Few laptops have loved the endurance of the MacBook Air M1. Six years in the past, I referred to as it “an astonishing breakthrough.” It was the primary Mac to characteristic Apple Silicon and the final Air to put on that iconic wedge design. As just lately as final yr, folks had been nonetheless shopping for this technique for roughly $699 at Walmart.
Because it lastly shifts into refurb-only availability, the MacBook Air M1 stays the inexpensive Mac to beat, and now, with the MacBook Neo, that iconic Mac has met its match.
Like that system earlier than it, the MacBook Neo breaks new floor for Apple. We have by no means seen an inexpensive MacBook prefer it. From the day-glo colours to the iPhone CPU (oh, hey, A18 Professional), the $599 / £599 / AU$899 MacBook Neo stands out amongst its friends, and has put the inexpensive laptop computer market (cut price basement Home windows techniques and Chromebooks) on discover.
Article continues under
It’s possible you’ll like
Picture 1 of two
(Picture credit score: Lance Ulanoff / Future)(Picture credit score: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Whereas that comparability is apparent, I admit to some shock that probably the most frequent query I bought in regards to the MacBook Neo is the way it compares to the MacBook Air M1, not the M2 and even the just lately unveiled MacBook Air M5 (an distinctive moveable).
The extra I considered it, the extra sense it made. I, too, stay a large fan of that M1 mannequin — from its traditional design to the nonetheless glorious worth/efficiency ratio. It is value remembering, although, that the MacBook Air M1 began at $999, $400 greater than you may spend immediately for the MacBook Neo.
I nonetheless have the MacBook Air M1 I examined in 2020, and so I did what any rational tech reviewer would do: I in contrast it straight with the MacBook Neo by working the latter by means of just about all the identical exams.
TLDR: Regardless of a cellular processor, the MacBook Neo greater than holds its personal towards the MacBook Air M1.
MacBook Neo refresher
Picture 1 of 4
(Picture credit score: Lance Ulanoff / Future)(Picture credit score: Lance Ulanoff / Future)(Picture credit score: Lance Ulanoff / Future)(Picture credit score: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
First, let’s discuss in regards to the new MacBook Neo. From a design perspective, the laptop computer’s aesthetic owes much more to its more moderen predecessors than the MacBook Air M1. That laptop computer marked the tip of the road for a appear and feel unveiled by Steve Jobs in 2008.
The MacBook Neo is sort of a smaller but thicker MacBook Air, and with a greater sense of favor, due to a set of brilliant colours like my take a look at unit’s Citrus end. It is constructed across the A18 Professional that initially appeared within the iPhone 16 Professional, lacks a backlit keyboard, and solely has TouchID within the $699 / £699 / AU$1099 mannequin (like my take a look at unit).
Swipe to scroll horizontallyMacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M1 spec deskRow 0 – Cell 0
MacBook Neo
MacBook Air M1
Dimensensions
Peak: 0.50 inch (1.27 cm)
Width: 11.71 inches (29.75 cm)
Depth: 8.12 inches (20.64 cm)
Weight: 2.7 kilos (1.23 kg)
Peak: 0.16–0.63 inch (0.41–1.61 cm)
Width: 11.97 inches (30.41 cm)
Depth: 8.36 inches (21.24 cm)
Weight: 2.8 kilos (1.29 kg)
Show
13-inch Liquid Retina
2408×1506 pixels
500 nits
13.3-inch LED backlit
2560×1600
400 nits
Digicam
1080P FaceTime digital camera
720P FaceTime Digicam
CPU
A18 Professional
M1
Reminiscence
8GB
8GB/16GB
Storage
256/512GB
256/512GB
Connectivity
WiFi 6E
Bluetooth 6
WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5
Seems that the MacBook Neo is barely smaller and a contact lighter than the MacBook Air M1. I can not actually examine thickness, as a result of the wedge-shaped M1 ranges from 0.16 inches to only over half an inch. The MacBook Neo is a neat 0.5 inches from edge to edge.
What to learn subsequent
The M1 display screen is barely bigger than what you get on the Neo and presents barely larger resolutions (227ppi versus 219ppi on the Neo). However the Neo is, at 500 nits, the brighter display screen.
Each techniques have simply two USB-C ports, however the M1’s are Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, whereas the Neo presents only one USB-3 (10 Gbps) port and one USB-2 port.
The hole narrowed once I began core parts and precise efficiency.
Now, remember that my take a look at items weren’t the bottom techniques, however they nonetheless have comparable reminiscence and storage (8GB of Unified RAM, and 512GB of storage — the bottom mannequin of each techniques is 256GB of storage).
MacBook Neo A18 Professional:
- 6‑core CPU with 2 efficiency cores and 4 effectivity cores
- 5‑core GPU
- {Hardware}-accelerated ray tracing
- 16-core Neural Engine
MacBook M1:
- 8-core CPU with 4 carry outance cores and 4 effectivity cores
- 8-core GPU
- 16-core Neural Engine
As you possibly can see, the M1 shipped with extra efficiency cores and, in my take a look at unit, extra GPU cores.
