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Farewell Neo, Hello Air.

U

urbis

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I bought a Citrus 256GB Neo back in March and have been delighted with it, however the lack of a backlit keyboard (and the lack of Touch ID, but that's my fault) have been fairly frustrating.

I bought it on the Student Discount, so paid £499 in the UK. I've just stumbled across a brand new (open box, 1 battery cycle, Apple warranty to July 2027) M2 Air (16GB/256GB) for £499 - which I snapped up - appreciate it's an older model nowadays.

Although I know I'm sacrificing slightly in terms of single core performance, I feel the other benefits outweigh it.

So, the Neo's on Facebook Marketplace... an amazing little laptop, especially before the price increase!
 
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DEMinSoCAL said:
Always nice to find an open box deal that not only saves you huge money, but is in an almost new condition AND still has some manufacturer warranty!

I'd definitely take the M2 Air over the 8GB Neo for the same price.
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Especially with 16 GB RAM its a no brainer, if it was the 8 GB model it would still be overall better than a Neo imo as better screen, backlit keys etc.
 
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Really? A 4-year old Air is better than a 2026 Neo?

I'm surprised. I almost bought a Neo for my partner (until the price increase, then I changed my mind). I'll have to do some comparisons research with various Air models.
 
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adrianlondon said:
Really? A 4-year old Air is better than a 2026 Neo?

I'm surprised. I almost bought a Neo for my partner (until the price increase, then I changed my mind). I'll have to do some comparisons research with various Air models.
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If you value backlit keyboard like OP, plus more GPU cores, 16GB of memory, faster SSD, full speed Thunderbolt 4 ports, and Magsafe. Neo is a great laptop for a lot of people, and it doesn't have a notch (win!), but there is no denying more memory and faster storage/ports give the M2 Air a significant advantage. As far as single core speed, true, the Neo is ~30% faster, but unlikely to notice much/any difference day-to-day, especially if you are running multiple apps, tons of browser tabs, when the Neo starts leaning on that slow SSD for swap, the single core advantage will disappear. M2 Air for the win!
 
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Thanks. The M2 Air came with 8GB by default, so I'll need to look out for that. I'll have to check refurb/second hand prices.

At the moment, we've postponed the entire decision by throwing around £135 at a new battery for an Intel 2020 Air. The computer is hardly used - just for stuff my partner doesn't want to use their work laptop for (i.e. CV and job applications 😁).
 
adrianlondon said:
Really? A 4-year old Air is better than a 2026 Neo?

I'm surprised. I almost bought a Neo for my partner (until the price increase, then I changed my mind). I'll have to do some comparisons research with various Air models.
Click to expand...

Performance is about the same but features are a bit better.

The only question is macOS upgrade path. M2 came out in 2022 and Apple typically only offers 6-7 years of major macOS updates, meaning M2 updates will likely stop by 2029. Neo will receive 3-4 more years of major updates (2033).
 
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JPack said:
Performance is about the same but features are a bit better.

The only question is macOS upgrade path. M2 came out in 2022 and Apple typically only offers 6-7 years of major macOS updates, meaning M2 updates will likely stop by 2029. Neo will receive 3-4 more years of major updates (2033).
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I thought part of the reason at least for Mac support being what it is, is that Intel only provides 7 years of microcode support. And Apple likely didnt want to be in a rare situation where they were offering support and they end up on the hook dealing with a CPU issue past 7 years. Now with Apple Silicon they have more control and can choose how best to rectify a CPU/SoC issue in the future. Given what so many M1 folks are saying about how great their systems still perform, I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple extends Mac support to 10 years.

Edit: But I do agree that if Apple sticks to existing support windows, M2 will receive fewer years of support compared to a new Neo.
 
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conmee said:
I thought part of the reason at least for Mac support being what it is, is that Intel only provides 7 years of microcode support. And Apple likely didnt want to be in a rare situation where they were offering support and they end up on the hook dealing with a CPU issue past 7 years. Now with Apple Silicon they have more control and can choose how best to rectify a CPU/SoC issue in the future. Given what so many M1 folks are saying about how great their systems still perform, I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple extends Mac support to 10 years.

Edit: But I do agree that if Apple sticks to existing support windows, M2 will receive fewer years of support compared to a new Neo.
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Intel doesn’t support hardware based on dates. They provide microcode updates based on severity. During Spectre and Meltdown, for instance, they patched chips from 9-10 years prior. Also, Apple has the money to pay Intel for extended support. So the whole "blame Intel" thing is a myth.

