MacBook is back! Apple introduces the MacBook Neo – a laptop at iPad prices

Apple's MacBook Neo is a new low-cost MacBook for all users, and it's available for pre-order now.

It's marks the return of a MacBook for all, with a price that's closer to an iPad than the MacBook Air, and it looks fantastic. You get all the features and functionality of a Mac, but with a more friendly and fun aesthetic.

The new model revealed today, simultaneously at events in London, New York and Shanghai, brings back a more playful look to the Mac, with rounded features and an extremely compact design.

Coming in a choice of four colours, including a stand-out citrus, the Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display and weighs just 2.7lbs (1.22kg). As a first for a MacBook, it's powered by an A18 Pro chip, as used in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Best of all, though, is the price. The MacBook Neo is launching for £599 / $599. That's the same as the iPad Air M4.

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That's not to say Apple has skimped on the build quality and hardware though, far from it. The case is aluminium, even in the brighter colours, and you get up to 16 hours of battery life in general use.

The MacBook Neo comes with Touch ID on the Magic Keyboard's power button (on the 512GB version), so keeps the device locked to your own fingerprint, and there's a 1080p FaceTime HD camera in the upper bezel for video calls.

Dual microphones are on board too, with directional beamforming tech, and there are dual side-firing speakers that support Spatial Video and Dolby Atmos playback – albeit virtually.

The laptop supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 for wireless connectivity, although ports have been kept to a minimum, so you will need an adapter to use it with Ethernet.

There are two USB-C ports, which can double for data transmission and power, and you get a headphone jack on the other side.

Pre-orders for the MacBook Neo are open now on Apple.com, with two variants on offer (256GB and 512GB) in citrus (yellow), blush (pink), Indigo (blue), and Silver colours.

Apple has also recently added new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models to its lineup, in what must be the biggest refresh of its laptop range in many years.