Nearly three months after its debut, Apple’s MacBook Neo is emerging as an early success story, helping the Cupertino company reach new customers and challenging long-held assumptions about who buys a Mac.
Apple shipped 1.1 million MacBook Neo units in the quarter ended in March, according to data from market intelligence provider IDC shared with TechCrunch, ahead of the recent MacBook Air (M5) and MacBook Pro (M5) releases. These MacBooks shipped over 900,000 and 550,000 units, respectively, in their first three quarters of release.
The number is notable because the Neo was only available for about three weeks during the quarter after it was launched in mid-March, said Navkendar Singh, IDC’s associate vice president, adding that shipments began to pick up from early April.
The MacBook Neo, introduced in early March with a starting price of $599, about 45% less than the base MacBook Air, was designed to make the Mac more accessible to a wider set of buyers. The laptop retains much of the look and feel of Apple’s premium notebooks, including an aluminum frame and a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, while making some compromises to hit the lower price point, including using an A18 Pro chip instead of an M-series processor and offering 8GB of memory on the base model.
So far, the market seems to be responding to Apple’s strategy. Demand for the Neo, Singh said, has exceeded expectations in many countries, including India, where retailers have struggled to secure enough stock.
Of the MacBook Neo units shipped worldwide in the March quarter, 44% were shipped in the US, according to IDC. India, meanwhile, accounted for nearly 18,000 shipments despite the laptop only being available for a few weeks during the period.
The MacBook Neo starts at ₹69,900 (approx. $733) in India, compared to ₹119,900 (approx. $1,260) for the base MacBook Air.
“Rising prices of Windows laptops and the attractive pricing of the Neo have led to very high demand,” Singh told TechCrunch.
The Neo’s popularity could also reshape Apple’s strategy in markets like India, where older MacBook models like the M1, M2 and M3 Air have historically been major drivers when sold at discounted prices during events, according to IDC senior market analyst Bharath Shenoy.
“We have to see how this goes because of the growing popularity of Neo,” Singh said.
Speaking during Apple’s April earnings call, CEO Tim Cook he said Customer response to the MacBook Neo was “off the charts” and he acknowledged that the company was facing supply constraints after launch. Cook also said Apple had set a record in the March quarter for new Mac customers, in part because of the Neo.
Counterpoint Research sees the Neo’s importance extending beyond its early sales. The laptop helps Apple expand beyond its traditional customer base by attracting first-time Mac buyers and competing in lower-priced notebook segments where Macs have historically had little presence, said David Naranjo, associate director at the research firm.
He added that the Neo could eventually help Apple increase its share of the $400-$699 laptop market from about 2 percent to about 15 percent.
“While it’s still early days, the launch of the MacBook Neo stands out as one of Apple’s most strategically important recent Mac releases, especially as the broader PC market faces rising memory costs and ‘shrinkage’ while Apple expands its reach,” Naranjo told TechCrunch.
IDC’s Singh believes the opportunity extends beyond first-time buyers. Apple, he said, is targeting the Neo at a much broader audience than previous Mac models, a strategy that could help the company gain share in the consumer and small business notebook segments.
The early success of the MacBook Neo is already prompting competitors to respond. Dell this week was revealed a new XPS 13, starting at $699, was aimed at the same category, and he said the arrival of the MacBook Neo had shown a strong demand for high-end laptops at more affordable prices.
That said, figures for the launch quarter may only tell part of the story, with Singh predicting a “very big uptick” in Neo shipments this quarter as Apple works with supply constraints and expands availability.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
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