On the other hand, Apple’s support model is strictly date-driven, regardless of specs. A perfect example is the iPad Pro 10.5 (A10X, 4GB RAM), which lost support a year before the less powerful iPad 7 (A10, 3GB RAM). Why? iPad 7 came out later.

Conclusion: It's clear as day Apple provides major OS support based on dates, not specs.

Apple sells a complete package: hardware, software, and support. This package has a built-in expiration date. Unlike Intel, which sells ancient silicon for ATMs and terminals, Apple expects you to upgrade. There is no reason to believe the change to M-series will change their standard 6-7 year support window. Apple still wants you to buy new Macs regularly.
 
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JPack said:
Intel doesn’t support hardware based on dates. They provide microcode updates based on severity. During Spectre and Meltdown, for instance, they patched chips from 9-10 years prior. Also, Apple has the money to pay Intel for extended support. So the whole "blame Intel" thing is a myth.

On the other hand, Apple’s support model is strictly date-driven, regardless of specs. A perfect example is the iPad Pro 10.5 (A10X, 4GB RAM), which lost support a year before the less powerful iPad 7 (A10, 3GB RAM). Why? iPad 7 came out later.

Conclusion: It's clear as day Apple provides major OS support based on dates, not specs.

Apple sells a complete package: hardware, software, and support. This package has a built-in expiration date. Unlike Intel, which sells ancient silicon for ATMs and terminals, Apple expects you to upgrade. There is no reason to believe the change to M-series will change their standard 6-7 year support window. Apple still wants you to buy new Macs regularly.
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Spoken like a true shareholder. 😉 Intel absolutely provides support based on date. Even Xeon and vPro processors receive standard coverage with option for companies to purchased extended coverage. Things like Spectre and Meltdown were severe and wide-ranging so they had to issue updates across entire generations of processors - these type of updates rarely happen. But newer issues like the 13th Gen/14th Gen instability issues, those types of updates won't be provide in the future if someone uncovers an issue with a 13th Gen processor in 2030 for instance. They'll just say buy a new processor/motherboard. But fair enough, Intel wasn't a reason for Apple to limit coverage, I can agree with that.

As for dates, I've seen some articles say that Apple provides 7 years from the date of final sale. I guess it depends on how that is defined. Walmart and Amazon were selling brand new M1/M2 devices until late last year weren't they? I wonder how Apple views authorized retailer sales and if that impacts how they determine support?

Anyhow, put me on record as Apple extending Mac support since it's based on dates not specs. 🙂 That makes it even easier for them to just say "what's three more years?" I doubt many sales will be lost in the 7-10 year range of ownership by extending coverage. I'll bookmark this comment and come back to eat crow if they drop the M1 and/or M2 in 2027/2028.
 
urbis said:
I bought a Citrus 256GB Neo back in March and have been delighted with it, however the lack of a backlit keyboard (and the lack of Touch ID, but that's my fault) have been fairly frustrating.

I bought it on the Student Discount, so paid £499 in the UK. I've just stumbled across a brand new (open box, 1 battery cycle, Apple warranty to July 2027) M2 Air (16GB/256GB) for £499 - which I snapped up - appreciate it's an older model nowadays.

Although I know I'm sacrificing slightly in terms of single core performance, I feel the other benefits outweigh it.

So, the Neo's on Facebook Marketplace... an amazing little laptop, especially before the price increase!
Click to expand...
Congratulations! Glad that worked out for you. The lack of a backlit keyboard was a big mistake on Apple's part, in my opinion. For me, the solution was to get a keyboard cover at good ol' Azamon which works pretty great. Enjoy your M2 MBA!!
 
conmee said:
Spoken like a true shareholder. 😉 Intel absolutely provides support based on date. Even Xeon and vPro processors receive standard coverage with option for companies to purchased extended coverage. Things like Spectre and Meltdown were severe and wide-ranging so they had to issue updates across entire generations of processors - these type of updates rarely happen. But newer issues like the 13th Gen/14th Gen instability issues, those types of updates won't be provide in the future if someone uncovers an issue with a 13th Gen processor in 2030 for instance. They'll just say buy a new processor/motherboard. But fair enough, Intel wasn't a reason for Apple to limit coverage, I can agree with that.

As for dates, I've seen some articles say that Apple provides 7 years from the date of final sale. I guess it depends on how that is defined. Walmart and Amazon were selling brand new M1/M2 devices until late last year weren't they? I wonder how Apple views authorized retailer sales and if that impacts how they determine support?

