The MacBook Neo has officially arrived in Vietnam: What's so special about Apple's cheapest laptop in history?
With a starting price of just 13.99 million VND for education users, the MacBook Neo, equipped with the A18 Pro chip and a thin and light design, opens up a whole new segment of affordable laptops for Apple.
For the first time in history, Apple has launched an affordable MacBook model aimed at students, yet still equipped with many noteworthy features. The MacBook Neo is currently attracting significant attention in the Vietnamese market thanks to its combination of the macOS ecosystem and a price that directly competes with mainstream laptops.
Details on the price of the MacBook Neo in the Vietnamese market.
Typically, a new MacBook from Apple starts at over 20 million VND. However, the MacBook Neo has set a new price benchmark. In Vietnam, the device is listed with two main configuration versions. Notably, an educational discount program for students and teachers offers significantly deeper price reductions.
| Version | Listed price (VNĐ) | Education subsidy prices (VND) |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Neo 256GB | 16,499,000 | 13,990,000 |
| MacBook Neo 512GB | 18,990,000 | 16,490,000 |
Unibody aluminum design and vibrant color palette.
The MacBook Neo features a unibody aluminum chassis with a flat surface and gently rounded edges, giving it a solid and premium feel similar to the Air and Pro models. Weighing approximately 1.23 kg and measuring 1.27 cm thick, the device ensures high portability for users who frequently travel.
The biggest difference lies in the diverse color palette, including: Indigo Blue, Blush Pink, Citrus Yellow, and traditional Silver. The device features a Magic Keyboard with a scissor mechanism and good key travel, but it lacks keyboard backlighting. The large Multi-Touch trackpad allows for smooth navigation.
Notably, Apple only integrated the Touch ID security feature into the 512GB MacBook Neo version, allowing users to conveniently unlock and log into applications using their fingerprint.
Liquid Retina display and performance from the Apple A18 Pro chip.
Apple equipped the device with a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, an IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 2408 × 1506 pixels and a pixel density of 219 ppi. The screen has a maximum brightness of 500 nits and supports 1 billion colors. However, to optimize costs, the device only supports the sRGB color gamut and lacks features like True Tone or the "notch" design.
In terms of specifications, the MacBook Neo doesn't use the M-series chip but instead uses the Apple A18 Pro chip (similar to the one in the iPhone 16 Pro). This chip includes a 6-core CPU, a 5-core GPU supporting ray tracing, and a 16-core Neural Engine for AI tasks. With 8GB of RAM, the machine smoothly handles office tasks, online learning, and supports Apple Intelligence for summarizing text or creating Genmoji.
Battery life and connectivity
The device boasts a 36.5 Wh battery, providing up to 16 hours of online video playback or 11 hours of web browsing. It uses a USB-C charging port with a 20W charger included in the box. Connectivity includes two USB-C ports (one standard USB 3 port with 10Gb/s speed supporting 4K display output and one USB 2.0 port) and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
In terms of multimedia, the MacBook Neo features a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a noise-canceling beamforming microphone system, and dual speakers supporting Dolby Atmos, ensuring stable call and entertainment quality in the budget price segment.
Conclude
The MacBook Neo is Apple's strategic move to capture the mainstream laptop segment. It's an optimal choice for students or office workers needing a stable device with long battery life and a stylish design. However, users specializing in graphics or programming should consider higher-configuration models due to limitations in processor and screen color range.