Apple’s new MacBook Neo is the cheapest MacBook ever, running on the A18 Pro Chip. We’ve found the best UK deals
Apple has unveiled its latest MacBook Neo, the newest addition to its range. This aluminium design and all-day battery life device stands out amongst others for one reason… its price tag.
Launching below £600, it’s the cheapest MacBook model ever released, specifically targeted at users on a budget. Perfect for students and everyday users, it runs on the A18 Pro Chip (the same as the iPhone 16 Pro) as Apple abandons the M chip, making it far more accessible for the average buyer.
As UK retailers begin stocking this budget-friendly MacBook, we’ve compiled the best places to buy it from, finding deals for both upfront and contract pay-as-you-go customers. Sky is offering a standout deal, with a monthly price that works out at 41p a day.
To break it down, both Sky and EE provide options for contract customers, starting from £11.44 a month. Shoppers will be able to spread the cost, but must commit to a 48-month term.
Alongside Apple, Argos, Amazon, Currys and Laptops Direct are selling the £599 device, with one retailer standing out with its lowest £569.97 price – but caveated by limited stock. Let’s get into it, reports the Express.
Get Apple MacBook for 41p a day
£12.50 a month
Sky Mobile
Buy Here
Sky’s Apple MacBook Neo contract works out to be 41p a day, a breakdown of its £12.50 a month plan. This does require an upfront fee of £24 and is set to a 48-month contract.
For those who’d prefer to split it across monthly payments, Sky Mobile is offering the 13-inch Neo from £12.50 a month, which works out at around 41p a day. As is typical with Sky, this does require a 48-month commitment (contract length) along with an upfront charge of £24.
Sky customers will need to add data to their MacBook Neo package at Sky, with its 100MB option currently priced at £0 extra per month, perfect for users who know they’ll primarily need just a Wi-Fi connection.
Another budget-friendly choice is the 1GB data package, which costs £3 monthly on top of the device price. Another alternative for contract buyers is EE, which initially sells the device for an outright price of £599. There is, though, the choice to divide this into instalments of £11.44 monthly, over a 48-month contract.
For buyers who’d rather avoid a lengthy contract and purchase the MacBook Neo outright, there are considerably more choices, with Apple probably being the first stop for many. But it’s not the most affordable, as we’ve discovered.
Laptops Direct is selling the 13-inch Citrus Model for the lowest price available, £569.97 to be precise, £29.07 cheaper than Apple’s launch price. However, unsurprisingly, stock is limited.
Alternatively, Argos, Currys and Amazon all stock the device. A word of caution regarding colour choices, though – Amazon’s selection appears particularly restricted, with only Silver currently available, meaning shoppers won’t be able to snap up the Blush, Citrus or Indigo variants. Over at Argos, stock levels are strong across all shades, as Apple hasn’t previously offered this range. The eye-catching Citrus and Blush options are expected to fly off the shelves.
Currys is matching Apple’s £599 launch price, though the Citrus and Blush colours have already sold out, leaving only Silver or Indigo available for purchase.
Apple MacBook Neo – Best features
It’s the first-ever Apple Mac to feature an A-series chip, commonly found in certain iPhone models. Moving away from the M-series chip (like the latest MacBook Air M5) has enabled Apple to make this model significantly more budget-friendly.
Apple’s Vice President of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus, said: “We’re incredibly excited to introduce MacBook Neo, which delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price.
“Built from the ground up to be more affordable for even more people, MacBook Neo is a laptop only Apple could create. It features a durable aluminium design in four beautiful colours; a brilliant Liquid Retina display; Apple silicon-powered performance; all-day battery life; a high-quality camera, mics, and speakers; a Magic Keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad; and the intuitive and powerful features of macOS. There is simply no other laptop like it.”
Despite its considerably lower price tag, quality hasn’t been sacrificed with a respectable 13-inch Liquid Retina display delivers sharp resolution, vivid colours and impressive brightness levels.
For an affordable device, battery performance is also impressive, lasting up to 16 hours on a single charge, alongside AI capabilities to enhance performance.
However, some reviews highlight that it’s not suitable for everyone, with important considerations for Pro users or anyone dependent on demanding software. As David Snelling from The Express explained: “Just beware that this isn’t a Pro machine for super-intensive tasks, and if you think you might suddenly want to start editing movies in 4K resolution or retouch huge image files, then I’d probably avoid the Neo and go straight for an M5-powered Air or latest MacBook Pro instead.”
