A big surprise! Apple has introduced the new MacBook Neo, a 13‑inch laptop powered by the A18 Pro chip, marking it the tech giant’s most affordable MacBook to date. Its starting price is only S$849!
The MacBook Neo features a redesigned aluminium enclosure with soft, rounded edges and weighs a mere 1.2kg, positioning it as a lightweight and portable option for students and everyday users. It will be available in four colours — blush, indigo, silver, and citrus — making it the most colourful MacBook lineup Apple has released to date. The colour themes extend to the Magic Keyboard and wallpapers for a cohesive design.
At the front of the device is a 13‑inch Liquid Retina display with a 2408-by-1506 resolution, up to 500 nits of brightness, and support for one billion colours. An anti-reflective coating is included to enhance viewing comfort in different lighting conditions. Apple says the display offers higher brightness and resolution than most Windows laptops in the same price category.
Given its price tag, don’t expect the M5 chip. Powering the MacBook Neo is Apple’s mobile A18 Pro chip, which includes a 6‑core CPU, 5‑core GPU, and a 16‑core Neural Engine. Apple claims the laptop delivers up to 50 percent faster performance in everyday tasks such as web browsing compared to bestselling PCs with Intel Core Ultra 5 processors. The laptop also offers up to three times faster performance in on-device AI workloads and up to twice the speed in tasks like photo editing. The system operates without a fan, allowing for silent performance.
Battery life is rated at up to 16 hours on a single charge, which Apple says is enough for all-day use in classrooms, offices, and on the go.
The MacBook Neo comes equipped with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera with dual microphones with directional beamforming to reduce background noise, and dual side-firing speakers that support Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. It also features Apple’s Magic Keyboard, a large Multi‑Touch trackpad, and optional Touch ID for secure login and Apple Pay authentication.
Connectivity options include two USB‑C ports — with the left port supporting USB 3 and external display connectivity, and the right supporting USB 2 — along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The laptop also supports Wi‑Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6. And it comes only with 8GB of RAM, or unified memory.
Pre-orders open on March 6, 2026, through Apple’s online store and Apple Store app, with general availability beginning March 11, 2026, at Apple Store locations and authorised resellers across Singapore. The 256GB MacBook Neo costs S$849, while the 512GB MacBook Neo is priced at S$999. Still less than S$1,000!