Apple’s MacBook Neo has been a smash hit for a reason. After years of selling comparatively expensive computers, Apple finally broke and sold a pretty good laptop for as little as $599. And it didn’t even have to make too many compromises to make it happen. If anything, the company’s attempts to differentiate the Neo have come with some real benefits, like bright, playful color options that the company doesn’t offer on many of its other computers.
The MacBook Neo is undoubtedly popular — even more popular than Apple expected, according to comments shared during the company’s recent earnings call — but if you have $600-$700 to spend on a new computer, it’s not necessarily the best option available to you. The Neo’s iPhone chip and limited RAM are minor annoyances now, but they could leave the computer in the lurch down the line. When you take into account Apple’s relatively generous trade-ins and program for refurbishing used devices, a used MacBook Air could offer even more value. If you’re willing to navigate the various deals on offer, a used M4 MacBook Air would not only offer you more power than a Neo right now, but also better support over time.
Think you know your way around a pre-owned Apple laptop? Put your refurbished MacBook knowledge to the test.
Where does Apple sell its own officially refurbished MacBooks directly to consumers?
What warranty does Apple include with every certified refurbished MacBook purchased from its official refurbished store?
Apple’s shift away from Intel processors began in late 2020 with the introduction of which chip in the MacBook lineup?
On average, how much of a discount can buyers typically expect when purchasing a certified refurbished MacBook from Apple’s official store compared to the new retail price?
Which was the first MacBook model to be discontinued and then widely sold as a popular refurbished option after Apple transitioned to Apple Silicon?
What does the term ‘Grade A’ typically mean when used by a third-party refurbished MacBook reseller?
Which component in older refurbished MacBooks is most commonly recommended to be checked or replaced to restore performance close to like-new levels?
Can you add AppleCare+ to a certified refurbished MacBook purchased directly from Apple’s refurbished store?
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What’s compelling about the MacBook Neo is its ability to offer a laptop design that’s similar to Apple’s premium computers with only a few cut corners. It runs macOS, features a nice mechanical trackpad, a solid keyboard, and a colorful aluminum design. The main drawbacks are its A18 Pro chip (the original brain of the iPhone 16 Pro), 8GB of RAM, either 256GB or 512GB of storage, and only one proper USB 3 Type-C port. According to reviewers, the laptop is plenty powerful for normal computer use, and you only really feel the limitations when you try to use demanding creative and coding tools.
In comparison, a refurbished M4 MacBook Air is not only capable of running those more demanding apps, it also includes 16GB of RAM, double the max amount on the Neo. That gives you more headroom for tabs in your web browser and likely better longevity over time if macOS gets more demanding. As Apple adopts more AI features, the raw power of these laptops could matter more and more. At WWDC 2026, while all the company’s M-series computers will support some version of its newest software features, Apple dropped support for several recent iPad and Apple Watch models.
Apple won’t abandon the Neo, but even a MacBook Air that’s a year old seems like it’s a better position for long-term support than a laptop with an iPhone chip. Now that the Neo is in demand, it might be easier to find, too. Apple sells a refurbished MacBook Air for as little as $759. That’s more expensive than a $599 Neo, but not necessarily if you have a laptop to trade in to help lower the cost, or if you want the $699 Neo with 512GB of storage and Touch ID. The bigger question is whether you get one of these refurbished laptops when they’re in stock.
You don’t have to buy a used laptop from Apple directly. Back Market, Gazelle, and plenty of other online stores will happily buy and sell used computers till the cows come home. The advantages of the refurbished options on Apple’s store are a guaranteed one-year warranty, a like-new level of quality, and usually guaranteed savings. The major drawback of buying through Apple is you’re competing with a lot of other potential buyers. I had to try multiple times to buy my own MacBook Air because of how quickly the model I was looking for would go out of stock and how long it would take Apple to offer more.
You’ll still be competing with other people to purchase your future computer, but at least your odds will improve.
Luckily, tools do exist to alert you when the laptop you’re looking for goes in stock. Using refurb-tracker.com, you can enter a specific model (down to color or amount of internal storage) and your email and receive an alert whenever the laptop you’re looking for goes in stock. You’ll still be competing with other people to purchase your future computer, but at least your odds will improve.
It’s great that Apple’s trying to compete directly with cheaper Windows laptops, and if it allows more people to buy the computer they want, that’s ultimately a good thing. That doesn’t mean a new laptop is going to be the best deal you can buy or the best option available to you. There are reasons to opt for an iPad rather than the Neo. And if you can find a refurbished version of what you’re looking for, it might not only be equally cheap, but also more powerful than the MacBook Neo.
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