Anyhow, put me on record as Apple extending Mac support since it's based on dates not specs. 🙂 That makes it even easier for them to just say "what's three more years?" I doubt many sales will be lost in the 7-10 year range of ownership by extending coverage. I'll bookmark this comment and come back to eat crow if they drop the M1 and/or M2 in 2027/2028.
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The 7 years refers to service and parts only rather than major OS updates. The service clock starts ticking when Apple stops distributing the product, rather than when some retailer half way around the world stops selling them. Because how can Apple control when the last M2 MBA in Walmart Africa is sold? Apple can't. So the 6-7 years of major macOS updates is based on product launch date.

Apple allowing new macOS on old machines would discourage sales of new computers. It's the same reason why Apple rations iOS features on iPhones. It makes new Mac owners feel good and pressures old owners to upgrade.

Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support

Learn about your options for getting service and parts for Apple devices that are past their warranty period.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
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JPack said:
The 7 years refers to service and parts only rather than major OS updates. The service clock starts ticking when Apple stops distributing the product, rather than when some retailer half way around the world stops selling them. Because how can Apple control when the last M2 MBA in Walmart Africa is sold? Apple can't. So the 6-7 years of major macOS updates is based on product launch date.

Apple allowing new macOS on old machines would discourage sales of new computers. It's the same reason why Apple rations iOS features on iPhones. It makes new Mac owners feel good and pressures old owners to upgrade.

Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support

Learn about your options for getting service and parts for Apple devices that are past their warranty period.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
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I'm not disagreeing with you, but I wasn't considering Walmart in Zimbabwe, but a little closer to home like Sacramento or Cupertino for instance. Agree on all points why Apple wouldn't want to extend OS updates, but maybe they surprise us unlikely though that is. Either way, OP has a full year of hardware support and based on current practice, at least four more macOS releases (GG 2026, GG+1 2027, GG+2 2028, GG+3 2029 with two years of security) should be good until 2031.
 
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I've just (yesterday!) taken in an early-2020 Intel MBA for a new battery.

Apple store stated that as the laptop is "vintage" they may not have batteries for it any more. They said they'd search all European stores to see if they have one, and let me know.
 
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adrianlondon said:
Really? A 4-year old Air is better than a 2026 Neo?

I'm surprised. I almost bought a Neo for my partner (until the price increase, then I changed my mind). I'll have to do some comparisons research with various Air models.
Click to expand...
I purchased a used M2 air (8/256) off Facebook marketplace for $400 a couple months ago instead of a new neo. At that price, it was really hard to pass up. I'm glad I got the backlit keyboard and Touch ID, true-tone screen, and Thunderbolt ports. The M2 is still a great machine.
 
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uller6 said:
I purchased a used M2 air (8/256) off Facebook marketplace for $400 a couple months ago instead of a new neo. At that price, it was really hard to pass up. I'm glad I got the backlit keyboard and Touch ID, true-tone screen, and Thunderbolt ports. The M2 is still a great machine.
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What does the drive health look like? Just curious if there's a catch for that unbelievable deal.
 
JPack said:
Nice. Looks like one of those late model M2/M3 units where Apple bumped up the base RAM to 16GB.
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Oh, I didn’t remember that. In my head, the jump to a minimum of 16GB of RAM was made for the M4 gen, but yes, I think it was made earlier…
 
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urbis said:
I bought a Citrus 256GB Neo back in March and have been delighted with it, however the lack of a backlit keyboard (and the lack of Touch ID, but that's my fault) have been fairly frustrating.

I bought it on the Student Discount, so paid £499 in the UK. I've just stumbled across a brand new (open box, 1 battery cycle, Apple warranty to July 2027) M2 Air (16GB/256GB) for £499 - which I snapped up - appreciate it's an older model nowadays.

Although I know I'm sacrificing slightly in terms of single core performance, I feel the other benefits outweigh it.

So, the Neo's on Facebook Marketplace... an amazing little laptop, especially before the price increase!
Click to expand...
Yeah, good call. I bought the Neo to try it when it launched, and it’s indeed a sweet form factor and great machine (although I’m not a fan of that mechanical trackpad), but those 8GB of RAM and limited number of cores made me think twice and go for the MacBook Air before they raised the prices.

And yeah, the M2 MBA with 16GB of RAM is a great machine, especially for that price. I know an iPad is not the same, but I have an M2 iPad Pro and the chip is holding strong.
 
Populus said:
Oh, I didn’t remember that. In my head, the jump to a minimum of 16GB of RAM was made for the M4 gen, but yes, I think it was made earlier…
Click to expand...

Yes, M4 in October 2024 adopted 16GB as standard, but M4 MBA wasn't released until March 2025.

Apple launched M4 in MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac first. Nobody back then was willing to buy MBA since it was still M2 and M3 with 8GB. Apple did the smart thing and bumped up to 16GB for M2/M3.
 
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