This will be an easy trade up upgrade for owners of the current Neo. Purchased my 512GB Indigo Neo in March of this year. I suspect trade ins will be around 50% of the value I paid (thus around $400), which will make the upgrade around $500 (assuming $900 for the new one) which is more than reasonable. We are not playing in the $2K to $5k costs for MBPros here, so even though it is not zero it easily manageable unlike the thousands we have to pay to upgrade our MBPros. This is the fun of the Neo, you can probably afford to get the latest version at far less cost than an MBA, MBPro or even an iPhone 😂
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Apple Planning to Update MacBook Neo in Three Ways
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It’s always something
macrumors 6502a
These will be bind A19 pro chips. The vast majority of these chips have already been produced and the RAM purchased, as they are byproducts of the current A19 pro run. The requirement that there is a price increase will likely not occur until sometime in the future for these machines.
Populus
macrumors G3
Yeah… maybe I would even sell my 13.6” M5 MacBook Air… actually no.
I mean, it would be a great device and I’ve been holding for the return of the 12” MacBook, but I finally did the move before the price increase, and now that I’ve been using my MacBook Air I’ve gotten used to this gorgeous display, and I think it’s the perfect compromise between screen space and portability.
Also, I used to praise the slightly smaller size of the MacBook Neo, but it’s also true that the Air is thinner, and today when putting it into my bag I realized that I prefer a device so slim.
But hopefully they will release a smaller Neo, yeah.
I7guy
macrumors Westmere
sleep/to/dream
macrumors demi-goddess
Better start saving now! 😆
Even if the AI RAMpocalypse doesn't end, RAM manufacturers will at least increase their output to some degree, so costs should ease somewhat. I don't see them increasing prices much further than they already have
There is no 14" MBA. Even if there was - 699 vs 1299. You think a 1 inch screen increase is worthy of $600? 🤣
I have a 14" MBP for work and love it. I no longer use it outside of work hours, because the Neo is so light. I bought my Neo to take on a trip a month ago and it does everything I want. I just wish it had a slightly bigger screen.
EugW
macrumors P6
How can that be? Even the Apple stores around me have a bunch available for immediate pickup (USA).
It’s always something
macrumors 6502a
Wow. I attempted to order one from them on August 24, but they cancelled my order and said that I, who have been a customer of theirs for at least two decades, had to “verify my identity.” 🤨
So I ordered from Apple instead, with promised delivery in another 5-12 days from now. I hope they come through!
With the Neo, low price should be of paramount importance. It is a gateway into the Mac. Therefore the same approach of using binned parts should apply. If that limits supply so be it, sell it as a limited edition Mac and introduce new editions during the back to school period only.
EugW
macrumors P6
You can be pretty sure that some of the chips used are not binned by necessity. Probably as chip yields improve, a significant portion of the chips used are actually fully functional chips with cores deactivated.
This is relatively common practice and we already know that Apple has done this in recent times with memory for example: Some of the M4 iPad Pros shipped with 12 GB RAM, even though they only had 8 GB RAM active. There is no evidence these were binned memory chips, as they had Micron's proper labeling for 6 GB chips x 2.
As far as the processor goes a 12 GB A19 Pro would probably do fine. But desktops need ports, preferably at least six. Eight would be better given there is no room for a second SSD for Time Machine.
Even in the stereo cabinet with bluetooth keyboard and mouse I ended up with a Satechi hub to get everything connected.
EugW
macrumors P6
I look forward to a future when USB 4 comes to the Ax Pro chips. A MacBook Neo with USB 4 would be awesome, since that effectively would mean Thunderbolt 4 support with faster speeds and higher reliability than USB 3, and better hub support than Thunderbolt 3, but without the 15 W minimum bus power requirement of Thunderbolt 3. (USB 4 has a minimum of 7.5 W.) However, I wouldn't expect to see that before 2030.
A Mac mini with an Ax Pro chip and USB 4 would still be limiting though.
I think the Neo would be perfect for a smaller form factor. Most people cannot rely on a 12” ultra small notebook as their main computer even if they DO want access to that form factor. And so by necessity the 12” becomes a secondary device. Buying a secondary device that is super expensive is again a difficult thing for most people to justify. But a 12” notebook powered by a phone processor and built like the Neo to meet a lower price point would make an excellent second laptop for ultraportable needs.
EugW
macrumors P6
That ship has sailed, and I don't think it's coming back anytime soon. Apple crippled the 12" MacBook in various ways (keyboard, single USB 3 port, high price) which in large part were responsible for its downfall, but even as a current 12" MacBook owner, I also think the 12" size is a bit too small for the mainstream these days for macOS. 13-14" is probably the sweet spot for most people who don't want or can't afford multiple laptops. People sometimes may want to go bigger, and there are options for that, but most people don't want to go smaller on macOS.
If you really want to go smaller, Apple now offers the iPad, on iPadOS which shines in the smaller form factor. It strips away the cruft of macOS and utilizes that smaller screen size really well, and overall is often more efficient.
