Apple’s decision to put an A-series chip in the new MacBook Neo raised more than a few eyebrows. And doubts about its performance.
But comparing the MacBook Neo’s A18 Pro — which debuted a year and a half ago in the iPhone 16 Pro — with previous Mac processors shows that the A-series chip is surprisingly powerful.
MacBook Neo performance: Let’s be realistic
Wednesday’s announcement of the MacBook Neo brought a wave of celebration. At $599, it’s the most affordable macOS laptop Apple has ever released.
But there are also some doubts about a Mac powered by an A18 Pro processor rather than an M-series one. And some of the criticism comes from people who clearly don’t understand what entry-level computers get used for.
Apple laid out what it expects owners of the new computer to use it for.
“MacBook Neo can fly through everyday tasks, from browsing the web and streaming content, to editing photos, exploring creative hobbies, or using AI capabilities across apps,” the company said in a press release announcing the new laptop.
Given the benchmark scores the A18 Pro earns, it can certainly handle online shopping, looking at videos of cats online, watching Netflix, sending emails and similar basic tasks.
A18 Pro performance: Benchmarks
The MacBook Neo isn’t in the hands of reviewers yet, so we don’t have benchmark scores for it. But Geekbench 6 is a cross-platform benchmark application designed to let users compare the performance of processors, whether they are running macOS or iOS.
The A18 Pro scored 3,445 on Geekbench’s Single Core test and 8,624 on the Multi Core test. For comparison, the Apple M1 chip scored 2,323 on Geekbench’s Single Core test and 8,186 on the Multi Core test.
That’s important because there are still many M1-powered MacBooks in use around the world, even though they date back to 2020. And plenty of people who own them don’t need a new computer because the M1 is fast enough.
Apple’s M2 processor scored 2,587 on the Geekbench 6 Single Core test, still slower than the A18 Pro. That said, its Multi Core score hit 9,644, exceeding the A18 Pro.
Looking further afield, the Intel N100, a chip commonly used in entry-level Windows laptops, scored just 3,129 on the Geekbench 6 Multi Core test, way behind the A18 Pro.
Stripping out the numbers, the A18 Pro is a better choice for the MacBook Neo than the M1, and almost as good as an M2. Obviously, an M3 or M4 would have been even better, but Apple had to scale back features to hit the $599 price.
Speaking of which, the new budget model doesn’t make the MacBook Air unnecessary. If you need more than 512GB storage, a larger screen, a backlit keyboard, support for multiple external displays or other bonus features, you need an Air, not a Neo.
iPhone chips aren’t rubbish
Don’t be surprised that an iPhone chip is so very capable. Apple’s A-series and M-series processors share the same ARM-based CPU architecture. M-series processors expand on the A-series designs by adding more CPU and GPU cores, higher memory bandwidth and support for larger amounts of RAM. But the two chip families differ mainly in scale rather than fundamentals.
The A18 Pro features a six-core CPU, with two high-performance cores running at about 4.04 GHz and four efficiency cores clocked at roughly 2.42 GHz. The version used in the MacBook Neo includes a 5-core GPU for handling graphics, and a 16-core Neural Engine for AI tasks.
That’s a capable chip.
About that 8GB of RAM
On Apple silicon, it’s called “unified memory” not RAM, but the two are similar enough that the differences aren’t worth bringing up here. What’s important is that the MacBook Neo includes 8GB of it, and some people insist that 16GB is the minimum for acceptable performance for any macOS computer.
That’s an argument difficult to justify. Certainly, Apple doesn’t agree. 8GB is the only option for the entry-level MacBook Neo, and was the default amount on Macs — even MacBook Pros — until just a couple of years ago.
Understanding that 8GB of unified memory/RAM is enough for the MacBook Neo goes back to the ways the target market will use the computer. It’s for writing papers for English 101 or buying dog food. (It’s also great for watching KPop Demon Hunters or looking at TikTok or Pinterest.)
None of that will strain the MacBook Neo.
Maybe MacBook Neo is/isn’t for you
If your first thought about the MacBook Neo’s A18 Pro processor and 8GB of RAM was that it is totally inadequate for you to run Xcode or virtualization software, then you’re not in the target market for Apple’s new entry-level laptop.
The good news is that Apple makes plenty more Macs that are far more powerful. You should probably be looking at the newly upgraded MacBook Pro.
But if you’re an iPhone user in the market for an affordable computer to use around the home, Apple finally offers a laptop for you. And the A18 Pro processor will give it all the oomph it needs.
The MacBook Neo is Apple’s entry-level laptop. It has Apple’s signature all-day battery life and ease of use. It can swim through web browsing, document editing and other basic work tasks.
But if you want higher specs than its 8 GB memory or the maximum 512 GB storage, the MacBook Air may be a better choice.
- 16-hour battery life
- Bright, fun colors
- Thin and light design
- No MagSafe
- USB 3 and USB 2 ports
- No support for high-resolution displays
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
2 responses to “Don’t underestimate it: MacBook Neo packs surprising performance”
It will be interesting to see how the KeanuBook will be received.
Hard not to wonder whether Jobs would have signed off on it or not. The price is finally competitive, and yes, Unified RAM is just different. Will consumers understand that? Apple has certainly done its market research and feels that the brand name and price will carry the day.
Previous “low-priced” MacBooks have not done well. Remember the 12-inch MacBook, introduced in March 2015, starting at $1299? That was awful, and even a decade later, there is nothing about a $1,400 (includes tax) low-end laptop that suggests a “bargain.”
So this is definitely different.
Neo can’t have the margins that the rest of Apple’s hardware does, but perhaps it’s an ecosystem play? Get less affluent customers to see how cool it is to text from a Mac, or see it sync with your more expensive iPhone, or Apple Watch, or iCloud or wherever the pull is.
I hope it works and doesn’t cannibalize the MBAir, which I love. At this price point, it shouldn’t.
I’ll be interested in those real-world reviews.
Steve would have loved the Neo. His lifelong dream was to make the best computers accessible to everyone. Just like how he delighted in surprising everyone with the original iPad at only $499, he would have relished in revealing the price of the Neo. I’m very excited to review it.
The 12-inch MacBook is the G4 Cube of the 2010s: Cool, but not any cheaper and worse in a lot of ways that matter.