MacBook Neo, priced at $599, is a completely new type of laptop and is Apple's first "Neo" product. This new computer is also the first product from Apple to use three different technologies.

MacBook Neo Comes with a New Trackpad

Apple has been providing a strong trackpad experience for nearly two decades. The multi-touch trackpad in the original MacBook Air, released in 2008, was a significant advancement. Other laptops had trackpads that included tracking surfaces for mouse use and large buttons for clicking. Apple modernized the trackpad with a single multi-touch surface.

Still, in the early years of Apple's multi-touch trackpads, there were certain clicking areas: the bottom of the surface. By transitioning from mechanical clicks to simulated clicks, Apple ensured that any point on the trackpad felt like a physical button click.

MacBook Neo is the first Apple laptop that has not used simulated clicks for years. However, it does not revert to a "wave board" style click design. Instead, Apple has developed an entirely new trackpad that offers both physical clicking and the ability to click anywhere outside of the bottom.

Apple Uses a Different A18 Pro Chip than the iPhone 16 Pro Version

MacBook Neo stands out as the first Mac to operate with a chip used in an iPhone. However, it also holds the distinction of being the first Apple product to use this specific A18 Pro chip.

Apple introduced the A18 Pro chip in September 2024 as part of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max series:

Manufactured with second-generation 3-nanometer technology and featuring smaller, faster transistors, the new architecture of the A18 Pro offers unprecedented efficiency. The new 16-core Neural Engine is faster and more efficient than the previous generation, providing exceptional on-device performance for Apple Intelligence. A 17% increase in total system memory bandwidth — the highest on an iPhone — delivers faster experiences while using Writing Tools and Image Playground, providing impressive graphics.

Apple particularly emphasized the A18 Pro's 6-core GPU system:

The bandwidth increase also benefits the 6-core GPU, which is 20% faster than the previous generation, delivering impressive visuals for graphics processing and gaming for Apple Intelligence. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing becomes 2 times faster for more realistic light sources and reflections, and the Game Mode in iOS 18 ensures that AirPods, game controllers, and other wireless accessories are extremely responsive while providing more consistent frame rates.

However, the A18 Pro chip inside the MacBook Neo has a 5-core GPU system:

With the A18 Pro, the MacBook Neo is 50% faster in everyday tasks compared to the best-selling PC, and 3 times faster in more demanding activities, such as on-device AI workloads, and 2 times faster in tasks like photo editing. The integrated 5-core GPU brings graphics to life while playing action-packed games or exploring creative hobbies. The 16-core Neural Engine supports fast on-device Apple Intelligence features and daily AI tasks like summarizing notes in Bear or using the Cleanup tool in the Photos app while keeping user data private and secure. The MacBook Neo also operates completely silently as it contains no fan.

While both share the same 6-core CPU system, the MacBook Neo is the first and only Apple product to date to have the 5-core GPU version of the A18 Pro.

MacBook Neo is the First Product Sold with an A Series Chip and Offers Multiple Data Ports

Another distinction of the A18 Pro chip in the MacBook Neo is its support for multiple data ports. The MacBook Neo is the first A series chip product sold with multiple data ports.

Every iPhone and iPad sold, whether it be 30-pin, Lightning, or USB-C, has had only one data point.

The MacBook Neo does not have the best port game of any Mac. One of the two USB-C ports is limited to slow USB 2 data speeds and does not support external displays. However, it is the first Apple computer to have at least two data ports.

High-end USB 3/DisplayPort offers good use for data transfer or connecting an external display, while the slower data port is suitable for charging during data transfer.

The MacBook Neo is available for pre-order at $599 ahead of its release date on Wednesday, March 11.

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