Apple Unveils MacBook Neo at Rs 69,900, Its Most Affordable Mac Yet
Apple launches the MacBook Neo at Rs 69,900, bringing premium design and iPhone-powered performance to budget laptop
Apple has officially introduced the MacBook Neo, marking a significant shift in its laptop strategy with a starting price of Rs 69,900. For years, the MacBook Air served as Apple’s most accessible notebook, but the Neo now takes that position, lowering the entry barrier for students and budget-conscious buyers across India.
Priced nearly Rs 50,000 lower than the newly refreshed MacBook Air, which starts at Rs 1,19,900, the MacBook Neo is clearly designed to strengthen Apple’s foothold in classrooms and homes — segments long dominated by affordable Windows laptops from brands like Asus and HP, as well as Chromebooks.
The buzz around this budget MacBook had been building for months. Interestingly, Apple’s own documentation appeared to reveal the “Neo” branding just hours before the official announcement, hinting that the launch was imminent. Now that it’s official, many of the earlier leaks appear to have been accurate.
Design and Display
Despite its lower price, Apple has retained much of its signature premium aesthetic. The MacBook Neo features a durable recycled aluminium body with a fanless design, similar to the MacBook Air. It is also more expressive in style, launching in vibrant shades such as Indigo, Citrus, and Blush, alongside the traditional Silver.
The laptop sports a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2408x1506 pixels and up to 500 nits of peak brightness. However, to keep costs in check, Apple has skipped the ProMotion high-refresh-rate technology available on higher-end MacBooks.
Performance and Hardware
In a notable departure from its usual M-series silicon for Macs, Apple has equipped the MacBook Neo with the A18 Pro chip — the same processor powering the iPhone 16 Pro. The chip includes a 6-core CPU with two performance cores and four efficiency cores, along with a 5-core GPU.
The base model comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage, while a higher variant offers 512GB storage. Battery capacity stands at 36.5Wh, with Apple claiming up to 16 hours of video streaming on a single charge. A 20W charger is included in the box.
Cost-Cutting Measures
To achieve its aggressive pricing, Apple has made a few strategic compromises. The MacBook Neo features a non-backlit keyboard and includes two USB-C ports supporting USB 3 and USB 2 standards. The MagSafe charging port found on premium models is absent.
Camera and audio hardware have also been scaled back. The device offers an HD camera and a dual-speaker setup, compared to the 12-megapixel camera and quad speakers on the MacBook Air. Touch ID is available only on the higher-end 512GB variant.
Pricing and Availability
The MacBook Neo is priced at Rs 69,900 for the 256GB model and Rs 79,900 for the 512GB variant. Pre-orders have begun on Apple’s official website, with sales set to begin on March 11, 2026.
With this launch, Apple is making a clear statement: premium design and ecosystem access no longer need to come with a premium price tag.
