MacBook Neo sets new sales record for 'first-time' Mac buyers

Apple's recent announcement and launch of the new MacBook Neo range made headlines, marking the company's big entry into the affordable laptop market. With prices starting at $599 USD, Apple created one of its most affordable MacBooks to date by leveraging the A18 Pro processor that previously powered the iPhone 16 Pro.

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And when you pair that with an impressive 13-inch Liquid Retina display, 8GB of memory, and storage options of 256GB or 512GB, the MacBook Neo instantly became as attractive as it is affordable to a large group of people. And with that, the launch has been a resounding success, because it looks like Apple has successfully appealed to the traditional affordable PC laptop market with a viable alternative.

According to a new post on social media by Apple CEO Tim Cook, "Mac just had its best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers." The takeaway here is "first-time," because it means the MacBook Neo has brought new people into the Apple ecosystem in a way not seen before.

And although we don't have specific sales figures, the MacBook Neo is currently sold out at various retail outlets or is available in limited supply with a two- to three-week wait in the United States when purchased from the official online store. Although the 8GB of memory limitation (and there's no upgrade path due to how the A18 Pro processor is configured) has been the main focal point when discussing the device's drawbacks, reviews have generally been positive, with the MacBook Neo winning several awards.

Ultimately, with 2026 leading to price increases for most laptops due to soaring memory costs, the MacBook Neo for $599 presents something of a disruption - and this can be seen with the news that it's bringing people over from PC to Mac.