Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch Laptop with A18 Pro chip: Built for AI and Apple Intelligence, Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, 1080p FaceTime HD Camera; Blush

MacBook Neo Review: Apple's Colourful A18 Pro Laptop Tested

Key Features

• THE MOST COLOURFUL MACBOOK LINEUP EVER — Choose from Silver, Blush, Citrus or Indigo — each with a colour-coordinated keyboard to complete the look. And with a durable aluminium design, MacBook Neo is built to go wherever you go.
• POWER FOR EVERYDAY TASKS — Ready the moment you open it, MacBook Neo with the A18 Pro chip delivers the performance and AI capabilities you need to get things done, whether you’re editing family photos, powering through spreadsheets, using AI to summarise class notes or playing the latest Apple Arcade game.
• UP TO 16 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE3 — With all-day battery life, MacBook Neo is equipped to go the distance for everyday users and students — from early-morning classes to late-night study sessions.
• A BRILLIANT 13-INCH DISPLAY — Feast your eyes on the gorgeous Liquid Retina display. A 2408x1506 resolution, up to 500 nits of brightness and support for one billion colours provide vivid images and crisp text.
• LOOK AND SOUND GREAT — MacBook Neo comes with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a dual-mic array to enhance your voice for crystal-clear calls, and two side-firing speakers for immersive sound with Spatial Audio.
• BUILT FOR AI — Apple silicon, and every major component that powers it, is designed to efficiently run on-device AI activities. And Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.
• MACOS RUNS APPS FAST — All your go-to apps run lightning fast in macOS, including built-in apps like FaceTime4 and Messages.
• IF YOU LOVE IPHONE, YOU’LL LOVE MAC — Mac works like magic with your other Apple devices. View and control what’s on your iPhone from your Mac with iPhone Mirroring.5 Copy something on iPhone and paste it on Mac. Send texts with Messages from your Mac, or use your Mac to answer FaceTime calls.
• PRIVACY AND SECURITY — Built-in antivirus protection and free software updates help keep your MacBook Neo running smoothly and securely. FileVault encrypts your files so others can’t access them. Find My can help you locate your lost or stolen Mac. The MacBook Neo model with Lock Key lets you wake and lock your screen and power your Mac on and off. The model with Touch ID uses your fingerprint to unlock your Mac, authorise payments and sign in to apps and sites.
• POWER ADAPTERS — Please be aware: MacBook Neo comes with a USB C charging cable, but does not include a power adapter. A USB C power adapter or other USB PD power source that can provide 20W or higher is required to charge this device. For optimal charging, Apple recommends pairing this Mac with the Apple 20W USB C Power Adapter.

The A18 Pro Chip Makes This More Than a Budget Machine

The star of the show here is that A18 Pro chip, which is the same silicon you'll find in much pricier MacBooks. Apple claims it's built specifically for AI tasks, and whilst I can't test Apple Intelligence features extensively yet, the performance credentials look solid on paper. The 8GB of unified memory is the minimum you'd want for comfortable multitasking, though power users will feel the pinch when running multiple demanding applications simultaneously.

The 256GB SSD storage is adequate for most users but feels tight in 2024. You'll want to embrace cloud storage or external drives if you're planning to store large photo libraries or multiple video projects. Still, for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and streaming, the MacBook Neo should handle everything smoothly.

Four Colours That Actually Matter

Apple's made a big deal about the colour options, and I can see why. The Blush variant I've been looking at is genuinely attractive — a soft pink that manages to feel sophisticated rather than garish. The colour-coordinated keyboard is a nice touch that ties the whole design together. Silver, Citrus, and Indigo round out the lineup, giving buyers more personality than the traditional space grey monotony.

The aluminium build quality feels reassuringly solid, though at this price point, I'd expect nothing less from Apple. The laptop maintains the premium feel you associate with MacBooks, even if it's positioned as the budget option.

That Display Punches Above Its Weight

The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is where the MacBook Neo starts to feel like proper value. The 2408x1506 resolution delivers crisp text and detailed images, whilst the 500 nits of brightness means you can work outdoors without squinting. Support for one billion colours sounds like marketing speak, but in practice, photos and videos look vibrant without being oversaturated.

For students spending hours staring at documents or creatives doing light photo editing, this display will serve you well. It's not going to compete with the studio-grade screens on higher-end MacBooks, but it's more than adequate for the target audience.

Battery Life That Lasts the Distance

Apple's claiming up to 16 hours of battery life, which in my experience with Apple products usually translates to about 12-14 hours of real-world use. Even if you get closer to 10 hours with heavier usage, that's still comfortably all-day performance for most people. The efficiency of Apple silicon continues to impress, and it's one of the strongest selling points for choosing this over a Windows alternative at similar pricing.

The AI Angle Feels Half-Baked

Apple's pushing the AI capabilities hard, but Apple Intelligence is still rolling out in limited form. The promise of on-device AI processing is compelling from a privacy perspective, but until the full feature set arrives, you're essentially paying for potential rather than immediate capability. The A18 Pro chip is certainly capable enough to handle AI tasks efficiently, but the software side feels like it's playing catch-up.

What You're Missing at This Price

The 1080p FaceTime camera is adequate but not exceptional — fine for video calls but nothing that'll make you look like a YouTube star. The two side-firing speakers deliver decent sound with Spatial Audio support, though they lack the depth you'd get from pricier models. Most significantly, that 8GB RAM limit means this isn't future-proofed for increasingly memory-hungry applications.