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MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M5: Apple’s latest MacBooks compared
It’s fair to say that Apple isn’t known for its affordability, especially when it comes to its laptops.
Previously, the “cheapest” MacBook was the MacBook Air which used to start at an eye-watering £999/$999, though Apple has recently raised its starting price up to £1299/$1299. However, earlier this year Apple unveiled the MacBook Neo, an affordable laptop that starts at just £699/$699.
But what really separates the MacBook Air from the MacBook Neo? Sure, the Neo is the cheaper of the two, but will you miss out on too many features? Or is the Neo perfectly sufficient for most users?
We’ve reviewed both the latest MacBook Air (M5) and the MacBook Neo, and highlighted the key differences and noteworthy similarities between the two below. Otherwise, make sure you visit our round-up of the best laptops and best student laptops.
Price and Availability
The latest iteration of the MacBook Air is with the M5 chip, and it’s available to buy now with a starting RRP of £1299/$1299. It comes in a choice between four colours: Sky Blue, Silver, Midnight and Starlight.
In comparison, the MacBook Neo is pretty affordable, with a starting RRP of £699/$699. Unlike the Air, the Neo comes in a more vibrant choice of colours including Silver, Blush, Citrus and Indigo.
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Design
- Despite weighing the same as the MacBook Air M5, MacBook Neo feels denser
- Unlike the MacBook Neo, every MacBook Air M5 model gets a Touch ID key
- Both have two USB-C ports, a headphone jack and a MagSafe charger
Although it’s cheaper, the MacBook Neo is a surprisingly attractive laptop that looks unmistakably Apple. However, while both weigh the same at 1.23kg, we concluded that the Neo feels denser in comparison to the Air, with the latter remaining the sleekest MacBook you can currently buy.
That’s not to say the Neo is a cumbersome device. Quite the opposite, as we found that thanks to its aluminium frame, the Neo feels great to use and carry around. It’s just that the MacBook Air is the sleeker of the two.
Both MacBooks here are equipped with a pretty measly selection of ports, with two USB-Cs, the magnetic MagSafe connector and a headphone jack. The Air’s USB-C ports are Thunderbolt 4 which is useful, whereas the Neo has one slow and one faster port instead. That’s somewhat understandable, as Apple obviously had to make some sacrifices to justify the Neo’s lower price. In fact, there are a couple more omissions that you should consider before choosing the Neo over the Air.
Firstly, the Neo has a mechanical trackpad which feels less responsive than the Air’s excellent haptic trackpad. In addition, the Air boasts a keyboard backlight which is lost on the Neo. Finally, while every MacBook Air is fitted with a Touch ID sensor for biometric unlocking, you’ll have to pay an additional £100/$100 to get this on the Neo. None of these factors are necessarily game-changers but they are still worth considering if you’re coming from a MacBook Air. For example, I use a MacBook Air on a daily basis and have undoubtedly come to rely on the Touch ID sensor.
With that in mind, we’ll give the win here to the MacBook Air. However, we love the colour choices of the MacBook Neo and wish this was something Apple would introduce with the Air.
Winner: MacBook Air
Screen
- MacBook Neo is only a 13-inch laptop, whereas the Air comes as either a 13- or 15-inch
- MacBook Air supports more colours in the P3 colour gamut and Apple’s True Tone software
When comparing the screens of the Air and Neo, the difference between the two is clear. Put simply, the MacBook Air boasts a much nicer screen than the Neo, thanks to the fact it supports more colours in the P3 gamut and its True Tone technology that alters the display’s colour temperature depending on the lighting and environment. The MacBook Air also benefits from coming in a larger 15-inch model, whereas the Neo is only available as a 13-incher.
MacBook Neo
MacBook Air M5
Even so, the Neo’s screen is still pretty decent. Sure, it’s not as bright or vibrant as the Air, but it’s currently the only MacBook that doesn’t have a notch dipping into the display, for a completely interruption-free screen.
Winner: MacBook Air
Performance
- MacBook Neo is the first to be powered by an iPhone chip
- MacBook Air comes with 16GB memory and 512GB storage as standard
- Both run macOS and support Apple Intelligence
The MacBook Air runs on Apple’s own M5 chip, which is currently the latest iteration of the desktop processor. While on paper M5 doesn’t seem like a major upgrade over M4, or even M3 for that matter, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as we still found the Air to be a fast laptop that can handle more or less everything. Even editing multiple streams of 4K video in Final Cut or playing intense titles like Tomb Raider didn’t cause the laptop to stutter.
One of the key upgrades with the M5 is its support for Bluetooth 6 and WiFi 7, with the latter especially enabling much faster upload and download speeds when paired with a compatible router.
Otherwise, the MacBook Air comes with 16GB memory and 512GB storage as standard, though you can choose to upgrade both if you wish – though it’ll cost you.
Instead of using an M-chip, the MacBook Neo is the first Apple laptop that’s powered by an iPhone chip: the A18 Pro. While it’s obviously not as powerful as a desktop-level processor, don’t let the thought of an iPhone chip put you off, as we found the device worked brilliantly in most everyday tasks. Plus it supports Apple Intelligence too and runs macOS.
However, we should still disclaim that this isn’t a laptop for mighty workloads. While it can edit 4K videos and plays some gaming titles well enough, this is a laptop that’s best for browsing the web, streaming, working on documents and the like.
Unlike the MacBook Air, the Neo comes with just 8GB of memory and doesn’t even have the option to upgrade it either. Not only that, but its base model comes with 256GB storage but you can double this for an additional £100/$100. Remember, paying that extra £/$100 will also get you the Touch ID sensor too.
Purely because it’s more powerful, we’ll give the win here to the MacBook Air. Having said that, you should consider your genuine needs when deciding between the two laptops. If you’re not an online gamer, nor do you ever need to edit videos or photos, then the MacBook Neo will likely provide you with all the power you realistically need.
Winner: MacBook Air
Battery
- Both offer a reliable, all-day battery life
- In certain regions, Apple doesn’t include a charger with either the MacBook Air nor Neo
Annoyingly, at least for certain regions like in the UK, Apple doesn’t include a charger with either the MacBook Air or MacBook Neo. While it does include the MagSafe cable, only the MacBook Air’s own is colour matched to the laptop itself.
Otherwise, both laptops can easily sail through a day at the office before conking out. In fact, we found the MacBook Air M5 could see through a busy day and still end with around 30% of charge left in the tank.
Winner: MacBook Air
Verdict
When deciding between the MacBook Air M5 and the MacBook Neo, it’s important to factor in your budget and how you realistically plan on using your laptop. If you’re looking for a more casual device to see you through your studies, browsing the web and perhaps light gaming through Apple Arcade, then the MacBook Neo offers just the right amount of power.
On the other hand, if you do need to complete more graphically intense tasks, want an overall nicer screen and more RAM, then the MacBook Air is easily the better recommendation of the two – just make sure you factor in its higher price.
