Apple Launches First-Ever MacBook Powered by an iPhone Chip: MacBook Neo

Apple has revealed a new entry‑level MacBook that runs on the A18 Pro chip, the same processor inside the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple positions this machine as a cheaper introduction to the macOS ecosystem, making it a direct competitor to Chromebooks and other productivity-focused laptops designed for lightweight tasks.

The A18 Pro chip uses a 3nm process, features a 6‑core CPU and a 6-core GPU, and includes a Neural Engine. In contrast, the M5 MacBook Air (also announced this week) uses a Mac‑class M5 chip with a 10‑core CPU, 10‑core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine, and much higher memory bandwidth—but it costs nearly twice as much as the Neo.

The MacBook Neo starts at $599 for the 256GB model, though a 512GB, Touch ID-equipped variant is available for $699. It has a 13‑inch Liquid Retina display with uniform iPad‑style bezels (meaning the ...