MacBook Neo’s Price Hike Hands Budget Laptops Back to Windows and Chrome

From Hero Deal to Ordinary Option: What Apple Changed

The MacBook Neo price increase is Apple’s decision to raise its entry-level laptop from USD 599 (approx. RM2,750) to USD 699 (approx. RM3,200), a USD 100 (approx. RM460) jump driven by global RAM and storage supply tensions that turns a standout budget Mac into a far more ordinary proposition. Apple’s move is not surprising—memory costs are rising and the binned A18 Pro chips that powered the Neo were never going to be free forever. But it is a strategic misstep. At USD 599 (approx. RM2,750), the Neo was a halo product that pulled new users into Apple Stores, towards iPhones, iPads, and AirPods, precisely because the price broke the psychological barrier to owning a Mac. With the laptop now at USD 699 (approx. RM3,200), that magic number is gone, and the Neo no longer looks like the automatic choice in budget laptop competition.

Microsoft Turns Dell XPS 13 into a Weapon at USD 699

Apple’s price hike did more than upset Mac fans—it handed Microsoft an opening. As soon as the MacBook Neo moved up to USD 699 (approx. RM3,200), Microsoft pushed the new Dell XPS 13 as a direct USD 699 (approx. RM3,200) alternative, matching Apple’s revised price point and reframing the choice as a straight hardware comparison. On Monday, the official Windows account replied to a user who had earlier contrasted the Neo with a bulkier HP Victus at the same price, this time promoting a sleeker XPS 13 with a sturdier display, scratch-resistant case, touch screen, and backlit keyboard—features the Neo lacks. “A great Windows experience starts with great hardware,” Dell declared, leaning on design and features to offset Windows’ 8GB RAM limitation at this price and complaints about OS bloat. The sting for Apple: the Neo’s USD 100 (approx. RM460) climb is what allows Microsoft to make this head‑to‑head pitch in the first place.

Chromebook Plus Closes the Gap at the Same Money

The MacBook Neo’s new price drops it squarely into the same bracket as Chromebook Plus, and that changes the narrative from “Mac that beats cheap Chromebooks” to “Mac versus amped‑up web laptops at equal money.” At USD 699 (approx. RM3,200), the Neo now targets the same students and shoppers that Chromebook Plus devices—like the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, and CTL Chromebook Plus PX141GXT—have long served in the USD 500 to USD 700 (approx. RM2,300 to RM3,200) band. Chromebook Plus is not the flimsy Chromebook stereotype; it is a Google program launched in 2023 that enforces higher‑power CPUs, more RAM, larger storage, and better displays for a “snappy, premium experience.” The choice has become a sharper trade‑off between hardware and software: ChromeOS and web tools on one side, full macOS and pro‑grade apps like Final Cut on the other. Apple still wins on OS depth and battery life, but the Neo no longer wins on price, and that matters.

Apple’s Budget Advantage Is Under Pressure—and It’s Self‑Inflicted

Apple built the MacBook Neo around a clever formula: reuse binned A18 Pro chips from the iPhone 16 Pro, wrap them in a sturdy aluminium chassis, and ship full macOS below USD 1,000 (approx. RM4,600). This gave Apple rare price‑to‑performance strength in the budget segment, and early reviews repeatedly highlighted the original USD 599 (approx. RM2,750) tag as a key selling point. But as AI demand pushes up memory prices and those binned chips run short, Apple has chosen to protect margins instead of protecting the Neo’s role as a halo product. The result is a tighter, tougher budget laptop competition: Dell can now position the XPS 13 as a peer on price with a more “premium feel,” while Chromebook Plus hardware looks less compromised beside the Neo. Will the Neo still pull new buyers into Apple’s world at USD 699 (approx. RM3,200)? Possibly—but the special appeal of USD 599 (approx. RM2,750) is likely gone for good.

Where Budget Laptops Go Next

Apple’s decision exposes a broader truth: the budget laptop crown is no longer decided by one standout product but by how ecosystems compete at the same price. The Neo’s USD 100 (approx. RM460) rise to USD 699 (approx. RM3,200) came alongside increases across other Apple products, sparing iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods for now—but even those are unlikely to avoid higher prices forever in an AI‑driven memory market. Meanwhile, Windows hardware makers are already aligning flagships like the XPS 13 to that same price point, and ChromeOS partners are using the Chromebook Plus program to guarantee better baseline specs. One quotable outcome sums it up: “As a result, the MacBook Neo has gone up USD 100 (approx. RM460) to USD 699 (approx. RM3,200), putting it at the same starting price as the Dell XPS 13.” Apple still offers the most capable OS in this bracket, but unless it rethinks pricing, its budget advantage will keep eroding as rivals sharpen their USD 699 (approx. RM3,200) story.