We've crowned our Laptop of the Year, and there really was only one choice: the Apple MacBook Neo
Date:
Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:50:10 +0000
Description:
It might not be the best laptop of 2026, but no other laptop released this year had a bigger impact on the industry.
FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter I reviewed the MacBook Neo way back in March, and even then I knew there was very little chance that I'd be giving our Laptop of the Year award to any other device at the TechRadar Product of the Year 2026 Awards .
It's not necessarily the best choice for everyone many far more powerful laptops have been released this year, and if you want to play PC games on
your laptop don't even think of buying the Neo but what Apple did with the MacBook Neo is pretty incredible, and it set the tone for a lot of other laptops that have come out this year. Apple has always been seen as a premium brand, offering expensive devices that (usually, but not always) justify
their price tags with superior build quality, and the kind of lifespans that owners of Windows laptops, who feel they have to upgrade every five years,
can only dream of. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:
With the MacBook Neo, however, Apple has produced a (relatively) cheap laptop that manages to keep a lot of what we love about Apple's more expensive MacBooks, while making it affordable for more people.
The timing couldn't have been better, as a global cost-of-living crisis has meant that more people are struggling to afford day-to-day essentials, let alone 'luxury' purchases like laptops. At a time when a lot tech is also increasing in price because of the RAM crisis, it was very welcome to see a company like Apple release a relatively inexpensive new device. You may like The best laptops 2026 tested, reviewed and rated Lenovo IdeaPad leak shows a new laptop with strong MacBook Neo vibes Meet the TechRadar Product of the Year 2026 winners
Before the Neo's announcement, rumors had been swirling that Apple was planning on announcing a cheaper MacBook, but I don't think any of us were expecting the earthquake of its $599 / 599 / AU$1,049 starting price.
I say 'earthquake' because not only was it a lot cheaper than expected, it changed the landscape of the laptop market, shaking Apple's competitors, and leaving them scrambling to come up with a response. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
And respond they did, with the likes of Dell and Acer releasing laptops at a similar price point that were explicitly pitched as competitors to the
MacBook Neo when I discussed them with the makers. A victim of its own success? Today's best Apple MacBook Neo deals voucher gift Low Stock 699 649 View 699 652.97 View voucher gift 699 View Show more We check over 250
million products every day for the best prices (Image credit: Future) The
fact that the MacBook Neo has had such an influence on the laptop market is one of the key reasons why I've picked it as TechRadar's Laptop of the Year. The likes of the Dell XPS 13 (2026) and Acer Swift Air 14 have made
affordable Windows 11 laptops worth buying again, and the higher price of the new Googlebook laptops have a more difficult time justifying their price tags when the MacBook Neo, and the laptops it inspired, offer such good value.
In fact, you could almost argue that the MacBook Neo proved a bit too successful in inspiring its competitors, especially given that, a few months after launch, Apple increased the price of the MacBook Neo by $100 / 100. Not only did this make the MacBook Neo less groundbreaking value (and less of an 'instant recommendation' when people asked me which laptop they should buy), but its competitors seem to have mostly held steady with their initial pricing. What to read next The best budget laptop in 2026 The iPhone 18 Pro
is my Phone of the Year because it feels like the best of an ending era Our top Windows 11 laptops of 2026: all the models that impressed us most in our tough tests
All of a sudden, Apple appeared to have inspired its competitors to make
rival products that were cheaper than the MacBook Neo. Whoops.
Despite that price bump, the MacBook Neo remains an excellent laptop that continues to offer plenty of value. If you're looking for a dependable, well-built laptop for day-to-day tasks that doesn't cost a fortune, it's
still one of the best laptops you can buy and it remains the cheapest way to get into the Mac ecosystem.
The MacBook Neo proved that, at a time when hardware prices appear to be rising inexorably, it's still possible to make an impressive, affordable device, without making too many sacrifices and that's exactly what we need
in 2026. Today's best Apple MacBook Neo, Dell XPS 13 DX13260 (2026) and Acer Swift Air 14 deals Apple MacBook Neo 699 652.97 View See all prices Dell XPS 13 DX13260 (2026) 899 View See all prices voucher gift Acer Swift Air 14 699 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to
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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/computing/macbooks/weve-crowned-our-laptop-of-the-ye ar-and-there-really-was-only-one-choice-the-apple-macbook-neo
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