I put the MacBook Neo through the same tests as I did the MacBook Air M1 — I think the results will surprise you

Few laptops have enjoyed the staying power of the MacBook Air M1. Six years ago, I called it "an astonishing breakthrough." It was the first Mac to feature Apple Silicon and the last Air to wear that iconic wedge design. As recently as last year, people were still buying this system for roughly $699 at Walmart.

As it finally shifts into refurb-only availability, the MacBook Air M1 remains the affordable Mac to beat, and now, with the MacBook Neo, that iconic Mac has met its match.

Like that system before it, the MacBook Neo breaks new ground for Apple. We've never seen an affordable MacBook like it. From the day-glo colors to the iPhone CPU (oh, hey, A18 Pro), the $599 / £599 / AU$899 MacBook Neo stands out among its peers, and has put the affordable laptop market (bargain basement Windows systems and Chromebooks) on notice.

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While that comparison is obvious, I admit to some surprise that the most frequent question I got about the MacBook Neo is how it compares to the MacBook Air M1, not the M2 or even the recently unveiled MacBook Air M5 (an exceptional portable).

The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I, too, remain a massive fan of that M1 model — from its classic design to the still excellent price/performance ratio. It's worth remembering, though, that the MacBook Air M1 started at $999, $400 more than you'll spend today for the MacBook Neo.

I still have the MacBook Air M1 I tested in 2020, and so I did what any rational tech reviewer would do: I compared it directly with the MacBook Neo by running the latter through virtually all the same tests.

TLDR: Despite a mobile processor, the MacBook Neo more than holds its own against the MacBook Air M1.

MacBook Neo refresher

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First, let's talk about the new MacBook Neo. From a design perspective, the laptop's aesthetic owes far more to its more recent predecessors than the MacBook Air M1. That laptop marked the end of the line for a look and feel unveiled by Steve Jobs in 2008.

The MacBook Neo is like a smaller yet thicker MacBook Air, and with a better sense of style, thanks to a collection of bright colors like my test unit's Citrus finish. It's built around the A18 Pro that originally appeared in the iPhone 16 Pro, lacks a backlit keyboard, and only has TouchID in the $699 / £699 / AU$1099 model (like my test unit).

Turns out that the MacBook Neo is slightly smaller and a touch lighter than the MacBook Air M1. I can't really compare thickness, because the wedge-shaped M1 ranges from 0.16 inches to just over half an inch. The MacBook Neo is a neat 0.5 inches from edge to edge.

The M1 screen is slightly larger than what you get on the Neo and offers slightly higher resolutions (227ppi versus 219ppi on the Neo). But the Neo is, at 500 nits, the brighter screen.

Both systems have just two USB-C ports, but the M1's are Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, while the Neo offers just one USB-3 (10 Gbps) port and one USB-2 port.

The gap narrowed when I started looking at core components and actual performance.

Now, keep in mind that my test units were not the base systems, but they still have comparable memory and storage (8GB of Unified RAM, and 512GB of storage — the base model of both systems is 256GB of storage).

MacBook Neo A18 Pro:

• 6‑core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
• 5‑core GPU
• Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
• 16-core Neural Engine

MacBook M1:

• 8-core CPU with 4 perform­ance cores and 4 efficiency cores
• 8-core GPU
• 16-core Neural Engine

As you can see, the M1 shipped with more performance cores and, in my test unit, more GPU cores.

With that information in hand, I started by running Geekbench 6 benchmarks on both systems. For the sake of comparison, I included some MacBook Air M5 results.

As you can see, the MacBook Neo actually bests the MacBook Air M1 on single-core performance and is quite close on multi-core. The disparity is greatest in Metal scores, which makes sense when you consider the MacBook Air M1's total GPU cores.

Enter the real world

What matters more to me, though, are real-world tests. Again, I dug back into my original MacBook Air M1 review and did my best to recreate the test suite.

I started by installing Adobe Photoshop, crossing my fingers that a system really designed for everyday work and not professionals could handle it. It would be the first time I'd be running the desktop version of Photoshop on an iPhone chip.

I needn't have worried. I easily installed Adobe Creative Cloud and Photoshop and then started manipulating multi-layered photos. I even ran some AI, asking Adobe Firefly to select a subject (Alicia Keys singing at an Apple 50th Anniversary event) and then replace Keys with someone else doing the exact same thing. It took a moment, but it worked.

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Pixelmator Pro is another app I used on the M1, so I installed it here and edited a few of my photos.

I installed a couple of iPhone apps to see how they looked and worked on the platform. As on the MacBook Air M1, they appear in an iPhone-sized window and work perfectly.

Next, I installed Asphalt 8: Airborne and had fun using the keyboard to play. By the way, the side-firing dual speakers sounded quite good.

I opened Netflix and streamed Better Call Saul. Trust me, a lot of students will be streaming their favorite content on these laptops.

Yes, I even installed Final Cut Pro and started editing multiple video streams.

Again, these are all things I did with the M1, so why not repeat them here?

Keep in mind, I never closed an app. I just keep installing, opening, and using them, waiting for the MacBook Neo to cry uncle.

I opened Apple Maps and zoomed in and out until I could see and spin the entire globe.

Back in 2020, I opened Apple Arcade on the M1 and installed Little Orpheus. It's a beautiful game, but unfortunately, it has since left the Arcade. For the MacBook Neo, I installed the puzzle platformer Inmost. It played smoothly, and to keep from bothering my officemates, I connected my AirPods Pro 3 to enjoy the lush soundtrack.

Throughout my tests, I was also using Safari, but since the MacBook Neo showed no signs of slowing down or struggling, I also installed Google Chrome and opened a few tabs there, as well.

As for my anecdotal battery tests, with the MacBook Air M1, I regularly got more than 15 hours with mixed use. The MacBook Neo is rated for 16 hours if you only stream video. You can see what I was doing here, and in that scenario, I got over 12 hours. Obviously, your mileage will vary based on which app(s) you're running.

In virtually every situation, the MacBook Neo stood tall and appeared the equal of at least the MacBook Air M1. I suspect it could also hold up against M2 models (maybe even M3). I didn't put Steam or any AAA console games on the laptop, but I know that in his MacBook Neo review, Matt Hanson did give Cyberpunk 2077 a go. The MacBook Neo made it playable at about 30fps.

So, in answer to the question: 'Can the MacBook Neo replace my MacBook Air M1?' The answer is a resounding yes. This is clearly a limit-pushing budget laptop that will surprise many people. It's not a pro system, and people will certainly find some of the caveats, like just 256GB and 8GB of RAM, limiting. The $699 512GB model addresses some of those issues (including adding Touch ID), but it does not raise the speeds of those ports or add a backlit keyboard. Those looking to push the limit on storage, performance, and screen sizes will look to the MacBook Air and, especially, MacBook Pro models.

However, for those who fell in love with the MacBook Air M1 and — now that it's finally no longer on sale as a new system — are looking for a replacement, the MacBook Neo is here for you.

You won't be disappointed.