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Apple faces a dilemma that most manufacturers don’t mind solving. New budget friendly MacBook Neo They are selling so quickly that the tech giant may run out of laptops before it can produce more.
One way Apple was able to achieve this low price for the Neo was by using a “discarded” version of the A18 Pro chip, which is a leftover from the Neo chip. iPhone 16 Pro. This discarded chipset has a minor manufacturing flaw in one of its six integrated graphics cores — which is why the MacBook Neo has five GPU cores, while the iPhone 16 Pro has six. Instead of spending money to manufacture a processor for the Neo, Apple simply relied on supplies it already had on hand.
The problem, according to Tim Culpan in his Columbium newsletteris that this supply of discarded A18 Pro processors is limited and low. Colban reported that Apple was planning to produce between 5 and 6 million MacBook Neos. With demand outstripping supply, Apple may need to produce more Neos devices before the update arrives next year.
Next year’s MacBook Neo is rumored to have an Apple A19 Pro processor and 12GB of unified memory. This year’s version has an A18 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM.
The A19 Pro is rumored to arrive on the Neo next year
Culpan also reports that next year’s MacBook Neo will feature the discarded A19 Pro chips left over from iPhone 17 Pro. While this is the next logical step after the inaugural A18 Pro-based model released last month, Apple has yet to share its future plans for the Neo. If the second generation Neo arrives with the A19 Pro, it will also come with 12GB of unified memory. The A18 Pro only has 8GB of unified memory.
Booting up a new set of A18 Pro chips isn’t as easy as it sounds, and it’s certainly not as cost-effective as using chips you’ve already made that are doing nothing but collecting dust in the warehouse. If Apple makes a new A18 Pro chipset, it may need to increase the price of the Neo. And with rising costs of RAM, storage, and aluminum, Apple faces multiple challenges to maintain the MacBook Neo’s low entry price of $599.
Converting the lock button to a Touch ID sensor is part of the $100 Neo upgrade that also comes with more storage.
The other option is to accelerate the Neo’s update schedule and release the A19 Pro version before its expected arrival in spring 2027.
Could we see a new Neo before the end of this year? It’s doubtful that Apple will lift the second-generation version of the Neo in time for the holiday shopping season. But if so, please allow me to add Touch ID to my holiday wish list for the base MacBook Neo — while maintaining its low starting price.