It's been a wild week for Apple. After announcing a slew of new hardware, the company capped things off with its cheapest laptop ever: the $599 MacBook Neo. It's low on specs, but high on character and value. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham dive into the MacBook Neo, as well as the refreshed MacBook Air M5, MacBook Pro M5 Pro/Max, iPad Air M4 and iPhone 17e.
Whether you're talking about the iBook, MacBook, or MacBook Air, Apple's most basic laptops have started at or within $100 of the $1,000 price point for over 20 years. But as far as what Apple would actively advertise and offer on its own site and in its own retail stores, we've never seen anything for substantially below $1,000.
The $499 price point makes cheap Windows PCs and Chromebooks much harder to justify. Plus, the Neo isn't the only Apple product that can offer some savings. The new iPad M4 Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air are also available with educational savings.