Apple introduced a completely new laptop at the beginning of March: the MacBook Neo. This is a model below the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro at a very reasonable price of 699 euros (256 GB SSD) or 799 euros (512 GB SSD) in the Apple Store. The buyer has to accept some compromises compared to the MacBook Air – but most of the points are unlikely to be noticed by users. Only the non-expandable RAM of only 8 GB could prove to be an obstacle in the future. Forecast doubled
The entire tech industry has been in turmoil since the launch because Apple is offering a very affordable and high-quality laptop in times of price increases. Apple itself probably did not expect such success, as Apple originally predicted five million devices would be sold by 2026. Ming-Chi Kuo now claims to have learned from supplier circles that Apple has doubled the original order quantities for 2026 to 10 million in order to be able to meet demand.
Cannibalism?
However, it is not yet clear whether the MacBook Neo is a good deal for Apple. Two scenarios are conceivable here: With the MacBook Neo, Apple could appeal to customers who have not yet owned a Mac. However, it is also conceivable that buyers who would otherwise have picked up a MacBook Air are now considering a MacBook Neo. Since Apple uses “sorted out” processors for the MacBook Neo, the company still achieves high margins with the inexpensive device. However, it will only become clear in a few quarters which scenario will occur.
Delivery times vary, cheap offer on Amazon
In the Apple Online Store, delivery times have been fluctuating for weeks between one and three weeks for all colors and the two SSD storage options (256 GB and 512 GB). However, you can currently find a good offer on Amazon that is available at short notice: the 256 GB version is for sale here for 599 to 605 euros (depending on the color) – and the 512 GB version with Touch ID is available for 689 to 715 euros. Sales and shipping are carried out by Amazon, so this offer can be rated as relatively risk-free.
