The Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026) is a budget macOS laptop that serves as an entry point into Apple's MacBook lineup. It uses an iPhone-derived Apple A18 Pro SoC with a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 8GB of memory. It's equipped with a 60Hz QHD+ IPS display, a 1080p webcam, two USB-C ports, and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. You can configure it with either 256GB or 512GB of storage, with the 512GB model coming equipped with a Touch ID fingerprint reader. It's available in four colors: Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo.
Our Verdict
The Apple MacBook Neo isn't ideal for gaming. Its A18 Pro SoC can only handle very light titles or games optimized for Apple silicon, and even then, you'll have to play with fairly low graphical settings to get smooth gameplay. Also, many games lack macOS support or don't run natively on ARM-based processors, so compatibility is limited. Unfortunately, you can only get this laptop with a 60Hz refresh rate, and its response time is slow, causing noticeable ghosting in fast-moving scenes.
Fanless design still manages to keep thermals in check.
60Hz display with slow response time.
Only available with 8GB of non-upgradeable RAM.
Limited port selection.
A18 Pro SoC can't handle demanding tasks or heavy multitasking.
Few games compatible or optimized for Apple silicon.
The Apple MacBook Neo is very good for school and work. It has exceptional build quality, a compact design, and a battery that lasts through a typical work or school day, making it well-suited if you travel a lot. Its A18 Pro SoC can handle most productivity tasks, like word processing, spreadsheets, and Keynote presentations. You can even do some photo and very light video editing. The user experience is excellent; you get a sharp, bright display, a tactile keyboard, a large touchpad, and an excellent 1080p webcam. It's not all on the upside, however. It has a very limited port selection with only two USB-C ports, and its keyboard lacks backlighting. It's also only available with 8GB of RAM, which is limiting if you're a heavy multitasker.
Compact design with exceptional build quality.
Impressive battery life.
Sharp and bright display.
Tactile keyboard, responsive touchpad.
Excellent 1080p webcam.
Fanless design.
Adequate performance for light usage.
Only available with 8GB of non-upgradeable RAM.
Limited port selection.
Keyboard lacks a backlight.
The Apple MacBook Neo is very good for media consumption. It has a compact design that makes it easy to carry, and its battery life is amazing at nearly 12 hours of video playback. The speakers get reasonably loud and produce a well-balanced sound with a decent amount of bass. The display is sharp, bright, and color-accurate; however, it isn't ideal for dark room viewing, as its low contrast makes blacks look gray in dim settings. There's no touch input support, which might be disappointing if you're looking for a convertible that offers a more tablet-like experience when viewing content.
Compact design with exceptional build quality.
Impressive battery life.
Sharp and bright display.
Highly accurate sRGB display.
Display lacks full DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB coverage.
Blacks look gray in dark environments.
The Apple MacBook Neo isn't designed for workstation use. Its A18 Pro SoC is from an iPhone and isn't powerful enough to handle demanding tasks. It's only available with 8GB of RAM, limiting multitasking performance and memory-intensive applications.
Sharp and bright display.
Fanless design.
Highly accurate sRGB display.
Only available with 8GB of non-upgradeable RAM.
Limited port selection.
A18 Pro SoC can't handle demanding tasks or heavy multitasking.
Display lacks full DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB coverage.
Blacks look gray in dark environments.
The Apple MacBook Neo has excellent battery life. It lasts through a full day of light productivity work, or you could watch a couple of movies without needing to charge.
Impressive battery life.
The MacBook Neo has fantastic build quality. It has an incredibly sturdy all-aluminum chassis that exhibits little to no flex when you push down on the keyboard or lid when the laptop is closed. The hinge is also stable, and you can lift the lid with a single finger. The screen has a tiny bit of give if you try to twist it, but it's still very solid overall. The finish is also resistant to fingerprints and scratches.
Compact design with exceptional build quality.
The Apple MacBook Neo has graphics performance that's perfectly suitable for general productivity tasks and even very light gaming on well-optimized titles, but it's inadequate for anything more graphically demanding.
A18 Pro SoC can't handle demanding tasks or heavy multitasking.
