The forthcoming MacBook Neo is certainly compelling — at least for the right person. One could argue that buying a last-gen MacBook Air is a better bet in most instances; however, if you’re still sold on picking Apple’s colorful budget laptop ahead of its launch on March 11th, Best Buy is throwing in a $25 e-gift card when you preorder either the 256GB model for $599 or the step-up 512GB variant for $699.
MacBook Neo (with $25 e-gift card)
Where to Buy:
- $599 at Best Buy (256GB)
- $699 at Best Buy (512GB)
At its core, Apple’s cheapest laptop is all about tradeoffs. For $599, you get a 13-inch aluminum machine with a fairly large bezel around the display, a color-matched Magic Keyboard, a physical (!) trackpad, and a 1080p camera that lacks some of Apple’s newer tricks (ahem, Center Stage). On the side, you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack, side-firing speakers with support for spatial audio, and a pair of USB-C ports (one USB 3 and one USB 2), both of which can be used for charging. There are no MagSafe or Thunderbolt ports, though the higher-end 512GB model does include a TouchID sensor for added convenience.
Inside, the MacBook Neo packs 8GB of RAM — its biggest shortcoming, by far — and Apple’s A18 Pro chip, which is the same mobile processor first introduced with the iPhone 16. Still, the A18 Pro is relatively quick despite being a couple of years old, and should be able to handle any task that doesn’t require a ton of processing power. That makes it well-suited for streaming, browsing, checking emails — you know, the kind of stuff you don’t need a blazing-fast M5 series chip for.
Read our MacBook Neo hands-on impressions.
More ways to save today
- If you’re someone who likes to keep tabs on their surroundings while listening to music or podcasts, the last-gen Shokz OpenRun Pro are on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $124.99 ($35 off), matching their second-best price to date. The lightweight, wraparound headphones are very much an exercise in form over function; the sound quality isn’t going to rival a traditional pair of in-ear cans, but the built-in bone conduction tech ensures you’re not blocking outside noise. Plus, they’re both sweat and water-resistant, making them a solid choice if you’re a runner.
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, the latest installment in Nintendo’s long-running sci-fi series, is down to an all-time low of $54.99 ($15 off) at Woot through April 4th. The moody Switch 2 title is a little uneven compared to prior entries — don’t get me started on your chatty companions or Samus’ new set of wheels — but the gorgeous environments and titular Metroidvania-style exploration manage to make it another solid outing (at a discount). And who doesn’t love the occasional, white-knuckle boss fight? Read our review.
- If you think screens are bad for adults, they’re even worse for kids. Thankfully, the Yoto Mini is on sale at Target right now for $63.99 ($16 off), its best price to date. The adorable, kid-friendly cube is relatively compact, and because it relies on one of 1,000-plus preloaded, proprietary cards from Yoto to play stories and music, there’s no concern about your child staring at a massive display for hours on end (no, the built-in pixel screen doesn’t count).
