Understanding Macbook Neo, Macbook Pro with M5 Pro/Max, and M5 Macbook Air 2026
- Ronit Roy
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Apple has released the new entry level Macbook Neo and refreshed its other Macbooks with the latest M5 series of SoCs. While the Macbook Air was refreshed with the M5, the Macbook Pro 14 and 16-inch models received the new M5 Pro and M5 Max that are using Apple's new Fusion Architecture. The designs haven't changed, but as expected, the prices have risen significantly, and while the internal upgrades are minimal at best, the increased prices raise concerns.
Macbook Neo is affordable, but there are sneaky drawbacks
There is a new colorful Mac in town and it's called the Macbook Neo. Powered by the Apple A18 Pro SoC (system on a chip), the Neo is now the value Macbook on the market, sitting below the Macbook Air and trading blows with the Mac Mini, starting at just $599.
Macbook Neo Specifications
Component | Specifications |
|---|---|
Display | 13-inch IPS LCD, 2408x1506 (219 ppi), 500 nits, 60Hz |
SoC | Apple A18 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-Core GPU, 16-core NPU, 60GB/s |
Memory | 8GB |
Storage | 256GB, 512GB (SD/MicroSD not supported) |
Battery | 36.5 Wh, 20W Power Adapter |
Webcam | 1080P |
Audio | Stereo Speakers, 3.5mm Headphone Jack |
Wired Connectivity | USB Type-C (1x USB 3/DP, 1xUSB 2) |
Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6 |
Security | Touch ID (512GB config only) |
Colors | Blush, Citrus, Silver, Indigo |
Price | $599 (256GB), $699 (512GB) |
When you first look at the Macbook Neo, it'll remind you a lot of the M1 Macbook Air, and maybe even the 12-inch Macbook from back in the day, thanks to a bunch of sneaky compromises. The thick bezels are back, one of the USB Type-C ports only support USB 2 speeds, there is only 8GB of RAM, a smartphone processor is powering the laptop, we're back to a clicky mechanical trackpad, the keyboard isn't backlit, and there is no SD card slot at all.
But the Neo is not targeted towards power users, but towards students, and I think it'll also be tempting for a lot of budget Windows users, who weren't even thinking about switching operating systems. The sole reason why the Macbook Neo can be a great entry-level laptop is, of course, macOS alongside the sheer convenience of the Apple ecosystem over Windows.
With Windows 11 riddled with stability issues, and Chrome OS losing popularity, Apple has made something that feels premium, is much more stable, has great memory optimization, is easy to carry around, and doesn't have a ridiculous amount of Apple Tax attached to it.
If you're a creative professional, you may want to look at the Macbook Pro or at least the Macbook Air if budget is a concern. But, for people who want to take notes, watch videos, and run ChatGPT or Claude on their browsers, the Macbook Neo should be more than capable enough. That is still a huge portion of the tech demographic, and someone who wanted a cheap Macbook, now has an option.
Macbook Pro now comes with M5 Pro and M5 Max
The Macbook Pro 14-inch was the first device to receive an M5 SoC a few months back, and now both the 14-inch and 16-inch models have been refreshed with the new M5 Pro and M5 Max SoCs. Apple's new fusion architecture combines two dies into a single SoC, which holds the CPU, GPU, Media Engine, unified memory controller, Neural Engine, and Thunderbolt 5.
Just like the previous generations, Apple is giving multiple CPU and GPU configurations for both of these chips, while the NPU core count remains the same at 16, across the board for the M5 series of SoCs.
The 14-inch Macbook Pro gets two configurations for the M5 Pro, including a 15-core CPU, 16-core GPU option and an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU option. For the 16-inch Macbook Pro, the only M5 Pro option you can get is the one with an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU.
The M5 Max configurations stay the same across both models, and there are a total of three. The CPU/GPU core counts stand at 18/32 and 18/40. The top-end M5 Max also has double the memory bandwidth of the base M5 Pro (614GB/s in the 18/40 M5 Max, 307GB/s in the 15/16 M5 Pro, 460GB/s in the 18/32 M5 Max).