The Apple MacBook Neo delivers processing performance suitable for web browsing, video playback, and routine productivity work like text editing and spreadsheet work. It handles basic photo and video editing, but performance declines when complex edits or higher-resolution files are involved. It's fanless, so it can experience thermal throttling during prolonged, complex tasks.
A18 Pro SoC can't handle demanding tasks or heavy multitasking.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Oct 08, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.0! This update adds several new verdict scores to the review, so it's easier to make a buying decision. Read the changelog for a full list of changes.
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Updated Aug 28, 2026:
We've added a link to the newly reviewed MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) in the CPU section of the review.
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Updated Aug 11, 2026:
We've added a link to the Dell XPS 13 (2026) in the Portability section.
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Updated Jul 30, 2026:
We've added a link to the newly reviewed Lenovo IdeaPad 5a 2-in-1 14 (2026) in the Hinge section of this review.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the Apple MacBook Neo with the 6-core CPU/5-core GPU A18 Pro SoC, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage with Touch ID. Only the storage is configurable, and you have to get the 512GB model to get Touch ID.
SCREEN
- 13.0" IPS 2408 x 1506 60Hz
SoC
- A18 Pro SoC with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU
MEMORY
- 8GB LP-DDR5 6400MHz
STORAGE
- 256GB
- 512GB
AUTHENTICATION
- Lock button
- Touch ID (512GB model only)
COLOR
- Silver
- Blush
- Citrus
- Indigo
See our unit's label.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
When Apple announced the MacBook Neo, it almost immediately became one of the best budget laptops on the market, even prompting the co-CEO of ASUS to say the laptop was a "shock to the PC industry." The MacBook Neo uses the iPhone 16 Pro-derived Apple A18 Pro SoC and offers performance that's more than adequate for general computing, like browsing the web, streaming videos, and word processing. It even has enough juice for very light photo or video editing. What really sets it apart from other budget laptops is the overall user experience. It has an extremely sturdy all-aluminum body that feels far more premium than the plasticky competition, and the same goes for the high-quality display, satisfying keyboard, responsive trackpad, great battery life, and decent speakers, all of which contribute to an experience that most budget Windows laptops and Chromebooks can't match.
There are tradeoffs, however. Compared to the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025), it's only available with 8GB of RAM, has a less colorful display, shorter battery life, and offers much less performance overall, so the Air will serve you better if you'll be doing more intensive tasks like high-resolution video and photo editing or programming with any regularity.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best lightweight laptops, the best laptops for college, and the best 13- and 14-inch laptops.
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) is a premium ultraportable, while the Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026) is a budget laptop intended for basic productivity. The MacBook Air is much faster and supports more memory, making it better for demanding multitasking, programming, and content creation. It also has a better display, a larger haptic touchpad, a backlit keyboard, and a longer battery life. The MacBook Neo is worth considering if your needs are basic and price is your main concern.
The Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026) and Dell XPS 13 (2026) are ultraportable laptops designed for everyday productivity, browsing, and media consumption. The Apple has slightly better build quality and feels more premium. While it's only available with 8GB of RAM, that amount of memory is generally less limiting in macOS than in Windows, where it can constrain even moderately heavy multitasking. The Dell is considerably lighter, and its battery lasts somewhat longer during light productivity and web browsing. It's also available with a maximum of 16GB of RAM, which can make it slightly more powerful and better suited for multitasking, though this configuration costs more.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) and the Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026) are laptops designed for different use cases. The MacBook Pro is a high-end workstation laptop with far more processing power that's designed for intensive tasks like high-resolution video editing and programming, while the MacBook Neo is a budget laptop designed for general productivity tasks. The MacBook Pro has a much better display, battery life, speakers, more ports, and is available with up to 32GB of RAM, while the MacBook Neo is only available with 8GB of RAM.
The Framework Laptop 12 (2025) and Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026) are budget ultraportables with different design philosophies. The Framework is a modular Windows 2-in-1 designed for repairability, upgradeability, and configurability, with a DIY option, swappable ports, a touchscreen, and stylus support. The MacBook is a more conventional macOS laptop with soldered components, but it delivers a more polished experience overall, with a better display, build, speakers, trackpad, keyboard, and CPU/GPU performance. The Framework's main advantages are its repairability, port flexibility, and higher RAM ceiling of up to 48GB.
Test Results
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