To say that Apple's newly launched MacBook Neo is a tad controversial would be a perfect euphemism. After all, to the budget device's proponents, Apple has lobbed nothing short of a volley to try to capture a $30 billion market opportunity. At the other end of the spectrum, to the MacBook Neo's critics, the device is nothing more than a glorified iPad, say the M4 iPad Air. The reality, however, likely resides somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, and today, we'll attempt to extricate the truth via hard facts.
Display
Both the MacBook Neo and the M4 iPad Air sport an IPS LCD display. The latter, however, retains a slight edge over the former when it comes to peak brightness, with the 13-inch variant sporting a peak brightness of 600 nits vs. the 500 nits for Apple's new budget MacBook. This advantageous streak also carries over to the Pixels Per Inch (PPI), color gamut, and True Tone metrics.
| Display | MacBook Neo | 11-Inch M4 iPad Air | 13-Inch M4 iPad Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 13 inches diagonally | 10.86 inches diagonally | 12.90 inches diagonally |
| Resolution | 2,408 x 1,506 | 2360 x 1640 | 2732 x 2048 |
| Technology | IPS LCD | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Maximum brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits | 600 nits |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | 60Hz |
| ProMotion support for higher refresh rate | No | No | No |
| Pixels Per Inch (PPI) | 219 | 264 | 264 |
| Wide color gamut | No | Yes | Yes |
| True Tone | No | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions: | |||
| Length | 11.71 inches (29.75cm) | 9.74 inches (24.76cm) | 11.04 inches (28.06cm) |
| Width | 8.12 inches (20.64cm) | 7.02 inches (17.85cm) | 8.46 inches (21.49cm) |
| Thickness | 0.50 inch (1.27cm) | 0.24 inch (0.61cm) | 0.24 inch (0.61cm) |
| Weight | 2.7 pounds (1.23kg) | 1.02 pounds (0.465kg) | 1.36 pounds (0.617kg) |
Performance, storage, and memory differences between the MacBook Neo and the M4 iPad Air
The MacBook Neo is powered by Apple's iPhone-geared A18 Pro chip. It is hardly a surprise, therefore, that the more powerful M4 chip found in the new iPad Air absolutely smokes the A18 Pro in Geekbench 6 scores:
MacBook Neo (A18 Pro):
M4 iPad Air:
- Single-core score - 3,714 (7.65 percent faster than the MacBook Neo)
- Multi-core score - 12,296 (41.30 percent faster than the MacBook Neo)
- Metal score (GPU) - 52,876 (69 percent faster than the MacBook Neo)
Elsewhere, Apple's MacBook Neo clearly has a sizable lead in base storage. Even so, the M4 iPad Air retains a sizable advantage when it comes to its 12GB RAM vs. an 8GB one on Apple's new budget laptop.
Of course, as we detailed in a dedicated post, the budget MacBook's 8GB RAM is largely a function of the A18 Pro's InFO-POP (Integrated Fan-Out Package on Package) technology, where the DRAM sits on top of the die as part of the silicon.
| Chipset, memory and storage differences | MacBook Neo | 11-inch M4 iPad Air | 13-inch M4 iPad Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoC | A18 Pro | M4 | M4 |
| Lithography | TSMC 3nm N3E | TSMC 3nm N3E | TSMC 3nm N3E |
| Cores | 6-core CPU (2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores), 5-core GPU | 8-core CPU (3 performance cores and 5 efficiency cores), 9-core GPU | 8-core CPU (3 performance cores and 5 efficiency cores), 9-core GPU |
| Neural Engine | 16-core | 16-core | 16-core |
| Neural Accelerators | No | Yes | Yes |
| Memory bandwidth | 60GB/s | 120GB/s | 120GB/s |
| Unified memory configurations | 8GB base (up to 8GB) | 12GB | 12GB |
| Storage configurations | 256GB base (up to 512GB) | 128GB base storage that can be upgraded to 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options | 128GB base storage that can be upgraded to 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options |
Wired and wireless connectivity
As a budget device, the MacBook Neo misses out on the latest Wi-Fi 7 wireless standard, shipping with Wi-Fi 6E from MediaTek instead. Even so, Apple's budget laptop does retain a sizable edge over the M4 iPad Air when it comes to the number of ports.
