The MacBook Neo Cost $599 in March and $699 in June
Apple launched the MacBook Neo on March 11, 2026 at $599.
On June 25 it cost $699.
That's $100 more, about three and a half months later. And it still comes with 8GB of memory that is soldered to the board.
Apple said it had never seen a component price rise this much, this quickly. Tim Cook said price increases were unavoidable.
The price went up. The RAM didn't.
That's not just an Apple story. It's the shape of laptop shopping in 2026.
Here's what a few real listings looked like in October:
| Tier | Example | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Windows | HP 15.6-inch, Intel N100 (Best Buy) | Price didn't load | 4GB RAM, 128GB storage |
| Mainstream Windows | Dell 15, Series 3 Intel Core | From $649.99 | Base configuration. RAM and storage weren't listed on the page |
| Entry Mac | MacBook Neo | $699 (was $599) | 8GB memory, 256GB storage, 13-inch screen at 500 nits |
| Mainstream Mac | MacBook Air M5 | $1,299 (512GB) | 16GB or 24GB memory, 512GB or 1TB storage |
| Pro Mac | 14-inch MacBook Pro | $1,999 (1TB, was $1,699) | M5 family chip |
The HP above sat on the same Best Buy page as a laptop with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB drive. Same shelf. Very different laptops.
Soldered Memory Is a Decision You Can't Undo
On many laptops the memory isn't a stick you can swap. It's soldered next to the chip.
The MacBook Neo has 8GB of LPDDR5X that its own spec sheet calls fixed. Apple's footnote says 8GB unified memory. You can't add more later.
CNET criticized that 8GB for multitasking. Reviewers said sustained professional work suits the M-series Macs better.
Compare that with where Apple starts its MacBook Air this year: 16GB.
Windows 11 only requires 4GB. That's the floor, not a recommendation.
So here's our rule of thumb. It's an opinion, not a law: if the memory is soldered and you multitask or plan to keep the laptop five years, don't buy 8GB.
How do you tell? Ask the maker or check iFixit. Worry if the spec says unified memory or LPDDR5X with no slot. Intel's Panther Lake chips support either LPDDR5X-9600 or DDR5-7200, so some designs have slots and some don't.
When the Price Holds, the Spec Can Slip
A price increase is easy to see. A spec cut isn't.
TrendForce says a maker facing higher memory costs can raise prices, eat the cost, or cut specs. It says makers are unlikely to hold price, specs and profit at the same time.
For the fourth quarter of 2026 it reports some PC makers are cutting SSD capacities. It also says some are considering a cheaper graphics memory type to save money.
So compare the exact RAM and SSD on every listing. Not the model name.
A few other numbers help you see how rough the year has been:
- Reports in December 2025 said Dell raised OEM prices by $130 to $230 on 32GB configurations.
- The same reports said $55 to $135 on configurations with a 1TB SSD.
- Acer's chairman said PC prices rise 5 to 20 percent in the fourth quarter, with larger RAM and SSD configurations rising the most.
Also, read “from” and “starting at” carefully. Dell says starting prices apply to the base configuration, and customizing changes them.
Support Clocks: Windows, Mac and Chromebook
Every laptop has a clock. When it runs out, the laptop stops getting security fixes.
| Platform | What decides the date |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 | Support ended October 14, 2025. Extended Security Updates cost $30 and run to October 12, 2027 |
| Windows 11 hardware | Needs TPM 2.0, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and Secure Boot. On Intel it needs an 8th-generation Core chip or newer |
| Windows 11 version 24H2 | Servicing ends October 14, 2026 |
| Windows 11 version 25H2 | Servicing ends October 13, 2027 |
| Windows 11 version 26H1 | Servicing ends March 15, 2028 |
| Windows 11 version 26H2 (started September 29, 2026) | Servicing ends October 10, 2028 |
| Mac | macOS 27, released September 14, 2026, lists only Apple-silicon Macs. It supports the MacBook Air from 2020 |
| Chromebook | 10 years from the platform release date, listed per model on Google's page |
That's why a cheap used laptop with a 7th-generation Intel chip is a trap. Microsoft's supported list starts at 8th generation and doesn't include 7th. It can't officially run Windows 11, so it's stuck on Windows 10.
A cheap laptop that can't upgrade is a security bill you haven't received yet.
Google is also changing its own platform. Wikipedia reports ChromeOS is being replaced at the premium end by an Android-based system called Googlebook, with Chromebooks continuing at the low and middle range. That's secondary reporting. So look up your exact Chromebook model on Google's list before you buy it.
AI PC: The Number That Matters Is TOPS
Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs need a neural chip rated at 40 or more TOPS. That's trillions of operations per second.
