MacBook Neo: The disadvantages in detail

Apples MacBook Neo launches on Wednesday, the first new Mac series since the Mac Studio in 2022. It is the cheapest notebook Apple has ever released: starting at 699 Euros, with only one other version for 799 Euros, which doubles the flash storage from 256 GByte to 512 GByte and adds a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Educational customers can get the Neo starting from 599 Euros. With this pricing, which is unusual for Apple, the question arises what compromises one has to live with. We summarize the potential disadvantages of the Neo.

Case, Ports, Keyboard, Trackpad

First, it is noticeable that Apple does not put the Neo in a plastic case. Instead, the company uses recycled aluminum, similar to the MacBook Air, which is quite close to the Neo in terms of form factor. This should ensure durability. Apple has perfected its unibody design over the last decade, where the case is manufactured from a single block of aluminum, which increases stability. Whether this is also the case with the Neo remains unclear so far. The Neo is minimally thicker than the MacBook Air M5 (1.27 cm instead of 1.13 cm), which remains the thinnest MacBook. In terms of length and width, the Air is again minimally smaller and thus the smallest MacBook Apple currently sells.

A relatively thick black bezel is visible on the display, housing the FaceTime camera. The latter only comes with 2.1 megapixels and not 12 megapixels. A Center Stage function like on many other Apple devices is missing. The camera apparently has no light when activated – Apple handles this via software. Only two microphones are installed, but they support voice isolation and Wide Spectrum Audio.

There are exactly three ports: A headphone jack (presumably not suitable for high-impedance models), a USB-C port for charging and USB 2.0 (right), and a USB-C port with USB 3 (maximum 10 Gbit/s) on the left. macOS warns users if they plug in high-speed peripherals to the USB 2.0 port; only the left port is also suitable for a 4K display (maximum 60 Hertz). Apple is installing the speakers on the sides for the first time (bottom left and right) – how good the sound is remains to be seen. They are said to support 3D audio.

There is no information yet on the quality of the whitish keyboard, which is unlit and color-matched to the case color (silver, pink, citrus, or indigo) – Apple calls it “Magic Keyboard” in a promotional video. A Touch ID fingerprint sensor is only available on the 799 Euro model, as mentioned. The Neo's trackpad is not designed with solid-state technology with a vibration motor (as in all other MacBooks), but is mechanically clickable – however, this is said to work in all areas, including the top. Mechanical trackpads are already available in the Magic Keyboard for iPads. The Force Click function is therefore omitted, and the trackpad cannot measure the contact pressure.

Screen, Processor, RAM, Battery and Charging

The screen displays 2408 by 1506 pixels, slightly less than the MacBook Air (2560 by 1665 pixels at 13.6 inches). Color reproduction reaches sRGB (Air: P3). Apple omits True Tone, i.e., color temperature adjustment to ambient brightness. The A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro is used as the chip. It has six CPU cores (MacBook Air M5: ten) and five GPU cores (Air: eight). Memory bandwidth is 60 GB/s, while the MacBook Air M5 achieves 153 GB/s here. The RAM size is only 8 GByte, although Apple now equips all its Macs with at least 16 GByte. What this means in practice remains to be seen. Apple Intelligence is supported despite the lower RAM.

The battery life of the Neo is said to be two hours shorter than the MacBook Air M5 during video streaming (16 instead of 18 hours). However, the battery is also a good bit smaller at 36.5 Wh (MacBook Air M5: 53.8 Wh). Apple likely does not use all the space available in the case for the battery. Possibly, the battery technology used is also simpler. Fast charging is not provided. As mentioned, there are only USB-C ports, so you cannot charge using a magnetic MagSafe cable (which offers fall protection). As with the MacBook Pro M5, Apple does not include a charger in the EU. The Neo's integrated WLAN chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, not the current Wi-Fi 7. Apple's own N1 wireless chip is missing.

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