Treating yourself to a shiny new MacBook has never been cheap. Even older models launched back in 2024 still cost almost £800, which is a vast amount of cash, especially compared to some Windows 11 PCs and Google-powered Chromebooks. These Apple rivals can be picked up for well under £300, making them a popular choice for students and those who don’t want a high-end laptop. Apple has clearly realised it needs to fight back and offer a device that is far more wallet-friendly.

The firm’s answer to this lower cost conundrum is called the MacBook Neo.

It starts from just £599, which is £500 less than the new M5-powered MacBook Air. That sounds like a bit of a bargain, but has Apple had to cut too many corners to make things more affordable, and is the Neo any good?

I’ve had it on my lap since it was unveiled at a launch event in London, and there’s no question that the Neo feels far more premium than its lower price suggests.

Apple hasn’t scrimped on materials or features, and although the Neo won’t match the latest MacBook Air or supremely powerful M5 Pro machines, it’s a very capable computer that will be perfect for the vast majority of users.

It also stands out from the boring PC crowd as there’s no horrid black plastic casing in sight. In fact, it’s covered in premium aluminium and comes in four colours: Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo.

The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is sharp and packed with colour, there’s a decent 1080p FaceTime HD camera (although it lacks Apple’s Centre Stage tech that follows you on calls to frame you centrally) and a dual-mic array with enhanced beamforming technology which is designed to isolate and enhance your voice during video calls.

It even features some pretty powerful dual side-firing speakers with clever Spatial Audio. These are not as good as the high-fidelity six-speaker sound system in the MacBook Pro, but I’ve been surprised by how immersive things are when watching a movie or listening to music. It really does appear that audio is hitting your ears from all directions.

To help keep costs down and separate it from the MacBook Air and Pro, the Neo is powered by the A18 Pro chip – not the usual M brains found in Apple’s other PCs.

That’s the same processor you’ll find in the iPhone 16 Pro range of smartphones. Now, you might be worried about whether a phone chip can really power a laptop. Well, the answer is, yes, it can.

I’ve had no issues running multiple apps at the same time, editing home videos in iMovie and watching blockbuster films on the display. Apple isn’t suggesting for one minute that pro users – or those who demand oodles of power – should switch to a Neo.

This is an entry-level PC built for everyday use, and it handles everything incredibly well.

Anyone who simply sends some emails, browses the web, plays the odd game and watches movies will have absolutely no issues with this device.

It has decent battery life, which Apple says can keep the display glowing for around 16 hours if you treat things kindly.

During my early tests, I’ve not quite reached that figure but I have passed the 10 hour mark quite easily.

Power does drop the more intensive the tasks – and that includes the use of Google Chrome – but I’ve not been worried when leaving home without a charger.

Of course, this is a cheaper MacBook, so there are some compromises. It only comes with two configurations: a 256GB and a 512GB model – both get a pretty measly 8GB of RAM, which can’t be upgraded.

The smaller 256GB storage model also doesn’t get a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. That’s a must-have feature I use all the time, as it makes unlocking the screen faster and more secure, along with offering an easy way to pay for things online.

If you want Touch ID included, you’ll need to spend an extra £100 on the 512GB Neo.

For some strange reason, there’s no MagSafe charging port, which is a massive shame.

MagSafe instantly releases if someone walks by and knocks the cable. That means your expensive laptop is far less likely to go flying across the room.

Instead of a MagSafe port, Apple has added two USB-C sockets for charging and plugging in extra accessories – such as external displays and a dock.

It’s not a deal breaker, just make sure two ports are enough for your needs.

Another thing to note is that Apple does not include an adaptor in the box, so you will need to spend at least £20 more if you don’t already own a 20W plug.

The colour-matched Magic Keyboard is really nice to use, but it is not backlit, which is a downside, and the trackpad ditches Apple’s clever Force Touch technology to switch to a mechanical Multi-Touch trackpad instead.

It’s way better and more precise than any cheap Windows PC I’ve used, but you don’t get features found on the more expensive MacBooks, such as pressure sensitive clicks.

Despite a few missing features, the Neo has really impressed me. It’s fun, fast and fabulous to use.

£599 also makes it feel incredibly affordable for a MacBook, and I can see it on plenty of Christmas wishlists later this year.

Just beware that this isn’t a Pro machine for super-intensive tasks, and if you think you might suddenly want to start editing movies in 4K resolution or retouch huge image files, then I’d probably avoid the Neo and go straight for an M5-powered Air or latest MacBook Pro instead.

However, anyone who has been dreaming of owning a MacBook for those simpler daily digital tasks is going to love the Neo.

It’s leaps ahead of all of its cheap rivals and finally means owning a budget PC doesn’t mean having to put up with a dismal screen, dire keyboard and uninspiring design.

I think Apple could have a very big hit on its hands.