<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Apple has unveiled a new budget laptop called the MacBook Neo, priced from just $899, making it the cheapest MacBook the company has ever released.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The announcement came after </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/apple" rel="" target="_blank" title="Apple"><span>Apple</span></a><span> revealed a new iPhone 17e, updated iPad Air and refreshed MacBook models earlier in the week. The MacBook Neo is an all-new model for Apple.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>For a company long associated with premium pricing, the MacBook Neo represents a major shift. At $899 it is cheaper than any other MacBook, cheaper than most iPads and is cheaper than any Apple iPhone.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/apple-watch-approval-tga-for-hypertension-detection-granted/5753c103-fe38-4f66-ad63-5728f6ac8963" rel="" target="_blank" title="TGA approves Apple Watch's hypertension-detecting feature for Australians"><strong><span>TGA approves Apple Watch's hypertension-detecting feature for Australians</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 13-inch laptop is powered by Apple's A18 Pro chip, the same processor used in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, meaning it also supports Apple's latest Apple Intelligence features.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Apple says the device is designed to bring the Mac experience to more people.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're incredibly excited to introduce MacBook Neo, which delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price," said John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/technology/apple-unveils-899-macbook-neo-in-surprise-launch/76881c7c-737b-408f-8708-526867aab40a" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/trevor-long-tech-review-australian-companies-on-world-stage/8e675316-5be0-46f0-a8dd-52d3b9419922" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australian technology companies making it big on the world stage"><strong><span>Australian technology companies making it big on the world stage</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Built from the ground up to be more affordable for even more people, MacBook Neo is a laptop only Apple could create.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It features a durable aluminium design in four beautiful colours; a brilliant Liquid Retina display; Apple silicon-powered performance; all-day battery life; a high-quality camera, mics, and speakers; a Magic Keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad; and the intuitive and powerful features of macOS.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There is simply no other laptop like it."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/lego-launches-smart-brick-new-way-to-play/e4146e20-40aa-431c-8545-46c11f7eaba8" rel="" target="_blank" title="Lego goes hi-tech in new Star Wars sets - no app or screen required"><strong><span>Lego goes hi-tech in new Star Wars sets - no app or screen required</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The laptop features a 13-inch display, aluminium design and comes in four colours including Blush pink, Citrus yellow, Indigo blue and Silver.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Unlike recent MacBook models, the camera sits in the top bezel rather than in a screen notch. Apple has included a 1080p webcam, along with dual speakers instead of the four speakers found in the MacBook Air which used to be the entry level laptop for Apple.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Storage options include 256GB or 512GB, though only the higher capacity model includes Touch ID for fingerprint login.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Physically the device is very similar to the MacBook Air. It weighs 1.23kg and has nearly identical dimensions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There are some trade-offs to reach the lower price. The MacBook Neo uses Wi-Fi 6E instead of Wi-Fi 7, and its two USB-C ports are not Thunderbolt. One runs at USB-2 speeds and the other supports USB-3.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Battery life is also slightly lower than the Air, with Apple claiming up to 11 hours of wireless web browsing, compared with 15 hours on the MacBook Air.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite those compromises, the MacBook Neo could appeal strongly to students and everyday users looking for a simple, affordable laptop.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The MacBook Neo is available to pre-order now and will go on sale March 11. Prices start at $899, or $1099 for the 512GB model with Touch ID.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>