Apple Accidentally Leaks 'MacBook Neo'

[darngooddesign]

I will take the under on "sell out almost immediately".

The releases this week have strengthened my feeling that this is going to be over hyped and under cooked.

The biggest competition it will face is preowned, refurbed or on sale M2/M3/M4 MBAs

The only ones over hyping it are the people who live on the rumor mill.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I should probably wait until the rumored device is announced but I don't really understand the point of this. It seems like it's ten years late to the party. I mean, I love the idea of it - I still have to tell myself I have no need to get an 11" Air off ebay.

Aside from classrooms, I can't think of a niche this fits into. People who want portable computing are doing well with iPads. Most people I know at this point don't have anything but an iPhone for their personal lives.

It just seems like, in 2026, we've moved away from light desktop computing.

I have to guess that there's going to be more to this thing than just a more-air-like Macbook Air. If they changed all the names, renamed the Air the Macbook and called this "Neo" the Macbook Air, that might make sense.

• You say "Aside from classrooms, I can't think of a niche this fits into." Well kids are a huge market, plus there is the entry device issue.
• I disagree with "People who want portable computing are doing well with iPads." There are also many folks that want Mac OS and portable.
• Some users like me may buy a Neo just to have a kick around device, leaving critical data on the Big Mac left at home.

 

[deconstruct60]

​

the "MacBook Neo" name,

​

N.E.O. New Education Option. 🙂 May not pitch it entirely that way but if a Chromebook Plus competitor it would basically be accurate.

It doubt there is a some 'Matrix' core motivation here. Neos in greek is "new" , "young" , "fresh". Neo also means gift in some languages.

 

[CarlJ]

wtf is this name. Just call it MacBook.

I kinda liked that the last time they had a just plain "MacBook", people called it the "MacBook nothing".

 

[CarlJ]

Do you want the blue one or the red one?

Eh, if you squint really hard this is a cool idea, but the AI generated Morpheus screams "run away!"

 

[SoyMaxV]

I'm gonna predict an iMacbook, with similar colors to the current iMac lineup. Just because I can 😅

And as a big fan of the first G3 iBooks and iMacs...a man can only dream.

 

[FlyingTexan]

As a pilot I’d jump on this

 

[Apple_Robert]

As a pilot I’d jump on this

I would think an iPad mini or an 11” iPad might be better in the cockpit.

 

[Vincent Hanna]

Marketing proving once again why they should all be fired and new COMPETENT people brought on board.

Correct, because Apple Marketing has only just shepherded the biggest quarter in Apple history, with all-time high customer satisfaction scores.

Better turn all the PR over to the forum-dwellers who know so much better!

 

[staypuftforums]

I'd be very surprised if there isn't at least a $200 difference between the Air and this "Neo" when RAM and storage are matched. But we'll see in a couple hours.

It’ll be $799-$899.

Zero doubt about that.

 

[starlabjump]

In this case, the operating system (OS) is very important. As an owner of an iPad Pro M4, I have often found that the OS and its mobile applications are insufficient for my workflow. In contrast, even a Surface Mini provides the full versions of Microsoft Office, MATLAB, and other essential software.

 

[CarlJ]

I would think an iPad mini or an 11” iPad might be better in the cockpit.

Physically better shape, possibly, but it all depends on what software you want to run - the old rule was always "buy the software that does the job you need done, then buy the OS that software runs on, then buy the hardware that OS runs on".

 

[locksmack]

As a corporate drone, I would totally get one of these.

Currently working on an M2 MBA, which is ample for my needs. If I was forced to replace it, I don't see why I wouldn't entertain the 'Neo'. Though I do hope 16gb (or more) is an option.

 

[erihp]

soooo now were gonna have M-series devices that cant run MacOS, AND A-series devices that do run MacOS... buuut just not on the devices Apple allows?

 

[darngooddesign]

soooo now were gonna have M-series devices that cant run MacOS, AND A-series devices that do run MacOS... buuut just not on the devices Apple allows?

Yes

 

[MacMikePro]

soooo now were gonna have M-series devices that cant run MacOS, AND A-series devices that do run MacOS... buuut just not on the devices Apple allows?

Just like how it’s been for years and years. All of Apple’s operating systems are based on the same kernel and could easily be interchangeable between devices, it’s just the UI that’s different, and all of Apple’s chips are fabricated with the same process and could all handle the same thing. People keep thinking there’s a real difference between the OS’s and the chips but it’s all the same stuff. Apple simply puts the OS on whatever the device is and that’s it. iPhones get iOS, iPads get iPadOS, Macs get macOS, Apple Watches get watchOS, and so on and so on, it really is simple as that. Apple could 100% install macOS on an Apple Watch if they wanted to, the S chips could for sure handle it, but it would make no sense to do that.

 

[erihp]

Just like how it’s been for years and years. All of Apple’s operating systems are based on the same kernel and could easily be interchangeable between devices, it’s just the UI that’s different, and all of Apple’s chips are fabricated with the same process and could all handle the same thing. People keep thinking there’s a real difference between the OS’s and the chips but it’s all the same stuff. Apple simply puts the OS on whatever the device is and that’s it. iPhones get iOS, iPads get iPadOS, Macs get macOS, Apple Watches get watchOS, and so on and so on, it really is simple as that. Apple could 100% install macOS on an Apple Watch if they wanted to, the S chips could for sure handle it, but it would make no sense to do that.

too many words that say we cant use the hardware we paid the way we want solely because apple says so. great.

 

[TexStones]

If this thing comes in at a legit $599 UD EDU institution price it will be huge in the K12 market.

The education teams at Apple have been screaming for such a device since, oh, 2000 or so. K12 does not need cutting edge performance. They need reliability, security, ease of administration, and above all, long battery life.

 

[loveall]

Wait, what happened to the blue and green colors?

 

[svish]

Looks like this will be the name. With the MacBook Air and Pro now starting at 512 GB SSD, these laptops should be having 256. Also the pricing could be $799 and $100 off for education. Should know soon. Hopefully the colors are nice.

 

[ivnj]

So if it has iPhone like chip then it's worse than the current M4?

 

[surfbutler]

MacBook Neo-phytes
MacBook Air-heads
MacBook Pro-fessionals

That seems as logical as anything else.

MacBook Ne(p)o-babies

 

[eifelbube]

Less than 8 hours until we “experience” the MacBook Neo. Runs MacOS, iOS, has touchscreen. Type, click, swipe. Gen Z, you’re gonna love it!!

OLED, 14”, 16”, M-chip, and Polish Cloth upgrades for Gen Z top earners coming this fall …

 

[erihp]

Less than 8 hours until we “experience” the MacBook Neo. Runs MacOS, iOS, has touchscreen. Type, click, swipe. Gen Z, you’re gonna love it!!

OLED, 14”, 16”, M-chip, and Polish Cloth upgrades for Gen Z top earners coming this fall …

what if its just an iphone dock!
that would be kinda sick tbh.

slide in the iphone and macos launches using the guts of the iphone.

 

[Bustycat]

soooo now were gonna have M-series devices that cant run MacOS, AND A-series devices that do run MacOS... buuut just not on the devices Apple allows?

In fact, DTK, the first public Apple silicon device that can run macOS, uses A12Z.