MacBook Neo ramping up

Apple has reportedly told suppliers to build more MacBook Neo laptops after demand outran its original plan for the $599 machine. (notebookcheck.net) Notebookcheck, citing a DigiTimes supply-chain report, said on April 13 that Apple raised its MacBook Neo target to 10 million units. The earlier plan was about 5 million to 8 million units. (notebookcheck.net) 9to5Mac reported on April 7 that Apple had initially expected to make about 6 million MacBook Neo systems using binned A18 Pro chips, or iPhone-class processors with one graphics core disabled. That report said Apple was weighing whether to pay Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company more to restart A18 Pro production. (9to5mac.com) That supply issue sits at the center of the story because the first MacBook Neo is not built around a standard Mac chip. It uses leftover A18 Pro inventory from the iPhone 16 Pro line to hit a lower starting price. (9to5mac.com) Apple has already signaled that the new laptop is pulling in buyers who did not previously own a Mac. PCMag reported on March 20 that Chief Executive Tim Cook called it the company’s “best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers,” while Apple’s online store showed two- to three-week delivery estimates for all configurations. (pcmag.com) The next question is what chip Apple uses after those A18 Pro supplies run thin. 9to5Mac said one option under discussion was to move up a second-generation MacBook Neo that had been planned for mid-2027, while the latest 9to5Mac follow-up said the next model may instead jump to an M5 chip. (9to5mac.com, 9to5mac.com) That would be a notable shift because the M5 is Apple’s current Mac-class processor, not a repurposed iPhone chip. Apple introduced the M5 in a 14-inch MacBook Pro on October 15, 2025, with availability starting October 22 at a $1,599 base price. (apple.com) Digital Trends said the production increase points to Apple choosing volume over scarcity for a laptop aimed at the middle of the market. If the supply-chain reports are correct, Apple is now trying to keep the low-price Mac in stock long enough to reach the back-to-school season without ceding that price band. (digitaltrends.com, notebookcheck.net) For now, the clearest fact is that Apple appears to be revising its own math upward. A laptop launched as a low-cost way into the Mac lineup is now forcing the company to decide whether to spend more on chips, move faster on a successor, or do both. (9to5mac.com, notebookcheck.net)