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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- The MacBook Neo has been flying disconnected shelves since it launched successful March.
- Apple has a constricted fig of A18 Pro chips utilized for the Neo.
- It's presently backlogged connected Apple's site, and that backlog could get worse done summer.
When I archetypal tested the MacBook Neo successful March, it was wide Apple had a compelling merchandise connected its hands. Fast guardant a month, and consumers look to agree.
The MacBook Neo is presently backlogged connected Apple's authoritative website, with orders for caller devices not shipping until mid-May. The aforesaid whitethorn spell for in-store pickup, which, depending connected your location, could instrumentality conscionable arsenic long: immoderate Apple Stores are citing merchandise accomplishment dates of May 11 oregon later.
Also: After utilizing MacBook Neo, it's wide Windows needs to rethink its PC strategy (and fast)
Apple blew done its archetypal motorboat supply, and present it is facing constricted availability of its A18 Pro chips, which are not presently successful production. The MacBook Neo is inactive disposable astatine Walmart and Best Buy, but consumers person been buying straight from Apple to instrumentality vantage of the $499 pedagogue discount, which isn't disposable astatine third-party retailers.
Mac conscionable had its champion motorboat week ever for first-time Mac customers. We emotion seeing the enthusiasm!
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 20, 2026Add this to the information that request for the instrumentality has been done the extortion -- particularly from first-time Mac users. Former Apple CEO Tim Cook cited the Neo's popularity successful a caller tweet, saying it was the company's champion motorboat week ever.
It's nary surprise: The worth of the Neo compared to likewise priced Windows PCs is simply a win, particularly arsenic RAM prices proceed to soar.
Plan present for backmost to school
Here's the thing: If you've been looking astatine the Neo for the 2026 schoolhouse year, you mightiness privation to outpouring for it now. With constricted proviso and precise beardown demand, there's nary warrant you'd find a faster turnaround clip this fall.
While we don't cognize nonstop numbers, we bash cognize the A18 Pro chips utilized successful the MacBook Neo are not presently successful production, truthful Apple is sitting connected a constricted supply. Columnist and erstwhile Bloomberg exertion Tim Culpan reported successful his "Culpium" newsletter that Apple is flying done its proviso of Neos truthful accelerated that it could tally retired of the chips earlier orders are fulfilled.
Also: MacBook Neo review: My biggest interest with Apple's near-perfect fund laptop
This doesn't mean Apple volition halt selling the Neo; it could restart accumulation of the A18 Pro chip, but that would beryllium costly and perchance devour into nett margins -- margins that are already competitory for specified an affordable product.
Alternatively, Apple could merchandise the adjacent procreation of Neos with the five-core A19 Pro chip, but there's nary warrant that the terms would stay the same. While it's improbable Apple volition rise the terms of the Neo now, it could perchance hap successful aboriginal models.
My advice
Grab your Neo now. If you spell for the acquisition discount, program for the shipment delay, which volition beryllium easier present than astatine the commencement of the schoolhouse year. Alternatively, opt for the higher-end Neo configuration with the 512GB SSD, which is flying disconnected the shelves astatine a (slightly) slower rate.
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