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 Over a decade after it came out with the compact 12-inch MacBook, Apple's
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 The new MacBook Neo is equipped with two USB-C ports, but they are not the same. The left USB-C port supports USB 3 speeds of up to 10 Gb/s, while the right USB-C port closer to the trackpad is limited to USB 2 speeds of just 480 Mb/s. As a result, Apple says external display connectivity is supported on the left port only.
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 Apple's press release and marketing materials for the new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR models do not mention which chips are inside the monitors, but MacRumors has confirmed this information in the latest Studio Display firmware.
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Apple is looking to gain a foothold in the more budget-friendly end of the laptop market with the MacBook Neo. The system starts at $599, which is darn inexpensive for an Apple laptop — it even has the same starting price as the M4 iPad Air.
As such, the MacBook Neo should help Apple compete with cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks. Pricing it at $499 for educational use won't exactly hurt either.
Apple is really lowering the cost of entry for those looking to pick up a new MacBook here. The base MacBook Neo costs $500 less than the cheapest M5 MacBook Air, which is now officially Apple's midrange laptop.
Of course, there are a lot of tradeoffs you'll make by opting for a MacBook Neo instead of a MacBook Air. If you're curious about all the differences between the Neo and the base 13.6-inch Air (and perhaps what you'll be foregoing if go you with the cheaper option), we've got you covered.
MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air exteriors
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 Earlier today we began tracking the first pre-order offers on the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, and now the MacBook Neo has joined in at Best Buy. If you pre-order the new low-cost MacBook Neo at Best Buy, you'll get a free $25 Best Buy gift card after purchase.
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After the first M5-powered MacBook arrived last in 2025, we've been waiting for refreshed M5 MacBook Air and Pro models, the latter with higher-performance M5 Pro and Max chips and now they're here.
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The new, colorful MacBook Neo is full of surprises, including a mobile chip.
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