The first reviews of the MacBook Neo are in, ahead of Wednesday's launch. Powered by Apple's A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro, the 13-inch laptop starts at just $599 in the U.S., or $499 for students and educators. Available in Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver, it features up to 512GB storage but comes with a non-configurable 8GB of RAM.

Most reviewers praise the Neo's value proposition. The Verge found the 8GB RAM "totally adequate" for everyday tasks like web browsing and Google Docs, noting the A18 Pro chip outperforms Apple's M1 MacBook Air in single-core benchmarks. Bloomberg highlighted the aluminum design and dual speakers, calling it a "no-brainer purchase" for casual users. Tom's Guide reported impressive battery life of 13 hours and 28 minutes, topping the Surface Laptop Go 3 but falling short of the latest MacBook Air.

While the MacBook Neo excels at light workloads, reviewers note limitations with heavier creative apps due to the modest RAM and storage. The consensus: this $600 laptop delivers remarkable value for its target audience, though power users should look elsewhere. Additional reviews from Ars Technica, CNET, WIRED, and 9to5Mac echo similar sentiments about its performance-to-price ratio.