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Apple unveils its most affordable laptop, MacBook Neo: Features, availability and price in the UAE
MacBook Neo features an A18 Pro chip, a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, and up to 16 hours battery life. Pre-orders begin now, with in-store availability starting March 11
- PUBLISHED: Thu 5 Mar 2026, 3:32 PM
Apple on Wednesday unveiled the MacBook Neo, a new entry-level laptop designed to bring the Mac experience to a wider audience at a significantly lower price point.
The device combines Apple’s signature aluminium design, a vibrant display, and the company’s A18 Pro chip to deliver strong everyday performance and AI capabilities.
Colourful design and lightweight build
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MacBook Neo features a durable aluminium enclosure with soft rounded edges and a lightweight design that weighs just 2.7 pounds. The laptop is available in four colours: blush, indigo, silver, and a new citrus finish, making it one of the most colourful MacBooks yet.
The colour theme extends to the Magic Keyboard and wallpapers, creating a cohesive design aesthetic aimed at students and everyday users.
13-inch Liquid Retina display
The laptop includes a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2408-by-1506 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and support for one billion colours.
Apple says the panel offers higher brightness and sharper resolution than many laptops in the same price category. An anti-reflective coating helps maintain visibility in bright environments, whether users are watching movies, editing photos, or joining video calls.
A18 Pro chip powers performance and AI
At the heart of MacBook Neo is Apple’s A18 Pro chip, delivering significant performance improvements for everyday computing.
According to Apple, the laptop is up to 50 per cent faster for common tasks such as web browsing and document editing compared to leading PCs powered by Intel Core Ultra 5 processors. For AI workloads, including advanced photo effects and on-device machine learning, the system can be up to three times faster.
The chip includes a 5-core GPU for graphics tasks and a 16-core Neural Engine designed to accelerate Apple Intelligence features. The fanless design also means the MacBook Neo runs completely silent.
Battery life, camera and connectivity
MacBook Neo delivers up to 16 hours of battery life on a single charge, making it suitable for a full day of work, study, or streaming.
The laptop also includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones with beamforming technology, and dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support.
Connectivity options include two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 6.
Running macOS Tahoe, the MacBook Neo supports Apple Intelligence features and integrates seamlessly with the iPhone through Continuity tools like Handoff, Universal Clipboard, and iPhone Mirroring. With strong performance, long battery life and an affordable starting price, MacBook Neo aims to make the Mac ecosystem more accessible than ever.
Pricing and availability in the UAE
Starting at Dh2,599, the MacBook Neo is now Apple’s most affordable laptop ever. Pre-orders are open through Apple’s UAE online store and Apple Store locations, with availability beginning on March 11.
It was a big week for Apple as it announced several new products over three days, starting on March 2. On Monday and Tuesday, the Cupertino tech giant launched the iPhone 17e, the new iPad Air, the new MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max.
