Main points
- MacBook Neo has become available in Ukraine.
- The laptop has limitations such as 8GB of RAM with no expandability and different USB port specifications.
MacBook Neo in Ukraine: official prices and features of the most affordable Apple laptop / Collage 24 Channel / Gizmodo / The Verge
The most talked-about new product from Apple, the MacBook Neo laptop, has reached the Ukrainian market. The device opens a completely new category in the company's lineup, offering users a combination of compactness and mobile architecture at a price that is record low for modern computers of the brand. However, behind the affordability are a number of compromises.
What's behind the low price of the MacBook Neo?
The appearance of the MacBook Neo was a response to the market's demand for an inexpensive computer for education and everyday tasks. The main feature of the new product was the transition to an architecture that was previously exclusive to smartphones. The heart of the laptop was the 6-core A18 Pro processor, familiar to users from the iPhone 16 Pro. This allowed not only to significantly reduce the cost of the device to $ 599, but also to ensure high energy efficiency in a very compact case with a 13-inch screen. For the educational sector, the price is even more attractive – from $ 499, writes 24 Channel .
The results of the first performance tests turned out to be quite optimistic:
- In the Geekbench benchmark, the MacBook Neo scored 3,461 points in single-core mode and 8,668 points in multi-core mode. Interestingly, in terms of multi-core power, the new product is almost identical to the legendary MacBook Air based on the M1 chip. At the same time, in single-core tasks, the Neo is significantly ahead, approaching the speed of modern M3 and M4 series chips.
- Graphics performance in the Metal test was 31286 points, which is slightly lower than the iPhone 16 Pro due to the presence of one less graphics core in the laptop version.
MacBook Neo / Photo 9to5mac
Compromise on compromise
However, the drive to make the device affordable has led to a number of serious technical compromises. The most talked about limitation is the amount of RAM – only 8 gigabytes without any expansion options. This can be a problem when working with many heavy applications at the same time.
Also disappointing for many was the configuration of the connectors: although the laptop has two USB-C ports, they are completely different in specifications. The first supports the USB 3 standard with a speed of up to 10 gigabits per second and the connection of an external monitor, while the second is limited to the outdated USB 2 standard with a speed of only 480 megabits per second. Thunderbolt ports and a magnetic MagSafe connector are missing from this model.
The MacBook Neo has two ports, but they are completely different / Photo Apple
The savings also affected other important elements. The MacBook Neo keyboard is not backlit, which makes it difficult to work in the dark. The display has lost True Tone technology due to the lack of a light sensor, and the trackpad has become simpler and no longer supports the Force Touch function, which responds to the force of pressing.
The base version with 256 gigabytes of permanent memory does not have a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. To get this feature, you will have to choose the 512 gigabyte model, which costs $ 100 more.
For Touch ID on the MacBook Neo you will have to pay $100 more / Photo Apple
The device's battery life is also slightly lower than that of older models: up to 11 hours of web browsing or up to 16 hours of video viewing, as Apple lists on the MacBook Neo page. For comparison, the MacBook Air lasts a few hours longer.
It is also important to pay attention to the package: in the European Union and the United Kingdom, the MacBook Neo is sold without a charging adapter in the box, only with a cable, writes Macrumors. Buyers in these regions will have to purchase a 20-watt power adapter separately, while in the United States it is included as standard.
MacBook Neo: watch the video
For those who plan to use Windows through virtualization, the MacBook Neo may not be the best choice. Although Parallels supports the A18 Pro chip, the 8GB RAM limit forces the system to split resources in half, which negatively affects performance in heavy tasks.
The device is made in a classic aluminum case, available in four colors, and weighs only 1.2 kilograms.
Overall, the MacBook Neo is an ideal tool for surfing the web, working with documents, and watching videos, but it is not designed for professional video editing or complex 3D modeling.
MacBook Neo price in Ukraine
The start of MacBook Neo sales in Ukraine is accompanied by promotional offers that make entering the Apple ecosystem even more accessible, writes the publication “Mezha”.
- The base model with 256 gigabytes of storage and 8 gigabytes of RAM was priced at 39,999 hryvnias, but at launch it can be purchased for 35,999 hryvnias.
- The version with double the amount of permanent memory to 512 gigabytes costs 45,999 hryvnias, and at a promotional price – 41,199 hryvnias.
For comparison, the new MacBook Air models based on the M5 chip start at 72,999 hryvnias, which emphasizes the budget status of the Neo.