15th May 2026
Bite Size Blog 4 : Hello Neo
I am a BIG fan of Apple as a brand and Apple devices in general.
And over the years I have owned / used many Apple devices, iPods, iPhones, iPads, iMacs & MacBooks.
All have been great, met my requirements and have been fab to use.
So I was somewhat intrigued to see Apple announce their new ‘low cost’ ‘entry level’ MacBook a couple of months ago.
A LOW COST Mac…….WOW.
HELLO NEO
So, after spending a few weeks researching information about the MacBook Neo, and watching lots of reviews on YouTube, I thought I would get one and see how good it is.
Choosing a MacBook Neo
1. Which Model : there are 2 MacBook Neo models -
Specs
A) 256GB SSD 8GB RAM - £599 (with £100 Educational discount)
B) 512GB SSD 8GB RAM with TouchId - £699 (with £100 Educational discount)
The Neo is not upgradeable, therefore it makes sense to go for the 512GB SSD 8GB RAM version.
That was my choice.
2. Which Colour : the MacBook Neo comes in 4 colours -
Colours
Silver
Blush
Citrus
Indigo
All these colours are stunning.
I am sure there will be more colours in future.
I went for the Silver.
Thoughts about the Macbook Neo after a month
Far more detailed reviews are available for all types of use cases, so I will not be repeating those.
After a month of using the MacBook Neo, these are my thoughts.
Unboxing / Look & Feel
The usual Apple Packaging.
Looks and feels premium.
Note that it comes without a Plug in the UK. Most people will have a spare Apple plug laying about, or they can easily be purchased.
Setup
Setup was a breeze, as usual for Apple devices.
The Neo was already at 70% charge on opening. But good practice is to plug into the mains anyway.
Sign into (or create) your iCloud Drive or restore from a previous time machine backup and off you go. Let it do its stuff.
I setup from iCloud and downloaded any additional apps I wanted.
Apps / Apps Store
Standard Apps - All the usual Apple Apps you already know & love are there on setup.
App Store - The usual Mac App Store is available and additional Apps can be downloaded as required.
Screen
Screen is excellent. Colour representation is fine.
If your use case requires higher quality screens and colour representation then you will already know the Neo is not for you.
For most people the Neo screen will be great.
Keyboard
What can I say ?
The keyboard is great, and I really can’t see anyone having any issues with it.
In a blind test I wouldn’t be able to identify any difference between the Neo keyboard and the Air and Pro keyboards.
The keyboard is not backlit, however.
If this really is a deal breaker then the Neo will not be for you.
For most people including me, it will be more than adequate.
Speakers
I found the speakers absolutely fine.
If YOUR job or requirement needs better speakers then you will know this and should buy the product that meets your requirements.
Most people will find the Neo speakers more than adequate.
Performance
CPU
The Neo comes with the A18PRO chip, which was used in the iPhone 16Pro.
It has coped with my usage with ease and I have certainly never reached more than about 30% of the CPU.
Most people will know if they need more power. Other options are available.
I don’t.
A lot of people don’t.
Memory
The Neo comes with 8GB RAM. This is considered quite low in 2026.
As Apple make both the hardware and software, they are able to ensure that the CPU & Memory are extremely efficient & effective.
Most of the time in use, I am not pushing the Memory past the 8GB.
On 1 or 2 occasions SWAP FILE is used to help out the RAM. Unless you look, you will not notice it.
Most people will know if they need more capacity.
I don’t.
SSD / Hard Disk
The Neo comes with 2 SSD sizes - 256GB and 512GB (with Touch ID).
The bigger SSD is £100 more.
To me, it’s a no-brainer to select the 512GB configuration.
Ports
The Neo comes with 2 USB-C Ports.
1 x USB 3 supports charging, Displayport, 10 Gb/s.
1 x USB 2 supports charging, 480 Mb/s.
For some, this will be enough, for others HUBS may be of use, and other laptops may offer other options.
Browsing
SAFARI (my browser preference) is obviously installed by default.
Websites and navigation is snappy with SAFARI, and works extremely well. I tend to use SAFARI with 1-2 tabs open. For test purposes I opened 20+ tabs on SAFARI, different websites, and swapped between them easily with no reloads or spinning beach balls. Also well within the RAM and CPU availability.
Some may want to need more bang, and higher performance laptops are available. For more money.
The usual other browsers are available in the App Store, and I downloaded Google Chrome & Firefox at setup. They both work well, but I will stick with Safari.
Photo / Video Editing
Minor photo editing is much as expected. No issues
I haven’t tested video editing, it’s not in my use case and online reviews cover this.
Streaming
As you would expect TV or YouTube streaming is handled very well on the Neo, and mostly achieved through SAFARI and streaming website. Some streaming apps are available.
No stress on Memory or CPU observed, whatsoever.
Productivity
Whether the MacBook Neo meets your productivity needs does depend on what you want to use it for.
If you need to use the usual Apple Apps like Calendar, Mail, Notes, Reminders, News, Maps, TV, Music and many others are all available and work well, even in multi window.
Office Apps are obviously available. By default Pages, Numbers, Keynote. You can also download Microsoft Office Apps, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and their ToDo App. These are my preference and they work very well. If you prefer Google, their equivalent Apps can be downloaded. All work very well.
In other words, general office productivity Apps work very well on the Neo.
Some may need to use other solutions depending on their needs.
Backing up
Apple’s Backup solution for Mac is TIME MACHINE, which is installed by default. As you would expect, this works extremely well, although you any need to buy an external hard disk to do this.
Battery
The battery on the Neo is excellent. For most people there is certainly enough capacity for all day use (obviously depends on what the Neo is being used for), and into a second day. Certainly more than I need.
I often don’t even bother to plug it in overnight, as there is so little reduction when the lid is closed.
I was pleasantly surprised how good the battery is.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that the MacBook Neo has divided opinion.
Many love it.
Many hate it.
We should remember what it is.
Apple’s entry level laptop.
If you are expecting it to perform as well as the latest high spec Air or Pro, then that’s not going to happen. You should choose something else.
My view …
The MacBook Neo is a great, fun, product, cleverly priced and marketed by Apple, and an easy way for people to get into the Apple world.
Will its specs & performance be enough for everyone. No
Will its specs & performance be enough for general computing for most people. Yes
Most people will know whether the MacBook Neo will be sufficient for their needs, or whether they need a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.
Go along to an Apple Store or other retailer and try one out.
See what YOU think.
I have to say, I LOVE MY Neo.
And it will be used along my latest iPad.
NOTE :
I have no connection or affiliation with Apple or any other retail store(s).
Thanks for reading.
Graham
Twitter : @apple_shwn
Please add any comments to my Twitter post at @apple_shwn
