How MacBook Neo is making Windows laptop makers feel jittery

For years, buying a MacBook meant stretching your budget. Even the “affordable” option, the MacBook Air, slowly moved into premium territory. So when Apple introduced the MacBook Neo, priced at Rs 69,900, it didn’t just add another laptop to the lineup. It changed the entry point into the Apple ecosystem. Also Read: Apple MacBook Neo, M5 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iPad Air Go sale in India begins today: Check details

And that’s where things start getting interesting, not just for users, but for the entire Windows laptop market. Also Read: MacBook Neo 2 may get iPhone 17 Pro chip and touchscreen display

A different kind of “affordable” MacBook

At first glance, the MacBook Neo looks familiar. It carries the same aluminium build, clean design, and minimal aesthetic that Apple has stuck with for years. It weighs around 1.23kg, making it easy to carry, and features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with up to 500 nits of brightness. Also Read: MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M5: Which Apple laptop should you buy?

However, the major changes are under the hood. Instead of the usual M-series chips, Apple is using the A18 Pro chip, the same one found in its latest iPhones. That may not sound exciting for many imagining an iPhone chipset inside a MacBook, but Apple claims it is enough for everyday usage, such as browsing, streaming, documents, and basic editing. Apple also claims improved efficiency for certain AI-related tasks compared to some entry-level PCs.

Battery life is another strong point, as it claims to offer up to 16 hours on a single charge, along with essentials like a 1080p camera, dual microphones, Wi-Fi 6E, and USB-C connectivity.

On paper, it clearly offers near Pro-level specs. But that’s not the point.

Price makes the Windows laptop makers worry

At Rs 69,900, the MacBook Neo directly enters a space that has long been dominated by Windows laptops from brands like Asus, HP, Dell, and Lenovo. This is where students, first-time buyers, and budget buyers usually look… until now! And Apple has never been part of this.

But with the launch of the Neo, Apple is finally being considered. And it plays a slightly different game. It controls both hardware and software, and now, by using a chip already developed for iPhones, it has found a way to bring costs down. 

Yes, Apple has made a few calculated trade-offs. The display sticks to standard colour support, there’s no backlit keyboard, and the base configuration starts with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. But even with those compromises, the overall package feels competitive. More importantly, Apple is clearly targeting Chromebooks and entry-level Windows laptops.

A student choosing between a plastic-built Windows laptop and a metal-bodied MacBook at a similar price might now pause and rethink. Not just because of performance, but because of long-term software support, ecosystem features, and resale value, areas where Apple usually does well.

There’s also an interesting point to note. The MacBook Neo lowers the barrier to entry. Once users step into the Apple ecosystem, it becomes easier for the company to build long-term loyalty. On the other hand, Windows makers can still compete on specs such as more RAM, more ports, better customisation, but the Neo shifts the conversation from “what specs do you get” to “what experience do you get.”

Whether it will truly leave an impact on the Windows laptop makers to bring down the prices of their respective devices within this range or not, but Apple has finally made it clear that MacBooks are no longer just about “premium price.”

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And now, the rest of the market will have to respond.