With that data in hand, I began by working Geekbench 6 benchmarks on each techniques. For the sake of comparability, I included some MacBook Air M5 outcomes.
Swipe to scroll horizontallyGeekbench 6 BenchmarksRow 0 – Cell 0
Single Core
Multi-core
Metallic
MacBook Neo
3419
7713
30920
MacBook Air M1
2385
8562
33255
MacBook Air M5
4190
17073
49577
As you possibly can see, the MacBook Neo truly bests the MacBook Air M1 on single-core efficiency and is sort of shut on multi-core. The disparity is best in Metallic scores, which is sensible when you think about the MacBook Air M1’s whole GPU cores.
Enter the actual world
What issues extra to me, although, are real-world exams. Once more, I dug again into my authentic MacBook Air M1 overview and did my finest to recreate the take a look at suite.
I began by putting in Adobe Photoshop, crossing my fingers {that a} system actually designed for on a regular basis work and never professionals may deal with it. It might be the primary time I would be working the desktop model of Photoshop on an iPhone chip.
I needn’t have fearful. I simply put in Adobe Artistic Cloud and Photoshop after which began manipulating multi-layered images. I even ran some AI, asking Adobe Firefly to pick out a topic (Alicia Keys singing at an Apple fiftieth Anniversary occasion) after which exchange Keys with another person doing the very same factor. It took a second, however it labored.
Picture 1 of 4
(Picture credit score: Future)(Picture credit score: Future)(Picture credit score: Future)(Picture credit score: Future)
Pixelmator Professional is one other app I used on the M1, so I put in it right here and edited just a few of my images.
(Picture credit score: Future)
I put in a few iPhone apps to see how they appeared and labored on the platform. As on the MacBook Air M1, they seem in an iPhone-sized window and work completely.
Subsequent, I put in Asphalt 8: Airborne and had enjoyable utilizing the keyboard to play. By the best way, the side-firing twin audio system sounded fairly good.
(Picture credit score: Future)
I opened Netflix and streamed Higher Name Saul. Belief me, a whole lot of college students shall be streaming their favourite content material on these laptops.
Sure, I even put in Last Lower Professional and began enhancing a number of video streams.
(Picture credit score: Future)
Once more, these are all issues I did with the M1, so why not repeat them right here?
Remember, I by no means closed an app. I simply preserve putting in, opening, and utilizing them, ready for the MacBook Neo to cry uncle.
I opened Apple Maps and zoomed out and in till I may see and spin the complete globe.
(Picture credit score: Future)
Again in 2020, I opened Apple Arcade on the M1 and put in Little Orpheus. It is an exquisite recreation, however sadly, it has since left the Arcade. For the MacBook Neo, I put in the puzzle platformer Inmost. It performed easily, and to maintain from bothering my officemates, I related my AirPods Professional 3 to benefit from the lush soundtrack.
All through my exams, I used to be additionally utilizing Safari, however for the reason that MacBook Neo confirmed no indicators of slowing down or struggling, I additionally put in Google Chrome and opened just a few tabs there, as nicely.
(Picture credit score: Future)
As for my anecdotal battery exams, with the MacBook Air M1, I often bought greater than 15 hours with combined use. The MacBook Neo is rated for 16 hours in case you solely stream video. You’ll be able to see what I used to be doing right here, and in that state of affairs, I bought over 12 hours. Clearly, your mileage will range primarily based on which app(s) you are working.
In just about each state of affairs, the MacBook Neo stood tall and appeared the equal of no less than the MacBook Air M1. I think it may additionally maintain up towards M2 fashions (possibly even M3). I did not put Steam or any AAA console video games on the laptop computer, however I do know that in his MacBook Neo overview, Matt Hanson did give Cyberpunk 2077 a go. The MacBook Neo made it playable at about 30fps.
(Picture credit score: Future)
So, in reply to the query: ‘Can the MacBook Neo exchange my MacBook Air M1?’ The reply is a powerful sure. That is clearly a limit-pushing finances laptop computer that may shock many individuals. It isn’t a professional system, and other people will definitely discover a few of the caveats, like simply 256GB and 8GB of RAM, limiting. The $699 512GB mannequin addresses a few of these points (together with including Contact ID), however it doesn’t increase the speeds of these ports or add a backlit keyboard. These seeking to push the restrict on storage, efficiency, and display screen sizes will look to the MacBook Air and, particularly, MacBook Professional fashions.
Nevertheless, for many who fell in love with the MacBook Air M1 and — now that it is lastly not on sale as a brand new system — are in search of a alternative, the MacBook Neo is right here for you.
You will not be dissatisfied.
