Apple Launches MacBook Neo and MacBook Pro Models With M5 Chips

| 8 articles from Der Spiegel, Folha de S.Paulo, The Straits Times, The Times of India

What's Happening

Apple has introduced the MacBook Neo, a low-cost laptop starting at 699 euros, in parallel events in New York, Shanghai, and London. The company also launched updated MacBook Pro models featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, while raising prices due to memory-chip shortages attributed to AI data center demand. New Studio Display monitors were introduced, and the Pro Display XDR was discontinued.

How We Got Here

In January 2026, Apple reported that its Mac sales for the holiday season had dropped 6.7% to $8.39 billion, falling short of analyst projections that exceeded $9 billion. This financial result highlighted challenges in the consumer PC market and prompted the company to prepare for a significant refresh of its product portfolio. The sales decline underscored the importance of new innovations to maintain Apple's market position and revenue growth in the face of evolving industry dynamics. As February progressed, Bloomberg reported that Apple is planning to launch its first touch-screen laptops near the end of 2026 in the form of a new version of the MacBook Pro. According to the report, those machines will include faster processors while retaining a full-sized keyboard and trackpad. This insight into future developments was followed by a public announcement from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who posted on X on February 26 that a 'big week ahead' would begin on March 2, confirming a wave of product announcements was imminent. On March 3, Apple officially unveiled new MacBook Pro models powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, marking a major update to its professional laptop lineup. Concurrently, the company raised prices for the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, citing industrywide memory-chip shortages driven by suppliers prioritizing artificial intelligence data centers over consumer applications. Apple also introduced two new 27-inch Studio Display monitors, a standard model and a higher-end Studio Display XDR, while discontinuing its previous Pro Display XDR. The new MacBook Pro models were launched in India with prices starting at Rs 2,49,900 for the 14-inch M5 Pro variant. The product announcements culminated on March 4 with the introduction of the MacBook Neo, a new low-cost laptop with a starting price of 699 euros that features an iPhone A18 Pro chip. Apple held three parallel events in New York, Shanghai, and London to launch the MacBook Neo, which targets customers who previously preferred Windows or Chrome OS devices. Tom Boger, Apple's Vice President of Mac Product Marketing, stated that the aluminum chassis was essential and non-negotiable in the development of the MacBook Neo. These launches complete the series of announcements previewed by Tim Cook and represent Apple's strategy to address different market segments with updated and new products.

Timeline

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