00:00The idea of a $599 MacBook almost sounds fake.
00:03For years, Apple laptops have basically started at $1,000,
00:06unless you caught an old MacBook Air on sale.
00:09So when Apple announced the MacBook Neo starting at $599, $499 for students,
00:14my first thought was simple.
00:15What corners did Apple cut?
00:17And more importantly, is this actually a better value than a MacBook Air?
00:20And one thing about this laptop genuinely shocked me.
00:23Let's break it down together in my MacBook Neo review, buyer-skipped style.
00:30The MacBook Neo design feels shockingly close to the MacBook Air.
00:34You get an all-aluminum body, a thin 0.5-inch profile, and a weight of just 2.7 pounds.
00:39This is a huge deal because most Windows laptops in this price range are plastic.
00:44The Neo does not include Touch ID on the base model.
00:46You have to upgrade to the $699 configuration to get it.
00:50Meanwhile, on the MacBook Air, Touch ID is standard.
00:53The Neo keyboard isn't backlit,
00:55which is something even very old MacBook Air models have had for years.
00:58I don't think this is a huge deal, though, given the price.
01:02Put this next to a MacBook Air, and honestly,
01:04most people wouldn't know which one costs $600 and which one costs over a grand.
01:08In fact, even with the trade-offs I've already mentioned,
01:10a lot of eyes are going to be drawn to the Neo no matter what because of colors.
01:15The MacBook Air sticks to more traditional color options,
01:17while the Neo comes in silver, indigo, blush, and citrus like I have here.
01:22Look, if you're a high schooler or college student browsing the Apple Store,
01:25the colors alone might make the decision for you.
01:28In which case, thanks for watching.
01:29Catch you next time.
01:31If you're still here, that's great,
01:33because we can look a little closer at the MacBook Neo display.
01:36It's a 13-inch liquid retina panel with up to 500 nits of brightness,
01:40which is basically in the same ballpark as the MacBook Air M5
01:43when we tested both with a colorimeter.
01:46Now, the Air still has advantages like a wider P3 color gamut
01:49and better GPU support for creative pros.
01:51But for normal things like watching YouTube, browsing the web, schoolwork,
01:55with Neo, you're getting a display that feels very MacBook Air-like for half the price.
02:02But here's where the MacBook Neo starts to reveal why it costs $599.
02:05When it comes to performance, the Neo runs on Apple's A18 Pro chip,
02:09which is actually the same processor architecture used in the iPhone 16 Pro models.
02:14I used the Neo as my everyday laptop, and it worked just fine
02:18as I jumped between multiple tabs in Chrome, juggled several Slack conversations,
02:22and edited photos in Pixelmator Pro, all while streaming Spotify in the background.
02:26But the MacBook Air uses Apple's M-series silicon, which is built for heavier workloads.
02:31The MacBook Air also starts with double the RAM, 16 gigs versus just 8 on the Neo.
02:36And importantly, you can't upgrade the memory on the Neo.
02:39That means the Air is significantly better for things like AI processing,
02:43large creative projects, heavy multitasking, and video editing.
02:46I ran our video transcoding test, and the Neo took double the time as the Air.
02:51Then when it came to AAA gaming, well, if you already thought MacBooks couldn't handle demanding titles,
02:56I'd say it's pretty much off the table for the Neo.
02:59But you can play Apple Arcade titles like Oceanhorn 3 and get smooth frame rates, as you see here.
03:05Here's a simple way to think about it.
03:07The MacBook Neo is an everyday laptop.
03:09Again, things like email, streaming, browsing, basic schoolwork.
03:13You know, what a large majority of people need from a laptop.
03:16This handles it like a dream.
03:19But if your needs require anything more than that, that's when I'd push you towards an Air instead.
03:24If you're interested in more in-depth performance benchmarks, there's a link in the description.
03:31Now, let's talk about ports.
03:32The MacBook Neo has a USB-C 3 port, a USB-C 2 port, and a headphone jack.
03:37And that's basically it.
03:39Meanwhile, the MacBook Air gives you Thunderbolt ports, MagSafe charging, and faster speeds for accessories.
03:45So, if you use things like docks, multiple monitors, and the fastest external drives,
03:50the Neo probably won't cut it for you.
03:53But for most people, the Neo's port selection will be fine.
03:56For example, you can just use a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter to connect a monitor.
04:01And if you do need more ports, you can pick up a USB-C hub.
04:04And I'll link one that we recommend below.
04:07I mentioned charging, so let's chat about battery life.
04:10Because it's actually closer than you might expect.
04:12And this is, hands down, the thing that shocked me most, in a good way.
04:16Apple rates the Neo for up to 16 hours of video streaming,
04:19thanks to the efficiency of the A18 Pro chip.
04:22Our more demanding web surfing test landed at about 13 hours and 30 minutes,
04:26which is not only close enough to Apple's estimate, but still an excellent result.
04:31It's probably one of my biggest reasons to buy a MacBook Neo.
04:34But the MacBook Air M5 did last two hours longer in our test.
04:38And that's actually for both the 13 and 15-inch models.
04:41We're thinking of doing a battery life comparison for all of the latest MacBook laptops
04:46as part of our Tom's Guide battery test series on the channel.
04:48So let me know if that's something that you would want to see.
04:55For now, we've made it to the end of this video, so let's get to the real decision.
04:58If you want the best value laptop right now,
05:01I'm talking about great battery life, nice screen, fun design,
05:05the MacBook Neo is a must-buy.
05:07Not going to lie, this is one of my favorite laptops I've reviewed, possibly ever,
05:11especially in terms of sheer value.
05:13But if you need more performance, better multitasking,
05:15or a laptop that will age more gracefully,
05:17then the MacBook Air is worth the extra money,
05:19whether that's the latest-gen M5 or if you're willing to go the refurbished route.
05:23There's no way to know for sure if Apple is going to update Neo annually like it does other laptops,
05:28but with all the positive buzz around it already,
05:30it's hard to imagine a sequel isn't already in the works,
05:33possibly addressing the backlit keyboard.
05:36Overall, though, the Neo redefines the budget laptop
05:38and puts Windows PC makers on notice, and even the Air to a certain degree.
05:42If you want to stay up to date on Apple launches,
05:44now is a great time to subscribe to the channel.
05:47Give this video a like if you learned something new,
05:49and let me know which laptop wins for you.
05:51For Tom's Guide, this is Mark Spoonow.
05:53This is Mark Spoonow, and this is Mark Spoonow.
05:59This is Mark Spoonow, and this is Mark Spoonow.
06:06This is Mark Spoonow.
06:07This is Mark Spoonow.
06:08This is Mark Spoonow.
06:08This is Mark Spoonow.
06:10This is Mark Spoonow.
06:10This is Mark Spoonow.
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