright, sharp display with no PWM flicker
- Silent fanless design with solid everyday speed
- Around 13.5 hours in Tom's Guide's battery test
What's not
- No keyboard backlight
- 8GB of memory limits heavy multitasking
- One of two USB-C ports is USB 2 speed
- List price rose from $599 to $699
How it scores
How we rate →Specifications
- Processor
- Apple A18 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU
- Memory
- 8GB unified memory
- Storage
- 256GB SSD
- Display
- 13.0-inch Liquid Retina, 2408 x 1506, 500 nits
- Battery (Apple rating)
- Up to 16 hours video, 11 hours web
- Ports
- 1x USB-C (10Gb/s, DisplayPort), 1x USB-C (USB 2), 3.5mm headphone jack
- Weight
- 2.7 lb (1.23 kg)
- Cooling
- Fanless