[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee (이윤서)] Apple has introduced three portable devices in the $600 range, about 990,000 won, widening consumer choices. They are the MacBook Neo, the M4 iPad Air and an A16 iPad paired with the Magic Keyboard Folio. Prices are similar, but the user experience and performance differ clearly.

On March 5 (local time), IT outlet 9to5Mac compared and analysed differences among the three models.

First, the MacBook Neo, drawing strong interest from Apple fans, is suited to users who want classic laptop functions. It has an A18 Pro chip, 256GB of storage and a 13-inch display, and supports macOS. It does not have a touchscreen or a tablet mode.

It also offers a 1080p HD webcam and two USB-C ports. One supports USB 3 speeds of up to 10Gb/s and a DisplayPort connection, while the other supports only USB 2 speeds of up to 480Mb/s. Battery life is up to 16 hours, giving it strengths in portability and day-to-day use.

What about the M4 iPad Air. It is an all-touch tablet and offers a more powerful M4 chip and 12GB of RAM at the same price. It supports only 128GB of storage, and the price rises to $868, about 1,277,000 won, if a keyboard-and-trackpad case is added. While the window system in iPadOS 26 has narrowed the gap with macOS, it still differs from traditional laptop functions.

The display is 11 inches and supports the P3 wide colour gamut and True Tone, showing strengths in screen quality. It has a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera on the front and a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera on the back that can shoot 4K video, and it supports Apple Pencil. It supports an external display at up to 6K resolution and 60Hz.

The A16 iPad plus Magic Keyboard Folio combination is the cheapest at $598, about 880,000 won. It has 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM and an 11-inch touchscreen, and it supports keyboard-and-trackpad functions. The A16 chip lags the M4 and the A18 Pro in performance.

In the end, the three products have clearly different aims even within the same price range. The assessment is that the MacBook Neo suits those who want a classic laptop experience, the M4 iPad Air fits those who prioritise performance and expandability, and the A16 iPad plus Magic Keyboard Folio combination works for those who want both tablet and keyboard usability within a budget.