Apple has just unleashed its most disruptive laptop in over a decade with the MacBook Neo, a strikingly affordable $599 machine that shatters the company’s traditional $999+ entry point and blurs the lines between iPhone and Mac like never before. Powered by the very capable A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro era rather than Apple’s M-series silicon, this colorful, premium-feeling device (in Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo) delivers macOS performance that outpaces many Windows 11 laptops and renders budget Chromebooks obsolete for millions.
Given the same hardware profile, it’s not a huge leap to suggest that the iPhone 16 Pro’s hardware could run macOS. Now consider that we have a new generation and improved performance in the iPhone 17 Pro, along with continued software optimisation. It stands to reason that the iPhone 17 Pro, with its A19 Pro chipset, will also run macOS comfortably (and I would not be surprised if Apple undertakes annual updates to the Neo line using the previous year’s A-series chipset).
A look across the competition reveals smartphones that run in both ‘handheld’ and ‘desktop’ modes; one of the most prevalent is Samsung’s Galaxy S range, which supports Samsung DeX, the desktop experience. Hook up the smartphone to a monitor and peripherals, and you’re ready to go with a very portable workstation.
There lies the promise and the challenge to Apple. The flex with the A18 Pro chipset shows that, on a technical level, it’s very much possible…
Think about the disruptive impact of essentially moving to a Mac with your iPhone, converting millions of users to macOS users with a simple HDMI cable and an Apple Magic Keyboard. There would be no point in any of these customers considering a Chromebook, and those looking for a lightweight Windows 11 laptop can ignore the temptation because they already have such a system in their pocket, just waiting for a larger screen to connect to.
The MacBook Neo is one of Apple’s most disruptive releases in over a decade. The laptop market will have to react to Apple moving away from its $999 floor price for a Mac, and Apple’s ecosystem will need to cope with a move away from maintaining the prestige of the Apple brand in exchange for a lower price, looking to capture more market share. Why let the disruption stop there?
MacDailyNews Take: Thermal limitations. When you can get a real Mac for $599 (desktop Mac mini or laptop MacBook Neo; $499 for education), there is no need to try to force a $1,099 or higher iPhone Pro to be a Mac. Yes, it would be a cool parlor trick; nothing more.
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If Neo 2 uses A19 Pro, it’ll have 12GB RAM (no other options), that’s what A19 Pro has on the chip. That’s why current Neo has 8GB RAM (no other options), A18 Pro has 8GB integrated RAM. And Apple will NOT do the “moving to Mac with iPhone” thing (anytime soon) because that’s a lost Mac sale. If Apple plans to do it, it would have happened already with iPad. Attach recent Pro or Air to existing keyboard/trackpad accessory, iPad switches to Mac mode. Instead, Apple gave iPadOS windowed apps, menu bar, and arrow cursor.