Apple's New MacBook Neo Sells Out Instantly
Demand for Apple's new budget-friendly MacBook Neo is outstripping supply ahead of its official launch next week. Online orders for the $599 laptop, aimed at students and Chromebook users, are already seeing delivery dates slip to as late as March 30, signaling a strong market reception.
The new laptop marks a significant strategic shift for Apple, which has historically avoided the sub-$1,000 laptop market dominated by Chromebooks and budget Windows PCs. With an education discount, the price for the MacBook Neo drops to $499, directly challenging the 60% market share Chromebooks hold in the U.S. education sector. To achieve the lower price, the MacBook Neo is the first production Mac to use an A-series chip, the A18 Pro from the iPhone 16 Pro, rather than the M-series processors found in other Macs. The A18 Pro features a 6-core CPU, a 5-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine for on-device AI tasks. Several trade-offs were made compared to the more expensive MacBook Air. The base $599 model comes with 8GB of non-upgradeable memory and lacks Touch ID, which is only included in the 512GB, $699 version. The Neo also forgoes MagSafe charging and features one slower USB 2 port alongside a single USB 3 port. Apple’s industrial design team, under VP Molly Anderson, focused on reducing manufacturing costs to avoid using cheaper materials. The team altered the production process for the aluminum enclosure to require less machining, one of the most expensive parts of creating a MacBook body, while maintaining a premium feel. Market research firm TrendForce projects the MacBook Neo could sell between 4 and 5 million units in its first year. This sales volume is expected to increase Apple's overall laptop shipments by nearly 8% in 2026, a year in which the global laptop market is otherwise forecast to decline. The aggressive pricing puts direct pressure on Windows manufacturers like HP, Lenovo, and Dell, potentially reshaping the mid-range laptop market. While not expected to immediately unseat Chromebooks in schools, the Neo redefines performance expectations for laptops in the $500-$700 price range. Analysts see the MacBook Neo as a tool to widen the top of Apple's customer funnel, attracting new users into its ecosystem. The long-term strategy is to drive growth in Apple's high-margin services division, which has become the company's second-largest source of revenue.
