MacBook Neo: The Masterful Art of Compromise
David Zhang
Edited by Tyler Malek
Published: April 7th, 2026
Apple’s newest $799 CAD MacBook Neo delivers a budget-friendly gateway experience into the Mac world. The de facto cheapest option for new MacBooks used to be the 13.6” Air, which now costs $1499 CAD. As a frequent Starbucks customer and MacBook user, I figured it was only right for me to talk about this computer.
First off, the MacBook Neo has a premium chassis and build, with materials the same as those used in the high-end $10,000 CAD MacBook Pro. It weighs just 1.23kg and has a 13” screen. In comparison, the MacBook Air is thinner, with a 13.6” screen while weighing the same 1.23kg.
What’s different is the colours: the Pro opts for Silver and Space Black, whilst the Neo goes for Silver, Blush, Citrus and Indigo. The keys are semi-colour matched and adopt a faded whiter shade of the colour chosen. The processor of choice for this machine is the A18 Pro, the chip used in the iPhone 16 Pro. Now this may seem weak as it’s just a phone processor, but this little thing beats out most of the MacBook Neo’s competitors at this price range. The battery life is middling to good, and in line with or better than most other competitors at this price point. The display is solid for its price, with good brightness and resolution, though it is still an IPS panel.
The storage options and RAM configuration are where we first start to see compromises in this computer. The Neo is only available with 8GB of RAM and starts at 256GB of storage with no TouchID. Apple’s most specced out version has TouchID and 512GB, but it will cost another $200 CAD than the base, $999 CAD. The current MacBook Air starts with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, whilst being upgradable to 32GB RAM and 4TB storage. Other compromises include no MagSafe, thicker bezels (black borders) surrounding the screen, and no backlit keyboard. The port selection on the MacBook Neo includes one USB-C 3, a headphone jack and disappointingly one USB-C 2.
These compromises may seem lengthy, but the competition from Windows is nowhere close to how much of an allrounder the Neo is. The MacBook Neo clears everything at its price range and sets a new benchmark. There is a reason for why the ASUS CFO called it a shock to the industry and somethings that’s being taken very seriously.
In summary, the MacBbook Neo is an incredible first computer, a great computer for children, for students, for people who just want to browse and open 50 tabs at once, for writing. However, it isn’t for heavy video editors, gamers and most tech enthusiasts.
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