Students, Say Hello to the MacBook Neo

So, why is it so affordable?

If you’re in the loop on what’s new at Apple, then you would have heard of the newest edition to the Apple family, the MacBook Neo.

But there seems to be a striking difference between this MacBook and all the previous models. It’s much more affordable.

Priced from A$899, the MacBook Neo breaks into a brand-new market of budget-friendly laptops.

(Did we mention you can get the new MacBook Neo via our student deal at Education prices? 🤩)

And while it’s a bit different compared to other MacBook models, the MacBook Neo might be exactly what students need. Yay!

Let’s dive into why.

Features of the MacBook Neo.

 

 

 

 

 

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The MacBook Neo comes in four aesthetic colours: silver, blush, citrus, and indigo. It’s built with a durable recycled aluminum enclosure and equipped with a 13-inch Liquid Retina display.

The biggest difference between Neo and the MacBook Air & Pro is the chip that it contains. The Neo has a mobile-derived A18 Pro chip which debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro. The MacBook Air/Pro contains the desktop-class Apple M5 chip.

Apple has said that the MacBook Neo is perfect for everyday tasks. It’s got 8GB of memory, 16 hours of battery life, and easily runs student’s go-to apps such as the Microsoft suite, Canva, Zoom, and more.

The laptop has entered the budget-friendly market with a bang. In fact, PCMag has stated that it appears to offer a better build, more advanced screen, longer battery life, and run at a faster speed than other laptops in its price range.

Why is it a good option for students?

According to Apple, the MacBook Neo is perfect for everyday productivity, such as answering emails, taking video calls, browsing the web, and creating presentations. In other words, exactly what students need.

Other sources have agreed and noted that the laptop is ideal for students who write papers, take notes, attend video lectures, stream music, juggle multiple tabs and who use Google Docs, Notion, Slack and Photoshop, all while lasting a full day of classes (sounds like a dream!)

There must be catch, right?

We know what you may be thinking: there’s no way a laptop with an iPhone chip and an 8GB memory cap can withstand a student’s workload. For web browsing, document editing, streaming, and light creative work, this source thinks the memory should be more than enough.

As for editing applications such as Photoshop or Final Cut Pro, this video demonstrates that both run smoothly on the Neo, however Final Cut Pro is slightly choppier when editing heavier projects with many layers. They recommend using the MacBook Air or Pro if you’re editing content every day, but simpler projects are very doable on the Neo.

How is it different from other MacBook models?

 

 

 

 

 

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It’s worth noting some differences between Neo and other MacBook models.

Neo offers a maximum memory of 8 GB as opposed to a maximum of 32GB by the MacBook Air & Pro. Storage levels for the Neo max out at 512GB, whereas the Air/Pro has a minimum of 512GB that can be configured to 4TB.

Additionally, the keyboard on the Neo doesn’t contain any backlighting unlike the MacBook Air/Pro which do offer this feature.

Lastly, the Neo has two USB-C ports, one being USB 2, whereas the Air offers Thunderbolt ports which are said to be faster. The Pro offers three Thunderbolt ports as well as a HDMI and SDXC card slot.

Our verdict.

The MacBook Neo appears to be a great option for students, especially those who have been wanting an Apple laptop but are on a smaller budget. It can seamlessly connect across the Apple ecosystem, which could be appealing if you already have an iPhone, etc.

Ultimately, we recommend doing some research for yourself into Apple’s new product to determine if it works for your needs.

Don’t forget you can get the MacBook Neo and other Apple products at Education prices through our Apple deal here.

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