For memory configurations, you can start at 24GB base Memory for the M5 Pro and go all the way up to 64GB. For the M5 Max, the base starts at 36GB and goes all the way upto 128GB. Storage starts at 1TB for the M5 Pro and goes up to 4TB, and for the M5 Max, it ranges from 2TB, all the way up to 8TB.
The 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch displays didn't get an upgrade, but they are still one of the best Mini-LED professional displays on any laptop. The highlights for these new models mostly lie in connectivity. That means Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6. The rest of the device remains mostly the same, alongside the same Space Black and Silver color options.
Macbook Air gets M5 on the inside
It's pretty much the same story with the 2026 Macbook Air refresh. While keeping most of the device the same as the M4 Macbook Air, Apple has upgraded the SoC to the new M5 chip, upgraded the wireless connectivity with the new N1 Chip (same as the Pro models) for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support, removed the 256GB base model from the line-up, and it also comes with a fresh coat of paint including a new Sky Blue color.
While the specifications haven't changed much, you basically start with 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM, which then goes up to 32GB of RAM and up to 4TB of storage. There are still two screen sizes, including the smaller 13.6-inch IPS LCD display and the bigger 15.3-inch IPS LCD display with the notch housing the 12MP 1080P camera, but still no Face ID.
The new Sky Blue color looks the nicest this generation, but the new 2026 Macbook Air also comes in Silver, Starlight, and Midnight. You can choose from the 35W dual-port power adapter and the 70W single-port power adapter while ordering and also, the smaller 13-inch model has a smaller 53.8 Wh battery, while the 15-inch model has a 66.5Wh battery.
Do remember that, unlike the M5 Pro and M5 Max SoCs, the regular M5 only supports Thunderbolt 4, so you're not getting Thunderbolt 5 connectivity with the M5 Air or the base M5 Pro.
The M5 is better in CPU, GPU, and AI (NPU) performance, but realistically, if you have something older than the M2 Macbook Air, or if you need a screen bigger than 13-inch, then the M5 Macbook Air can make sense for you. Everyone else with an M2 or later can wait until perhaps the M6 Macbook Air.
Why the new Macbook prices raise concerns
It's no secret that the industry is going through a RAM and Storage crisis thanks to the AI Boom. All the laptops and smartphones coming out this year (and maybe even the next year) are expected to increase in price compared to their predecessors, and that effect is already showing on Apple Products.
Let's understand Apple's 2026 Macbook Pricing
The Macbook Neo starts at $599 (₹69900 in India) for 256GB storage, but misses out on Touch ID unless you upgrade to the $699 (₹79900 in India) model with 512GB storage.
The Macbook Air loses the 256GB variant and starts with the $1099 (₹119900 in India) variant with 512GB storage for the 13-inch model and $1299 (₹144900 in India) for the 15-inch variant.
The 14-inch Macbook Pro starts at $1699 (₹189900 in India) for the M5, $2199 (₹249900 in India) for the M5 Pro, $3599 (₹399900 in India) for the M5 Max.
The 16-inch Macbook Pro starts at $2699 (₹299900 in India) for the M5 Pro and $3899 for the M5 Max (₹429900 in India).
While the Macbook Neo and Macbook Air prices are reasonable, the M5 Pro and M5 Max devices have risen a lot in price. Even the base 14-inch M5 Pro is $200 more expensive now, and the situation is even worse in India.
Do remember, these price increases come with no major change to the rest of the hardware. That means if the rumoured M6 refresh does come with a Tandem OLED display and a Dynamic Island cutout, the prices may shoot up even more.
The bigger concern lies in the fact that the go-to creator laptop for professionals, which was already expensive, now requires even more money for a very similar user experience with a little more power. Even getting a higher-capacity SSD is now twice as expensive compared to the M4 series of devices. I understand that memory and storage are much more expensive, but Apple already operates with huge margins on its device sales.
Apple could have offered lower price increments (maybe none at all, like they did with the Macbook Air); they just chose not to. Users are going to be heavily affected, and the sales will likely go down a lot for the California giant as well.
But, if Apple sells fewer of the new M5 series Macbook Pros, at a higher price, their revenue won't go down much, and that was probably their logic behind this. The users, on the other hand, will be on their back foot this year, and if you want a Macbook Pro, it's going to cost you a lot.