Our verdict: The best laptop in 2026 is the Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch. It tops our ranking with 8.7 out of 10.
Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch
8.7/10Best Choice
The MacBook Neo is Apple's entry-level 13-inch laptop, built around the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone. It suits students and anyone who wants macOS for browsing, documents and video calls.
A18 Pro chip handles browsing, documents, video calls and light photo editing smoothly
13-inch Liquid Retina screen at 500 nits, with a 1080p camera
Light at about 1.2kg and sturdy, with an aluminium body
Two USB-C ports and a headphone jack
Keep in mind
8GB of memory limits heavy multitasking and long-term use
Battery life in published reviews falls short of the Air
No keyboard backlight, and the speakers are modest next to the Air
Why the Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch scores 8.7
Each bar shows where it places among the 10 laptops in this guide, so a full bar is 1st of 10. How happy owners are counts for most of the score.
How happy owners are1st of 10
How many rated it2nd of 10
How new it is1st of 10
Why No. 1 beats No. 2
The Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch (8.7) edges the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 (8.6) on the balance of all three parts.
About the Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch
The MacBook Neo is a 13-inch laptop with an aluminium body that Apple says is 60% recycled by weight. It weighs 1.23kg and is 1.27cm thick. The chip is the Apple A18 Pro with a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, paired with 8GB of unified memory on both versions. Storage is 256GB or 512GB. Expert Reviews found it faster than the M1 in Geekbench 6 but behind in graphics and 4K media work, so it is not a gaming laptop.
The 13-inch Liquid Retina screen is rated at 500 nits and shows a billion colours. Expert Reviews measured it slightly brighter than that, but found it covers only sRGB, so HDR content looks flat, and it has no True Tone. The camera is 1080p. Two side-firing speakers support Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos, and the same reviewer found them fine for calls and podcasts but a little shrill for music.
There are two USB-C ports and a headphone jack. One port is USB 3 at up to 10Gb/s and supports DisplayPort. The other is USB 2 at up to 480Mb/s. Only one of the two models has a keyboard with Touch ID. The other has a Lock Key. The keyboard has no backlight. Colours are Silver, Blush, Citrus and Indigo, with matching keyboards.
The box holds the laptop and a 1.5m USB-C charge cable. The power adapter is sold separately, and Apple says charging needs at least 20W. The battery is 36.5Wh. Apple rates it at up to 16 hours of video streaming and 11 hours of wireless web browsing. Expert Reviews got just under 12 hours in a looping video test.
What owners report about the Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch
Little first-hand owner feedback exists yet for this exact model, and much of what we found comes from the launch period, so long-term reliability is not yet known.
Owners who use it for light work report that it runs smoothly. One described a browser with five to ten tabs, AI chat tools, Canva and short 1080p video edits without trouble. Another owner saw lag when playing full-screen video on an external monitor alongside other apps, and returned the laptop. That is one report, but it matches the reviewers' worry about 8GB.
The missing keyboard backlight is the hardware complaint that comes up most, including from at least one forum poster who sent theirs back. Others say it does not matter to them. Praise centres on the light, sturdy build, the screen and the battery for light daily use.
Who the Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch suits
Buy it if you want the cheapest way into macOS, mostly for browsing, documents, streaming, video calls and light photo work. It is light, and the build is solid. Students are the obvious fit. If you can, pick the model with Touch ID.
Look elsewhere if you edit video, code heavily or keep many apps open, because the memory cannot be upgraded. The MacBook Air 13-inch M5 is the better fit for a laptop meant to last. If you often work in dim rooms, want a lot of ports or want stronger battery life, a Windows model such as the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro 14-inch or Honor MagicBook Pro 14 is worth a look.
Questions about the Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch
Does the Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch come with a charger?
No. The box holds the laptop and a 1.5m USB-C charge cable, and the power adapter is sold separately. Apple says charging needs at least 20W.
Does the Apple MacBook Neo 13-inch have a backlit keyboard?
No. Apple's page does not list a keyboard backlight, and reviewers and owners point to the missing backlight as a drawback.
What is the difference between the Apple MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air 13-inch?
The Neo uses the A18 Pro chip with 8GB of memory, and Which? calls it lighter on specs than the MacBook Air M5. Expert Reviews also found its 36.5Wh battery smaller than the Airs' and its battery life shorter.
Can you upgrade the memory on the Apple MacBook Neo?
No. Both models have 8GB of unified memory, and Apple lists no memory upgrade. Only the storage differs, at 256GB or 512GB.
How long is the warranty on the Apple MacBook Neo?
Apple gives a one-year limited warranty plus 90 days of complimentary technical support. AppleCare+ is available to buy.
Every score here comes from our ranking model; no editor sets the order. We haven't read the review sites for this guide yet, so for now it is led by owners. It ranks products by how happy owners are, holding back any product few owners have rated until more agree. How many rated it and how new it is only settle close calls, and value for money earns its own badge rather than a higher place. We compared 23 models for this guide before settling on these ten.
Brands can't pay to be included or to move up. We last checked these picks in November 2026.
