The introduction of the MacBook Neo has given Apple’s range a new entry-level entry. For years, the MacBook Air was Apple’s cheapest laptop, but that has now changed. It is therefore interesting to discuss the differences between the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air with M5 chip.
The MacBook Neo is designed for Apple users who need a laptop for everyday activities such as browsing the web, editing documents and casual gaming. This was the hallmark of the MacBook Air for years, but the difference is now significant, time for an overview.
MacBook Neo’s position in the Mac line
The MacBook Neo is the entry-level model within the range of Apple laptops. At $699, it’s the most affordable MacBook Apple has ever launched, comparable to the cost of a Mac mini or an iPhone 17e. Don’t be fooled, though: this MacBook is far from slow. According to Apple, it is up to 50 percent faster at everyday tasks than the best-selling Windows PC, and the performance of the A18 Pro chip is powerful enough.
The MacBook Air now serves as the mid-range model. For users who need a little more, it offers expanded support for external devices and the ability to choose more powerful specifications. Despite the lack of the ‘Pro’ label, the Air is more than powerful enough for a variety of creative applications, while keeping its slim and light design intact.
The MacBook Pro is aimed at professional users such as creators, programmers, researchers and game designers who need serious computing power. It is the only MacBook model available with the powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
Differences between MacBook Neo and MacBook Air
Comparing the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air is difficult because they are made for different audiences and are very different machines. This also applies, for example, to the iPad and iPad Air; they are very similar, but have a different market position.
While the MacBook Air can outperform the Neo on all counts, Apple’s latest laptop is interesting enough. We will highlight the main differences between the basic models of the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air so you can better understand what Apple’s latest laptop offers.
The basics: Processor, central memory and storage
The MacBook Neo is equipped with the A18 Pro chip which was introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro. You would think that an iPhone processor in a Mac is special, but this is not very strange. The A-series is cheaper for Apple to produce and its performance is comparable to the original M1 chip.
- MacBook Neo: A18 Pro chip with 6-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, 5-core GPU, 8 GB central memory and 256 GB SSD storage
- MacBook Air: M5 chip with 10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores, 8-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, 16 GB central memory and 512 SSD storage
It’s important to note that the MacBook Neo only has 8GB of RAM, while many believe that 16GB is the bare minimum for good performance on any macOS computer. With the Neo it is not possible to expand the central memory, which is the case with all other Macs. Still, 8GB is plenty for the tasks this MacBook was designed for, such as web browsing, document editing, and basic photo and video editing.
Liquid Retina display and dimensions
Both the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air are equipped with a Liquid Retina LCD display that offers 500 nits of brightness. While the resolution differs, this is understandable as the Neo has a 13-inch display and the Air has a slightly larger 13.6-inch screen.
The most striking difference is the color reproduction: the MacBook Neo has a traditional sRGB display, while the MacBook Air benefits from an extended color display (P3). In addition, the Air is equipped with True Tone, which allows the color temperature and brightness of the screen to be automatically adjusted.
- MacBook Neo: 13.0-inch Liquid Retina display, 2408 x 1506 pixels, 500 nits and sRGB
- MacBook Air: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 2560 x 1664 pixels, 500 nits, Wide color reproduction (P3) and True Tone
- MacBook Neo: 1.27cm x 29.75cm x 20.64cm and 1.23kg
- MacBook Air: 1.13 cm x 30.41 cm x 21.50 cm and 1.23 kg
MagSafe, USB-C and external screens
Anyone who wants to charge the MacBook Neo can use one of the two USB-C ports, this is also the case for the MacBook Air, but it also has MagSafe, a magnetic connection for safe and fast charging.
- MacBook Neo: one USB 3 port up to 10 Gb/s (USB-C) and one USB 2 port up to 480 Mb/s (USB-C)
- MacBook Air: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports up to 40 Gb/s (USB-C)
The MacBook Neo supports one external display with a native resolution of up to 4K at 60 Hz. The MacBook Air offers more options, so you can connect up to two external displays: Two displays with a native resolution of up to 6K at 60 Hz or 4K at 144 Hz or one display with a native resolution of up to 8K at 60 Hz or 5K at 120 Hz or 4K at 240 Hz.
Camera, Speakers and Microphones
To further reduce costs, the MacBook Neo includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camerait allows you to make high-quality video calls and record video in 1080p HD. Yet this is significantly less than the 12MP Center Stage camera of the MacBook Air with support for Desk View, it has a wider viewing angle and uses center point to keep the subject in view.
- MacBook Neo: Two speakers with support for Spatial Audio. Two beamforming microphones with Voice Isolation and Broad Spectrum and a traditional Mini-jack connection.
- MacBook Air: Four speakers with support for Spatial Audio, Spatial Audio and dynamic head tracking with supported AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Three beamforming microphones with Voice Isolation and Broad Spectrum and a Mini-jack connection with advanced support for high impedance headphones.
Other differences between Neo and Air
- MacBook Neo: unlit keyboard and only Touch ID on the more expensive 512 GB model
- MacBook Air: Backlit keyboard with standard Touch ID
- MacBook Neo: Multi‑Touch trackpad
- MacBook Air: Pressure-sensitive Multi-Touch trackpad with force touch
- MacBook Neo: WiFi 6e and Bluetooth 6
- MacBook Air: WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6
- MacBook Neo: Built-in 36.5 watt-hour lithium-ion battery gives you up to 11 hours of wireless internet use and up to 16 hours of video playback.
- MacBook Air: Built-in 53.8 watt-hour lithium-ion battery suitable for fast chargingwhich gives you up to 15 hours of wireless internet use and up to 18 hours of video playback.
Conclusion MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air
The new colorful MacBook Neo is an affordable entry-level Mac starting at €699 (or €599 for education), perfect for students and everyday use such as browsing, studying and light tasks. With the good A18 Pro chip, a 13-inch Liquid Retina display and a battery life of up to 16 hours, it offers enough performance for simple workflows.
It has 8 GB of RAM and options for 256 or 512 GB of storage. This makes it an ideal first MacBook in the Apple ecosystem, with macOS Tahoe and support for Apple Intelligence.
If you want to get the most out of your macOS, the MacBook Air with a suggested retail price of €1199 is an excellent choice. This model has a more powerful processor, more RAM and advanced features. Moreover, you can customize the MacBook Air to your own preferences, such as extra memory or storage capacity. The Air is especially attractive if you want to perform heavier tasks on your Mac, such as advanced editing of photos, videos or frequent use of AI programs. The MacBook Air also offers more options for connecting external monitors.
If you only want to use your MacBook for internet-related tasks, studying or document processing, the Neo is perfect for you.