MacBook Neo’s 8GB RAM Limitation Isn’t Apple Deliberately Cutting Corners, But How The A18 Pro Has Been Designed

Apple’s A18 Pro from 2024 utilizes TSMC’s InFO-POP (Integrated Fan-Out Package on Package) technology, meaning that the DRAM sits on top of the die as part of the silicon. The technology giant re-purposed the same SoC and incorporated it into the MacBook Neo, which is why the latter is limited to 8GB of RAM.

For those genuinely interested in upgrading to the $599 portable Mac but are discouraged because of the inadequate memory, the way the A18 Pro has been designed prevents this upgrade. While it was still possible for Apple to introduce more memory, it would be at a literal cost.

Apple could have swapped the 8GB memory on the A18 Pro with a 12GB module, but the MacBook Neo wouldn’t be priced at $599 if this happened

Unlike other chipset designs where the DRAM is present on the board, the A18 Pro has the memory physically combined to create a single package, making it difficult to upgrade. On X, Max Weinbach and High Yield pointed out this drawback, while also mentioning that had Apple chosen to perform a memory swap, the MacBook Neo wouldn’t launch for $599, which would defeat the purpose of a low-cost solution for the masses.

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The new @Apple MacBook Neo is powered by the A18 Pro, a mobile chip that is packaged using TSMC InFO-PoP. The DRAM sits on top of the SoC, it's a single, closed packaged. That's why the MBN comes with the same amount of 8GB DRAM as the iPhone 16 Pro. Same chip, same package. pic.twitter.com/AgytUN9vqZ

— High Yield (@highyieldYT) March 4, 2026

As for why Apple didn’t choose the A19 Pro, since it is packaged with 12GB RAM, sourcing components and designing the product takes months, perhaps years in advance. Also, the ongoing DRAM shortage has forced Apple to pay $70 per 12GB LPDDR5X DRAM unit, which would once again compromise the MacBook Neo’s price.

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that core is on the silicon, it's usually disabled in software

it's the same chip

— Max Weinbach (@mweinbach) March 4, 2026

For what this portable Mac is intended to do and the market that it’s expected to cater, the A18 Pro paired with 8GB of RAM is an ideal configuration for the price. As for the eagle-eyed readers who noticed that the A18 Pro running in the MacBook Neo isn’t the same as the one found in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max due to chip binning, the actual 6-core GPU configuration is present, but Apple has locked that one GPU core through software.

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