Apple’s strategy of integrating an iPhone-class chip inside the MacBook Neo is starting to make sense now that the first benchmarks have surfaced online. Early Geekbench listings reveal what kind of performance users can expect from Apple’s most affordable modern Mac, and the numbers offer new context for the broader MacBook Neo strategy Apple appears to be building around its A-series silicon.
Early MacBook Neo Benchmarks Suggest Apple Is Targeting M1-Level Everyday Performance
As per the latest Geekbench 6 listings, the MacBook Neo powered by the A18 Pro chip scores a whopping 3,400 in single-core and roughly 8,600 in multi-core performance. These numbers put the laptop very close to the performance of the M1 MacBook Air, which was already considered fast enough for most everyday computing tasks.
The results make sense considering the MacBook Neo runs the same A18 Pro architecture found in Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro models. While the performance is one thing to admire, the efficiency levels of the chip mean tasks like web browsing, office work, and general productivity should feel smooth even though the laptop does not use Apple’s M-series SoC.
When you compare the performance benchmarks of the MacBook Neo with older MacBook models, the position becomes quite clear as to whom the laptop is targeted.
Check out the brief comparison of the MacBook Neo below compared to older Macs:
- MacBook Neo (A18 Pro) — ~3,400 single-core / ~8,600 multi-core
- M4 MacBook Air — ~3,800 single-core / ~14,500 multi-core
- M3 MacBook Air — ~3,100 single-core / ~12,000 multi-core
- M2 MacBook Air — ~2,600 single-core / ~9,800 multi-core
- M1 MacBook Air — ~2,350 single-core / ~8,400 multi-core
- Intel MacBook Air (2020 i5) — ~1,100 single-core / ~2,600 multi-core
The benchmark comparison highlights an interesting aspect of Apple’s approach. The Neo is not designed to compete against the MacBook Air or the MacBook Pro lineup in terms of raw performance. Instead, Apple appears to be building a new entry point into the Mac ecosystem, something we explored earlier while discussing Apple’s cheap MacBook strategy.
From a practical perspective, the numbers suggest that the MacBook Neo can easily handle tasks like light photo editing, everyday app usage, web browsing, productivity tasks, and more. We have seen videos on social media that show how the laptop manages to open all apps at once with quite ease, which means that the device will be able to handle everything just fine.
From a broader perspective, we can safely presume that Apple’s mobile-grade chips have become so powerful that they can now run macOS without feeling like a compromise. It is by far one of the best budget laptops on the market, coming in at just $599, and $499 for students. Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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