Now look at the names.
- Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 runs about 46 to 50 TOPS.
- Intel's Core Series 3 runs about 15 to 17 TOPS.
One word apart. One qualifies. The other doesn't.
If a listing says AI PC and gives no TOPS figure, ask for one.
Graphics has the same kind of trap. Intel only uses the Arc B370 and B390 names when the memory runs at LPDDR5X-7467 or faster. Slower memory shows up as generic Intel Graphics. Two laptops with the same chip family can perform differently.
One more thing. Wikipedia reports Microsoft began retiring the Copilot+ brand in September 2026. We couldn't confirm that from Microsoft. Its own page now shows a Premium Performance PCs tile, which fits a rebrand but doesn't prove one.
Our advice: pay for RAM, battery and support years before you pay for an AI label.
Battery Claims: The Words Up To Are Doing the Work
Apple says the MacBook Air gets up to 18 hours. The MacBook Neo, up to 16.
Those numbers come from preproduction units tested in January 2026. The test was web browsing across 25 websites over Wi-Fi, plus 1080p streaming in Safari, at a screen brightness eight clicks from the bottom, with the keyboard backlight off.
Microsoft's 2024 claim of up to 22 hours of local video playback came from a test at 150 nits.
That's not lying. That's a lab number for a light task.
Here's how to turn it into your number. Look up the battery size in watt-hours. The Neo's is 36.5 Wh. Runtime equals watt-hours divided by average watts.
So 16 hours on a 36.5 Wh battery means an average draw of about 2.3 watts. Gaming or video editing pulls many times that.
Then test your own:
- Charge it to 100 percent.
- Play 1080p video at your normal brightness for 30 minutes.
- Note how much battery it used.
- Double that percentage to get your hourly drain.
If you get less than half the claimed hours, that's a worry. (That threshold is our rule of thumb.)
Screen, Ports and Repair Scores
Three more checks that the sales page skips.
The screen. Look for nits and color coverage. The MacBook Neo's screen is 500 nits and covers sRGB, not the wider P3. If a listing hides both numbers, ask. Then check it near a window.
The ports. The Neo has one USB port rated at 10Gbps, one USB 2.0 port and support for one external 4K display at 60Hz. Count what you plug in.
The repair score. iFixit scores laptops. These are the ones we found:
| Laptop | iFixit repair score |
|---|---|
| ThinkPad T14 Gen 7 and T16 Gen 5 | 10 out of 10 |
| Framework Laptop 12 | 10 out of 10 |
| Surface Laptop 7 | 8 out of 10 |
| MacBook Air 13-inch M4 | 5 out of 10 (provisional) |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch M5 | 4 out of 10 |
iFixit also called the MacBook Neo Apple's most repairable laptop in 14 years, according to Wikipedia. That tells you more about Apple's recent laptops than about the Neo.
A low score doesn't mean don't buy. It means price in the repair. For the state laws that give you a hand, see the consumer electronics guide.
New or Refurbished: The Cost-Per-Year Test
Apple's certified refurbished Macs sit between 3 and 15 percent under the new price:
| Device | Refurbished | New | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-inch iMac M4 | $1,269 | $1,499 | $230 (15.3 percent) |
| 24-inch iMac M4, 10-core GPU | $1,439 | $1,699 | $260 (15.3 percent) |
| 15-inch MacBook Air M4 | $1,019 | $1,099 | $80 (7.3 percent) |
| MacBook Neo | $679 | $699 | $20 (2.9 percent) |
That $20 saving on the Neo is the whole story. A refurbished laptop comes with some of its update clock already used.
So don't ask which one is cheaper today. Ask which one is cheaper per year of updates. The calculator above does it.
With the defaults, the new MacBook Air costs about $184 per year of updates. A refurbished one with an 11 percent discount and two years gone costs about $246.
Change the refurbished age to 0 and the discount to 15 and the refurb wins. It comes out about $28 a year cheaper.
For used Windows laptops, the rule is simple. The chip has to be an 8th-generation Intel or newer. The battery has to be proven. And the seller has to give you a written warranty.
Dell notes that refurbished and used purchases do not qualify for promotions. Don't expect a stacking discount.
Leasing and Financing: Read the Last Page
Apple Upgrade lists a 14-inch MacBook Pro with 16GB of memory in two payment plans:
- $38.99 a month for 36 months, which is $1,403.64
- $53.99 a month for 24 months, which is $1,295.76
The purchase price is $1,999.
That's $595 to $703 less than buying. But look at what's missing. The page didn't say what you own, or what you have to return, when the plan ends. So we can't tell you whether that's a discount or a rental.