| Wireless connectivity | MacBook Neo | 11-inch M4 iPad Air | 13-inch M4 iPad Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E from MediaTek | Wi-Fi 7 using Apple's N1 wireless networking chip | Wi-Fi 7 using Apple's N1 wireless networking chip |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6 from MediaTek | Bluetooth 6.0 | Bluetooth 6.0 |
| Wired connectivity | |||
| Ports | Two USB-C ports (one supports USB 3.0 at 10Gb/s, one supports USB 2.0 at 480Mb/s) | A single USB-C port that supports USB 3.0 data transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s | A single USB-C port that supports USB 3.0 data transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s |
| 3.5mm headphone jack | Yes | No | No |
| MagSafe charging port | No | No | No |
Battery life, capacity, and charging
Despite bearing a battery that has roughly the same capacity as the one in the 13-inch M4 iPad Air, the MacBook Neo retains a clear advantage in battery longevity, capable of supporting up to 16 hours of video streaming and 11 hours of web browsing.
| Battery life, capacity and charging | MacBook Neo | 11-inch M4 iPad Air | 13-inch M4 iPad Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 36.50Wh | 28.93Wh | 36.59Wh |
| Battery time in video streaming | Up to 16 hours | Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on cellular data network | Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on cellular data network |
| Battery time in web browsing | 11 hours | Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on cellular data network | Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on cellular data network |
| Power adapter size | 20W | 20W | 20W |
| Fast-charging support | No | Yes | Yes |
| MagSafe charging support | No | No | No |
Cameras, speakers, and microphones
While the MacBook Neo and the M4 iPad Air have identical speaker and microphone setups, the latter retains a clear advantage when it comes to cameras, sporting a 12MP Wide rear camera as well as a 12MP Ultra Wide landscape front camera.
| Camera, speakers, and microphones | MacBook Neo | 11-inch M4 iPad Air | 13-inch M4 iPad Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera | 1080p FaceTime | A 12MP Wide rear camera and a 12MP Ultra Wide landscape front camera | A 12MP Wide rear camera and a 12MP Ultra Wide landscape front camera |
| Speakers | Two-speaker system | Two-speaker system | Two-speaker system |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic head tracking using supported AirPods | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microphones | Dual array | Dual array | Dual array |
| Voice Isolation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microphones with Wide Spectrum | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Price and final commentary
When it comes to price, the base variants of the MacBook Neo and the 11-inch M4 iPad Air both start at $599, rendering this metric a rare neutral ground. However, as you go up the pricing tiers of the new iPad Air, Apple's budget MacBook starts to become progressively more appealing.
| Price | MacBook Neo | 11-inch M4 iPad Air | 13-inch M4 iPad Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base model | $599 (8GB unified RAM and 256GB | $599 (128GB storage, Wi-Fi) | $799 (128GB storage, Wi-Fi) |
| Highest-tier model | $699 (8GB unified RAM, 512GB SSD, and Touch ID) | $1,249 (1TB storage, Cellular) | $1,449 (1TB storage, Cellular) |
At the end of the day, a choice between MacBook Neo and the M4 iPad Air boils down to your particular proclivities and the overarching purpose for which you are in the market.
If you are price-conscious but device-agnostic, go for the base versions of either. Choose the iPad Air if you crave performance and the versatility of a tablet's form factor.
If you are looking for a device to take notes, do research, and browse the web, the MacBook Neo becomes a no-brainer choice.
At any rate, it is quite difficult to find a compelling argument for the higher price tiers of the M4 iPad Air. After all, that price range spoils you with a choice between other very capable devices.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
