Apple recently unveiled a comprehensive wave of new devices, highlighted by the highly anticipated Apple MacBook Neo and the iPhone 17e. These announcements demonstrate the company’s dual strategy of pushing forward with advanced AI-ready hardware while offering more affordable entry points for students and everyday users. From budget-friendly laptops to high-performance desktop displays, the updated product ecosystem aims to cater to a broader audience without compromising on performance.
The Apple MacBook Neo is positioned as the most affordable laptop in the current Mac lineup, aggressively targeting users who might otherwise consider Google Chromebooks or lower-end Windows PCs. Alongside this budget laptop, the company introduced the iPhone 17e, refreshed the iPad Air with newer processors, and updated both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro series with powerful M5 chips.
The All-New Apple MacBook Neo
Designed from the ground up to be accessible, the MacBook Neo expands the company’s reach in a highly price-sensitive PC market. According to John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, the goal was to reach a wider demographic by offering a reliable and durable machine at an unprecedented price point.
Specifications and Pricing
The laptop features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2408 by 1506, delivering 500 nits of brightness and support for one billion colors. It sports a lightweight aluminum body and is equipped with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones with noise reduction, and dual speakers that support Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. Connectivity options include two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 6. The device also features a Magic Keyboard and a large Multi-Touch trackpad.
Internally, the machine runs on the A18 Pro chip, the exact same processor found in the iPhone 16 Pro models. According to Apple, this silicon enables up to 16 hours of battery life and delivers everyday task performance up to 50 percent faster than competing PCs running the latest Intel Core Ultra 5. The base model includes eight gigabytes of unified memory and 256 gigabytes of storage. A higher-tier version doubles the storage to 512 gigabytes and adds Touch ID functionality.
Standard pricing for the laptop starts at $599 globally and Rs 69,900 in India. Educational buyers can purchase the device for $499, or Rs 59,900 in India. It is available in four distinct colors: silver, blush, indigo, and a new citrus hue. Pre-orders are currently open, with in-store availability and deliveries scheduled to begin on March 11.
iPhone 17e Brings Flagship Power to a Lower Price
Apple also expanded its smartphone offerings with the iPhone 17e. Priced at $599 globally and Rs 64,900 in India, the device runs on the A19 chip, which is the same processor powering the standard iPhone 17. The starting storage has been doubled from previous generations to 256 gigabytes.
The smartphone features a 48-megapixel main camera, MagSafe compatibility, and Qi2 wireless charging support up to 15W. It introduces Apple’s new C1X cellular modem, which the company claims is twice as fast as the previous C1 modem and consumes 30 percent less power than the modem in the iPhone 16 Pro. This modem efficiency contributes to better overall battery life. The phone will be available in black, white, and a new soft pink finish starting March 11.
Upgraded iPad Air and Advanced M5 MacBooks
The tablet lineup saw a significant update as the iPad Air transitioned to the M4 chip. Apple states this upgrade makes the device 30 percent faster than its M3 predecessor and more than twice as fast as the M1 version. The device now includes an 8-core CPU, a 9-core GPU, 12 gigabytes of unified memory, and a memory bandwidth of 120GB/s to handle AI tasks efficiently. Pricing remains unchanged, starting at Rs 64,900 for the 11-inch model and Rs 84,900 for the 13-inch version.
For professional users, the company rolled out new MacBook Pro laptops featuring the M5 Pro and M5 Max processors. Built on Apple’s Fusion Architecture, these chips utilize an 18-core CPU setup designed to handle heavy creative and artificial intelligence workloads. The M5 Pro supports up to 64 gigabytes of unified memory, while the M5 Max can handle up to 128 gigabytes. The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at Rs 2,49,900, with battery life reaching up to 24 hours.
The MacBook Air was also refreshed with the M5 chip. Available in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, the updated laptops start at Rs 1,19,900 and offer up to 18 hours of battery life. They include a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera and a higher base storage of 512 gigabytes.
Rounding out the hardware releases, Apple updated its external monitors. The standard Studio Display, starting at Rs 1,89,900, features a 27-inch 5K Retina screen. The high-end Studio Display XDR, priced at Rs 3,99,900, utilizes a mini-LED backlight with over 2,000 local dimming zones for maximum brightness and contrast.
