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MacBook Neo: Apple’s affordable laptop is also easy to repair

Person installing a memory module inside the open back panel of a MacBook Air on a wooden table.

Apple made a string of product announcements this March, and one of the standouts was the MacBook Neo. With this model, the company is effectively opening a new segment: a cheaper MacBook intended to take on budget Windows laptops and Chromebooks.

To hit a lower price point, Apple has clearly made trade-offs - including using an iPhone A18 Pro chip rather than a processor designed specifically for Macs. Those choices allow Apple to list the MacBook Neo at 699 euros.

MacBook Neo: a budget price that changes the game

The MacBook Neo’s most obvious selling point is its affordability. It is positioned as the entry route into Apple’s laptop line-up, aimed squarely at people who might otherwise buy a low-cost PC.

A YouTube teardown shows the MacBook Neo is easy to repair

There is, however, another advantage Apple did not highlight during the launch: the MacBook Neo appears to be unusually straightforward to repair.

Soon after release, the YouTube channel TECH RE-NU dismantled the machine. The video points to a modular internal layout and parts that can be removed easily using screwdrivers. As the channel puts it: “We note the complete absence of stretch-release adhesive strips, glue, a battery secured by 18 screws and a tiny logic board.” The teardown took less than 10 minutes.

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Another plus point for the MacBook Neo

It is still too early to say how well the MacBook Neo will sell. Even so, despite relying on an iPhone chip, Apple claims the MacBook Neo is “up to 50% faster for everyday tasks, such as web browsing, and up to 3 times faster when running AI tasks like applying advanced effects to photos compared with the best-selling PC equipped with the latest Intel Core Ultra 5 processor”.

Apple also says the MacBook Neo has a brighter display with higher resolution than most PCs in its price bracket.

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