MacBook Neo Can Only Drive One External Display at 4K 60Hz

[MacRumors]

Apple's new low-cost MacBook Neo is equipped with the A18 Pro chip that Apple first used in the iPhone 16 Pro, and it's the first Mac that has an A-series chip.

Using an iPhone chip in a Mac comes with some downsides, like external display support. The MacBook Neo supports a single external display with a 4K resolution and 60Hz refresh rate.

The MacBook Neo will not work with the new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR that Apple announced yesterday because both of those are 5K displays, but it will work with affordable USB-C 4K display options from companies like LG, Dell, and Samsung.

There are two USB-C ports in the MacBook Neo, but only one supports DisplayPort 1.4 for an external display. An external monitor will need to be plugged into the appropriate port, which is the USB 3 port closest to the rear of the device. There is no Thunderbolt support, which is what other Macs use for multiple displays, and how the Studio Display options connect.

Adding a second display might be possible using a third-party DisplayLink adapter, as has been the case with other Macs with display limitations, but this has not been tested yet.

While there's official support for just one external display, the MacBook Neo can at least drive the extra display and its own built-in display at full native resolution. The MacBook Neo has a 13-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2408 x 1506 at 219 pixels per inch.

The MacBook Neo is priced starting at $599, and it is available for pre-order today from Apple's website. The new Mac will launch on March 11.

Article Link: MacBook Neo Can Only Drive One External Display at 4K 60Hz

 

[QandnotU]

If you need to power more than that, you're buying the wrong computer.

 

[dugbug]

So we can pair it with the studio display

 

[jarman92]

It doesn't have Touch ID or MagSafe, but this is supposed to get me into a tizzy?

Edit: You can all stop replying "the 512GB model has Touch ID!" I'm aware.

 

[101phd]

99 out of 100 buyers of this will never attempt to hook up a display.

 

[Ishimura]

But I was going to buy one and a Studio Display XDR for little Johnny. WTH, Tim Apples.

 

[JPack]

Not many in this category willing to pay thousands for an LCD monitor.

How much was the Apple tilt stand alone? $999?

 

[jarman92]

So we can pair it with the studio display

The MacBook Neo will not work with the new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR that Apple announced yesterday because both of those are 5K displays

...

 

[lazyrighteye]

ONLY ONE EXTERNAL?!??! 🤪

I would be surprised to learn the target audience would use an external - let alone be upset that it was limited to just one external. Same as my M2 MBA.

An external would likely cost more than Neo. Oof, I do not like that name. But I'm nor the target audince. Maybe it'll be well received. 😉

 

[jeremz1ne]

i wonder if this would work good with Adobe / Topaz Software...

 

[turbineseaplane]

99 out of 100 buyers of this will never attempt to hook up a display.

I hope not!

The buyer of this will probably hook it up to a 1080p garbage monitor that will show off the ABYSMAL integer scaling of macOS.

 

[adamlbiscuit]

This is their opportunity to make a smaller, cheaper, 4k display that sits under the Studio Display, and pairs well not just with the MacBook Neo, but also the iMac (aesthetically).

 

[macaddiict]

This just goes to show the extreme potential of iPhones and iPads that Apple has limited by their own shallow iOS releases

The Note9 from Samsung in 2019 could run high-res external monitor and a DeX desktop-like operating system - this was 6+ years ago on a medium end SnapDragon chip.

I'm disappointed that the people who work at Apple with the lackluster ability to use the hardware they sell the most of.

 

[macaddiict]

I hope not!

The buyer of this will probably hook it up to a 1080p garbage monitor that will show off the ABYSMAL integer scaling of macOS.

For anyone considering an external monitor, you don't need high res to have a good experience on macOS, but you do need to buy the correct size of monitor

1080p at approximately 21" is pretty ideal for a cheap monitor. The pixels will be approximately the same size as Apple's last non-Retina Mac and most people are fine with this.

1080p macOS looks awful above about 23", so I don't disagree with you given all the huge cheap displays out there.

 

[macaddiict]

This is their opportunity to make a smaller, cheaper, 4k display that sits under the Studio Display, and pairs well not just with the MacBook Neo, but also the iMac (aesthetically).

The market is completely stuffed with cheap 4k displays. You can find them under $200 on sale constantly.

Apple would not be able to compete, as they don't make the major display components like screens and therefore do not have the margin flexibility to compete in the cut-throat display market.

 

[mattopotamus]

If you need to power more than that, you're buying the wrong computer.

Came to say something similar. This is for the person the checks email, works with the office suite, and uses an internet browser. Probably would work for most business professionals/kids in school.

 

[bluecoast]

‘Only’?

That’s pretty good for an entry level MacBook and an iPhone processor.

 

[johannnn]

I think <1% of people buying till laptop will ever connect it to an external screen

 

[malachiman]

It doesn't have Touch ID

Touch ID is included when you select the 512 storage option.

 

[Cryates]

The user this is targeted towards is not trying to drive multiple 4K displays at once, come on.

 

[mattopotamus]

This just goes to show the extreme potential of iPhones and iPads that Apple has limited by their own shallow iOS releases

The Note9 from Samsung in 2019 could run high-res external monitor and a DeX desktop-like operating system - this was 6+ years ago on a medium end SnapDragon chip.

I'm disappointed that the people who work at Apple with the lackluster ability to use the hardware they sell the most of.

Agreed. Obviously they do not want to cannibalize their lineup, but this confirms an iphone connected to an external display could run MacOS if they allowed it. Truly an all-in-one device in your pocket.

Image the fold: phone, ipad, and macOs if docked.

Similar to the famous Jobs keynote: phone, mp3 player, internet communication device

phone, ipad, laptop.....not 3 different devices. Charge a ridiculous $3k and it would still sell like hot cakes.

 

[JosephAW]

That’s amazing that it can drive a second 4K display, does anybody know if it supports clamshell mode? 🙄

 

[Astuces iOS]

IT DOES NOT SUPPORT THE STUDIO DISPLAY OOOHHHH NOOOOO lmao

 

[EugW]

Not many in this category willing to pay thousands for an LCD monitor.

How much was the Apple tilt stand alone? $999?

While I'm not surprised and think it's relatively OK that the Neo maxes out at 4K, for the record you can get a 27" 5K 5120x2880 monitor for about US$500 these days.

And you can even get a 6K monitor for <$1200. For the record, our M4 MacBook Air drives my 32" LG UltraFine 6K monitor great. (I paid just over US$1500 for my 6K, but it's a higher end spec'd display with 99% AdobeRGB, Thunderbolt 5, better than average speakers, and KVM support.)

Anyhow, I unfortunately see the Neo as a netbook & Chromebook competitor. I was hoping to see it at 12 GB for $799 with some better features, but was disappointed. However, I suspect that in 2027 it will go to 12 GB when it gets an SoC update to A19 Pro. It will still likely be limited to 4K though, but that's OK.

 

[Mewix]

i wonder if this would work good with Adobe / Topaz Software...

That was a good one