MacBook Neo vs Air vs Pro: Which Fits You?

March 20th, 2026

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Apple just released the incredibly cheap Macbook Neo for $599 and you might be wondering what it's capable of. In this video I'll put it head to head against the Macbook Air, and Macbook Pro.

To see the results of each test, you'll need to watch the video above but I'll give you a quick summary of what I discovered.

MacBook Neo

A18Pro, 8GB Ram, 256GB Storage, $599

This is easily the most surprising laptop of the bunch.

Pros

Insane value for the price
Handles everyday tasks effortlessly
Can run Photoshop, Lightroom, and Premiere at the same time
Solid aluminum build

Cons

Limited 8GB RAM and 256GB storage (hits limits fast)
40% worse battery life under heavy load
Slight lag with demanding tasks and much slower photo and video exports
Slightly Lower quality trackpad

I expected this laptop to fall apart immediately. It didn’t. For the average person, this is more than enough computer. For the average photographer or videographer, you will probably want more power.

MacBook Air

M5, 16GB Ram, 512GB Storage, $1,100

The Air ended up being the most balanced machine overall.

Pros

Best performance in several real-world tests
Smooth, fast experience across the board
Excellent trackpad and build quality
Better battery than the Neo

Cons

Still not as powerful as the Pro under heavy workloads
Price jumps quickly with upgrades

Strangely, the Air actually beat the Pro in a few tests, likely due to background syncing issues or Adobe's need to update software for the newest chips. Overall it felt consistently fast and reliable.

MacBook Pro

M5, 24GB Ram, 1TB Storage, $2,200

This is the powerhouse, but only when you really push it.

Pros

Best overall performance in heavy tasks
Best 120hz Display
Best speakers
Best battery life

Cons

Expensive
Thicker/heavier

Although the Macbook Pro is overkill for the average user, it will still probably be the number one choice for Photographers and Videographers who need the extra power.