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If you're looking to buy the cheapest MacBook ever, your time may be limited. Apple is weighing up whether to axe the £599 base version of its budget-friendly laptop, according to tech analyst Tim Culpan.
The newly-launched MacBook Neo is a lightweight laptop designed to handle your everyday tasks like schoolwork, emails, web browsing, managing household budgets, streaming YouTube videos, making video calls, watching must-binge boxsets, or editing family photos with the latest AI tools.
However, it could become a victim of its own success as colossal demand for the colourful new MacBook has seen delivery dates slip. Making more of these laptops is only getting pricier for Apple due to spiralling component costs amid a worldwide shortage of memory chips that have squeezed the profit margins on the entry-level laptop, analyst Tim Culpan speculates.
The shortage is the fault of Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centres gobbling up global supply at an incredible rate.
Apple isn't alone in the price pinch. Several popular products like Sony's PlayStation 5 saw a price hike of £90. The founder of British start-up Nothing also confirmed that smartphone prices will rise this year.
Buy the MacBook Neo from Currys before a possible price hike
The MacBook Neo blends Apple’s premium design with impressive everyday performance at a lower price. The lightweight, fanless laptop features a colourful aluminium build, vivid 13-inch Liquid Retina display, and up to 16 hours of battery life. Powered by Apple’s A18 Pro chip, it handles browsing, AI-powered photo editing, streaming, and schoolwork with ease.
MacBook Neo
$599
When you buy a MacBook Neo, it uses the same A18 Pro chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro. The first batch of laptops used leftover chips from iPhone production that weren't quite perfect, meaning they cost Apple virtually nothing. And now those spare chips have run out completely.
Whispers suggest that Apple has told its suppliers to gear up for producing 10 million units, roughly double the original plan of 5 to 6 million. To hit that target, the company needs fresh chips manufactured by TSMC using their 3-nanometre process.
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If Apple can't justify its budget-friendly price, rumours have suggested that the company could pull the model off the shelves altogether.
This isn't the first time Apple has pulled this trick. The company just stopped selling the cheapest Mac mini configuration – the 256GB model at £599 – leaving only the £799 version with 512GB storage available. That's a £200 jump in the entry price overnight.
MacBook Neo's all-aluminium case arrives in a variety of colourful finishes, including Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver | APPLE PRESS OFFICE Apple also removed the 512GB RAM option from the Mac Studio back in March.
If scrapping the budget model sounds too drastic, Apple might have another card to play. According to Mr Culpan, the company is also considering launching new colour options for the Neo to help soften the blow of any price increases. You can currently pick up the laptop in Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver – but fresh shades could give buyers something exciting to focus on rather than a higher price tag.
As a result, new colours generate buzz and make the device feel fresh, potentially distracting from the fact that you're paying more than early adopters did.
Apple has yet to confirmed these hikes, so take the report from Tim Culpan with a pinch of salt.