This is Apple's cheapest MacBook.

The MacBook Neo starts at 16.5 million VND and comes in several attractive colors, with an A18 Pro processor and some trade-offs.

The MacBook Neo is a laptop recently launched by Apple on March 4th. The device comes in a variety of bright colors, making it easily distinguishable from the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The biggest difference is the A18 Pro processor, which was originally developed for the iPhone 16 Pro.

According to The Verge , the color options on the MacBook Neo aren't as flashy as the orange of the iPhone 17 Pro. The pale pinks and lime greens are quite eye-catching, especially since the keyboard is also color-coordinated with the casing.

The MacBook Neo weighs about the same as the recently released MacBook Air M5 (1.23 kg), but feels more solid in the hand due to its smaller size. The keyboard doesn't have backlighting, but the typing feel is still familiar.

The trackpad on the MacBook Neo uses a traditional click mechanism, not Force Touch. However, it supports clicking on all four corners, instead of just the two bottom corners like most Windows laptops. This might seem a bit strange to those switching from other MacBook models.

To keep the price low, the MacBook Neo sacrifices some features. It features a 13-inch notchless display, and both the USB-C and 3.5mm headphone jacks are located on the left side. The speaker grilles are on either side, easily mistaken for the SD card slot. These two speakers still support Spatial Audio.

The USB-C ports on the MacBook Neo have different specifications. One port supports the USB3 standard, allowing for connection of external displays and high-speed data transfer (up to 10 Gbps), while the other only meets the USB2 standard, resulting in slower data transfer speeds (480 Mbps).

According to Apple, the main USB-C port on the device supports DisplayPort 1.4, allowing connection of up to one external display with 4K resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. In theory, this means the product cannot fully utilize some high-end displays, such as the Studio Display (5K resolution).

Because there are no distinguishing labels, macOS will notify the user if they plug into the wrong port, such as connecting an external display to a low-speed USB2 port. Both USB-C connections on the MacBook Neo support battery charging; it lacks the magnetic MagSafe charging interface found on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Neo's 13-inch display doesn't support the P3 wide color gamut and True Tone, theoretically slightly inferior to the MacBook Air, but it's still easy on the eyes according to The Verge 's experience. The screen has a maximum brightness of 500 nits and a resolution of 2,408 x 1,506 pixels, equivalent to 220 ppi.

The A18 Pro processor in the MacBook Neo can't quite match the M5, but it promises to handle basic tasks well. According to 9to5Mac , some tasks like web browsing, watching online videos , texting, and emailing can be performed smoothly on the device.

Apple claims that the MacBook Neo's performance for most basic tasks is 50% higher than its "best-selling PC" using the Intel Core Ultra 5 chip. The MacBook Neo's webcam has a 1080p resolution and does not include additional features such as Center Stage or Desk View.

The result of these trade-offs is the price. In Vietnam, the MacBook Neo starts at 16.5 million VND. For comparison, the MacBook Air M5 starts at 30 million VND, but older Air models, even with discounts, can still make consumers hesitate.

The MacBook Neo only comes in two options. Besides the 256GB version priced at 16.5 million VND, the other version with 512GB storage and Touch ID costs 19 million VND. Through a student discount program, the prices are reduced to 14 million and 16.5 million VND respectively. However, the device only has 8GB of RAM and it cannot be upgraded.

Source: https://znews.vn/chi-tiet-macbook-neo-dung-chip-iphone-gia-tu-16-5-trieu-dong-post1632500.html