Apple just made a cheap laptop—let that sink in. In this video I spent four weeks daily-driving the MacBook Neo, Apple’s $599 “phone chip” Mac built around the A18 Pro, and I wanted to find out if it’s actually a real Mac experience or just a budget compromise. The biggest surprise is the build: full aluminum, solid hinge, 2.7 lb, and it genuinely doesn’t feel like a $599 machine. The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is also a huge reason this thing works—sharp text, 500 nits, and way better than most cheap Windows panels, even if you’re giving up P3 and True Tone. I break down the stuff that matters in real life: the quieter keyboard with more travel (but no backlight), the mechanical trackpad that still beats basically everything in this price bracket, and the port situation that genuinely frustrates me—two USB-C ports on the left, but only one is “real” (USB 3 with display out) and the other is USB 2 from the year 2000. Performance-wise, the A18 Pro completely exceeded expectations in everyday work, photo editing, and even light Final Cut, but you will hit a ceiling with heavy sustained workloads. My verdict: it’s perfect for students and 9-to-5 workflows, but I’d strongly consider the 512GB/Touch ID config—or even a refurbished M2/M3 MacBook Air if you can find one near the same price.