Apple launches lower-end $849 MacBook Neo, threatening Windows PC market
The Straits Times
The release is a major shift for Apple, which has been reluctant for decades to launch a low-end Mac laptop. Read more at straitstimes.com.
NEW YORK – Apple rolled out the $849 MacBook Neo in its biggest push yet into low-end laptops, aiming to challenge Windows PCs and Chromebooks for budget-minded shoppers.
The machine is $500 less than any new-generation laptop Apple has sold before, coming in well below the now $1,599 MacBook Air. The MacBook Neo will be offered in citrus, silver, indigo and blush color options, potentially making it appealing both to students and mainstream consumers.
The MacBook has a 13-inch screen, making it one of the company’s smallest laptops to date. The MacBook Air, in contrast, offers a 13.6-inch display. Another twist: The Neo runs on an iPhone A18 Pro chip, marking the first time Apple is using a smartphone processor in a Mac.
The release is a major shift for Apple, which has been reluctant for decades to launch a low-end Mac laptop. But the speed of its iPhone processors allowed the company to bring its pricing down measurably without sacrificing performance.
In a statement, Mr John Ternus, Apple’s hardware engineering chief, said that the MacBook Neo was “built from the ground up to be more affordable for even more people”.
The base model includes 256 gigabytes of storage, while a $999 upgraded version doubles the capacity and adds Touch ID for logging into and approving payments. There are also discounts on each model for education buyers.
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