[DigitalToday reporter Chi-kyu Hwang (황치규)] Apple has unveiled its entry-level laptop, the MacBook Neo. Prices start at $599. TechCrunch reported on March 4 that it targets students and general users like Google Chromebooks.

The 13-inch MacBook Neo comes in four colours: silver, blush, citrus and indigo. The base model has 256GB of storage. A higher-end $699 model offers 512GB of storage and adds Touch ID.

The MacBook Neo uses the A18 Pro chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro. An analysis said the lower price than the M5 chip used in the MacBook Air made a $599 launch possible.

Apple said the MacBook Neo quickly handles everyday tasks, from web browsing and content streaming to photo editing and using in-app AI features. Compared with PCs using Intel Core Ultra 5, it added, general web browsing is up to 50 percent faster and on-device AI tasks are up to three times faster.

The MacBook Neo has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones and stereo speakers that support spatial audio. Battery life is up to 16 hours on a single charge. It charges through two USB-C ports and includes a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

It has a 5-core graphics processor and a 16-core neural engine. Like the MacBook Air, it uses a fanless design to run without noise.

With prices for high-end models such as the MacBook Pro up by as much as about $400 from the previous generation due to a shortage of RAM, the MacBook Neo is expected to draw demand from users who do not need high performance.