SAN FRANCISCO, March 5, 2026, 13:22 PST
- Apple rolled out its $599 MacBook Neo, with preorders live now and availability set for March 11.
- Apple is digging further into entry-level PCs, even as rising memory chip costs put pressure on the broader market.
- Analysts point to one thing: can Apple maintain the Mac’s premium edge while cutting the price?
Apple on Wednesday introduced its $599 MacBook Neo, throwing itself into the budget laptop mix and going head-to-head with Google Chromebooks and entry-level Windows PCs. Under the hood: Apple’s A18 Pro chip, paired with 8GB of what it calls “unified memory” — the same pool serves both processor and graphics. One analyst summed up the main question: “how it balances cost, performance and brand positioning.” Reuters
No coincidence on the timing here. PC makers are still wrestling with choppy demand after that pandemic sales surge, and now elevated memory prices have turned into another pain point for laptop producers trying to keep costs in check.
Few buyers pay much attention to memory components, but they’re critical. DRAM keeps applications humming, while NAND flash handles file and software storage. Both have faced supply squeezes and pricing swings—factors that end up baked into what you pay for a laptop.
Apple’s MacBook Air remains the company’s main gateway laptop, but the Neo targets schools and new buyers more directly. Microsoft, meanwhile, has yet to spark stronger sales for Windows laptops using Arm chips — a low-power architecture — particularly among budget models.
Apple is pricing the MacBook Neo at $599 for U.S. customers, with education buyers getting a $499 option. Four color choices—blush, indigo, silver, and citrus—are on offer. “Only Apple could create” a laptop like this, said John Ternus, senior VP of Hardware Engineering, as the company pitches Neo as an affordable entry into its hardware and software world. Apple
Apple has hit low price points in the past, just not quite like this. Back in 2006, the company rolled out its original non-Pro, non-Air MacBook at $1,099—a number that climbs even higher when adjusted for inflation. Later on, Apple tinkered with value options again, pushing out a more affordable MacBook Air via Walmart, that time using the aging M1 chip.
Apple’s hardware team has kept up the momentum. Alongside the Neo, the company rolled out refreshed MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, each featuring the new M5-series chips and more generous base storage. The 13-inch MacBook Air now starts at $1,099, while entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pros are priced from $2,199. Apple pitched improvements in “on-device AI,” a nod to processing that happens on the machine instead of in the cloud. Reuters
Some on Wall Street aren’t calling the lower price a fluke. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives put it this way in a note quoted by MediaPost: “With nearly half of Mac buyers still new to the platform, we believe this will provide incremental upside.” MediaPost
Gene Munster is among those sizing up the potential. He estimates the MacBook Neo could bump overall revenue by 0.5% over the next year and says margins stay untouched. Munster also points to U.S. education as a big opportunity for Apple here.
Yet there’s no missing the compromises here. With just 8GB of memory, the Neo likely won’t win over power users, and if memory parts run short, Apple could face a tough balancing act: keep devices in stores without bumping up prices.
Apple shares slipped roughly 0.8% Thursday afternoon. The MacBook Neo hits store shelves and begins shipping to customers March 11.
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