In a major development within the low-range laptop segment, Apple has just announced the launch of MacBook Neo, a budget version of the MacBook Air that is being advertised as the fresh entry-level model for the MacBook series.
The new MacBook Neo retails in the US starting from $599. In India, the model has been priced at Rs 69,900, as per Apple's official website. This is considerably lower than the freshly announced MacBook Air M5, which retails at Rs 1.19 lakhs.
What's New In MacBook Neo?
Apple's MacBook Neo is not about innovation, but more about cost-cutting. The model promises to make the MacBook more accessible to the general public by offering a lower-cost arrangement through the use of cheaper, more recycled materials and the use of a mobile processor.
Indeed, the MacBook Neo sports the A18 Pro chip that is used in the iPhone 16 Pro, instead of the flagship M-series processors that have made MacBooks preferred picks for users looking for fast and reliable laptops. Apple's new MacBook Air sports the latest M5 chip, but Neo comes with the mobile processor.
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Price, Key Specifications And Offers
Aside from the A18 Pro chip, MacBook Neo, as Apple calls it, has the most recycled materials and four new colours, which are labelled as Silver, Blush, Indigo and the all-new Citrus.
The design is colour-coded, while the MacBook Neo also comes with the Magic Keyboard and the Trackpad. The 33.02 cm (13″) Liquid Retina display sports 500 nits of brightness. The model comes with two Type C ports and a headphone jack slot, as well as two side-firing speakers.
Although there is Touch ID, it doesn't come in the base model, priced at Rs 69,900. The base model comes with 256 GB of storage and the Magic Keyboard, whereas the higher model, priced at Rs 79,900, comes with 512 GB of storage, the Magic Keyboard and Touch ID.
The MacBook Neo will be available in India from March 11 across Apple stores and the Apple website. The product is available for pre-order on Apple's official website.
While the base model costs Rs 69,900, users having select Axis Bank, ICICI Bank and American Express cards can enable a discount of up to Rs 3,000.
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