Apple Card's variable APR ran from 17.74 to 27.99 percent on new accounts as of October 1, 2026. A balance you carry at that rate adds up fast.
Get the end-of-term rules in writing before you sign.
Returns, Warranty and the Day-One Test
| Seller | Return window for a laptop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Best Buy | 15 days. 60 days for My Best Buy Plus and Total members | Open-box and refurbished items get the same window. Unopened items carry no fee |
| Target | 30 days. Apple and Beats get 14 days | Circle Card adds 30 days |
| Costco | 90 days for computers and tablets | None listed |
| Apple | 14 days | From Apple's education terms. We couldn't open the consumer page |
Amazon and Walmart set their own rules for laptops. For example, Walmart's summary says a laptop must contain its original battery. Both pages blocked our direct check, so read them before you buy.
Apple's limited warranty is one year from the original retail purchase. It excludes accidents, misuse and liquid contact. Batteries count as consumables unless they're defective.
Under federal warranty law, a seller must make a written warranty available before you buy on products over $15. Ask to read it.
On protection plans, the FTC says a plan isn't a good value if it doesn't add coverage beyond the maker's warranty. AppleCare One runs $19.99 a month for up to three products, and Mac claims cost $49 to $299. The consumer electronics guide has a break-even calculator for that.
Then use your return window. On day one, test:
- The keyboard and trackpad
- The hinge
- The webcam and speakers
- USB-C charging and the display output
- Fan noise under load
- The software update check
Don't save it for the weekend.
When to Buy a Laptop: The Forecasts
These are forecasts, not facts. Treat them that way.
- IDC, October 8: PC shipments fell 20.1 percent in the third quarter to 62.7 million. Near-term promotions are possible but modest and short-term, and the outlook could worsen before it improves.
- TrendForce, September 30: Conventional DRAM contract prices rise 10 to 15 percent in the fourth quarter. NAND rises 15 to 20 percent.
- TrendForce, October 8: 2027 notebook shipments fall by a low single-digit percentage. They fall by high single digits if the costs are fully passed through.
- Acer's chairman: Relief arrives when new Chinese capacity comes online in the second half of 2027.
Black Friday is November 27, 2026, and Cyber Monday is November 30. We couldn't confirm whether laptop discounts will beat the pre-hike prices. IDC says retailers fear excess stock, which favors promotions.
If your current laptop still gets security updates, waiting is cheap insurance. It's not a savings guarantee. If it doesn't, buy now rather than keep an unpatched laptop.
Who Should Buy Now, Wait, or Walk Away
Six rules. Each one comes from the numbers above.
-
Buy now if Windows 10 is stuck on your hardware
If your laptop can't run Windows 11, or you need work equipment this quarter, don't wait. The $30 extension buys time to October 12, 2027. It isn't a long-term fix.
-
Wait if your laptop gets updates and works
Analysts expect high prices through 2027 but weaker demand and possible promotions. That's a forecast, not a promise.
-
Walk away from 8GB soldered laptops if you multitask
Skip them too if you want five years or more. You can't add memory later.
-
Walk away from old used laptops with pre-8th-generation Intel chips
They can't officially run Windows 11.
-
Buy refurbished only when the discount beats the lost years
Use the calculator above. A 3 percent saving rarely pays for a laptop that has used part of its update clock.
-
Don't pay extra for an AI PC label
Check for 40 or more TOPS, the exact chip name and the support dates. The rest is branding.
How We Checked It
We read the maker pages, the analyst reports, the retailer policies and the FTC guides. We checked them on October 19, 2026.
Market and price data:
- IDC's third-quarter 2026 PC tracker
- TrendForce on 2027 notebook demand
- Fox Business on Apple's June 25 price increases
- Best Buy's laptop listings and Dell's laptop listings
Support and spec pages:
- Microsoft's Windows 11 specifications
- Windows 11's supported Intel processors
- Windows 11's lifecycle page
- Microsoft's Extended Security Updates
- Apple's MacBook Air page and MacBook Neo page
- Apple's certified refurbished Macs
- Google's ChromeOS update policy
- iFixit's laptop repairability scores
The law:
What we couldn't confirm:
- Independent battery and display results from RTINGS and Notebookcheck. We couldn't retrieve them.
- Prices for used and refurbished business laptops.
- Windows laptop warranty and accident plan prices.
- Amazon's and Walmart's laptop return terms, which blocked a direct check.
- Whether Microsoft is retiring the Copilot+ brand.
This guide is one of 25 in our series on what people research before they buy. For the basics that apply to every gadget, start with the consumer electronics guide. Buying a phone too? Read the smartphone guide.