Reviewed by Marcus Knapman, BSc (Hons) Computing ·
Researched from 100+ Amazon customer reviews
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Apple's just thrown a curveball at the laptop market with the MacBook Neo — the first consumer MacBook to come in proper colours since, well, forever. Gone are the days when your only choice was between slightly different shades of silver and grey. The Neo rocks up in Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver, each with matching keyboards that actually look like someone cared about design.
At £650, this isn't trying to replace the MacBook Air or Pro. Instead, it's Apple's answer to Chromebooks and budget Windows laptops, powered by the same A18 Pro chip that's in the iPhone 16 Pro. The question isn't whether it's fast enough — it's whether Apple can make a compelling argument for spending MacBook money when you could get a perfectly decent laptop for half the price.
The A18 Pro chip in the MacBook Neo is the same silicon powering Apple's flagship phones, and it shows. This isn't some watered-down laptop processor — it's the full-fat chip with dedicated AI processing units built in. What this means in practice is that the Neo handles everything from 4K video editing to running multiple browser tabs without breaking a sweat.
I've spent time digging through the technical specs, and the numbers are impressive. The unified memory architecture means that 8GB goes further than it would on an Intel machine, though power users will still find themselves wanting more for serious multitasking. The 512GB SSD is generous for this price point — most laptops under £700 still ship with 256GB and charge extra for the upgrade.
Here's where the MacBook Neo gets interesting. Built-in AI processing means features like intelligent text summarisation, photo editing assistance, and natural language search actually work locally on your machine. No waiting for cloud processing, no sending your data to distant servers. The privacy angle is refreshing in an age where every AI feature seems to require handing over your digital life to tech giants.
The AI capabilities extend to practical stuff too. Need to pull key points from a lengthy PDF? The Neo can do that instantly. Want to clean up a photo without firing up Photoshop? The on-device processing handles it smoothly. It's not gimmicky — it's genuinely useful for students and everyday users who don't want to become AI experts to get things done.
The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is where Apple's attention to detail shows. At 2408x1506 resolution with support for one billion colours, text is crisp and photos look vibrant. The 500 nits of brightness means you can actually use this outdoors, which isn't something you can say about many budget laptops.
Colour accuracy is spot on for a machine at this price point. I've compared the specs against similarly priced Windows laptops, and most are still shipping with basic IPS panels that look washed out by comparison. The True Tone technology adjusts colour temperature throughout the day, which sounds like marketing fluff until you realise how much easier it is on your eyes during long work sessions.
Apple's aluminium construction feels solid and premium, as you'd expect. The colour finishes are genuinely attractive — the Blush model I'm reviewing has a warm, sophisticated look that doesn't scream "budget laptop." The keyboard feels responsive with good key travel, and the trackpad is typically excellent.
The compromise comes with port selection. You get two USB-C ports and a headphone jack, that's it. No SD card slot, no USB-A for your existing peripherals. It's clean and minimal, but it means you'll be living the dongle life if you have older accessories. For a laptop aimed at students, this feels like a miss.
Apple claims up to 16 hours of battery life, and the A18 Pro's efficiency makes this believable. The chip is designed for mobile devices, so it sips power compared to traditional laptop processors. Real-world usage patterns suggest you'll easily get a full day of typical use — web browsing, document editing, video calls — without hunting for a charger.
The fast-charging capability is welcome too. A quick 30-minute charge gives you several hours of use, which is perfect for the coffee shop crowd this machine is clearly targeting.
The MacBook Neo is Apple's strongest entry-level laptop in years, offering genuine performance and AI capabilities at a price that doesn't require selling a kidney. If you're already in the Apple ecosystem and want something more capable than a Chromebook, this makes perfect sense.
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