Apple just made a special launch, which has the masses excited. And no, it's nothing to do with an iPhone. Instead, in time for new academic year, Apple launched its latest and most affordable Macbook, dubbed MacBook Neo. With a starting price of Rs 69,900 in India and another Rs 10,000 knocked off for students, MacBook Neo is a gadget that tops your 2026 wishlist.
MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, the A18 Pro chip for performance and on-device AI tasks, and up to 16 hours of battery life. Apple says the device is designed to make the Mac experience accessible to a wider audience, especially students and everyday users. We've five reasons why MacBook Neo is the laptop to buy this season and the fifth one shouldn't be missed.
Apple's most affordable MacBook yet
I mean, duh! One of the biggest highlights of MacBook Neo is its pricing. Starting at Rs 69,900 (Rs 59,900 for education), it undercuts most of Apple's laptop lineup, and serves as the perfect gateway to experience the vast Apple ecosystem.
Apple say the laptop was designed "from the ground up" to deliver the Mac experience at a lower price while still maintaining premium build quality and performance.
A18 Pro chip brings AI-ready performance
MacBook Neo is powered by A18 Pro processor, which powers everyday tasks like web browsing, document creation, streaming, and photo editing. On paper, it may not mean much, but it is said to be snappier in day-to-day ops. A detailed review will give help us draw a better verdict.
Until then, let's take Apple's word for it as it claims the chip delivers:
- Up to 50% faster everyday performance compared to mainstream PC laptops with Intel Core Ultra 5
- Up to 3× faster on-device AI workloads
The built-in 16-core Neural Engine also enables features linked to Apple Intelligence, such as smart photo editing and AI-assisted writing tools.
All-day battery life in a fanless design
MacBook Neo delivers up to 16 hours of battery life, all thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon.
Apple's signature fanless design has also made its way, which means it runs completely silent during use. For students and professionals who need long battery life without carrying chargers everywhere, this could be a major plus point.
Bright display and improved video calls
MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with:
- 2408×1506 resolution
- 500 nits brightness
- Support for 1 billion colours
The laptop also includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones, and dual speakers with Spatial Audio, making it suitable for video calls, online classes, and entertainment.
Premium design and lovely new colours
Despite its lower price, MacBook Neo retains Apple's aluminium unibody design and weighs just 2.7 pounds (around 1.22kg). That's not even the best part.
For the first time ever, MacBook comes in bright and lovely colours.
- Blush
- Indigo
- Silver
- Citrus
The Citrus looks stunning, but who could stay away from that Blush. There is going to be a tough call to pick out the favourite shade. The detailing is evident as the colours extend to the keyboard and wallpapers, giving the laptop a more playful design language.
One setback?
Apple may have a near-perfect laptop on its hands. But... there's no backlit keyboard. Given the price, it may be something many will happily forgo.
Availability
Apple says customers can pre-order MacBook Neo now in select markets, with shipments beginning March 11.
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