Apple’s next-gen MacBook Neo should feature some BIG upgrades
Apple’s next-gen MacBook Neo should feature up to 12GB of memory and an A19 Pro silicon upgrade
According to MacRumours, citing a report from Tim Culpan, Apple plans to release a new MacBook Neo in 2027. This new model will reportedly feature Apple’s new A19 Pro processor, the same chip as the Apple iPhone 17 Pro. This could give Apple’s new MacBook Neo up to 12GB of unified memory, countering one of the primary criticisms of the existing MacBook Neo (which has only 8GB).
With Apple’s A19 Pro silicon, Apple’s new MacBook Neo should also feature improved CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. That said, the new MacBook Neo is expected to feature the same number of CPU, GPU, and NPU cores as its predecessor.
Culpan said the new MacBook Neo will be equipped with a version of the A19 Pro chip from the iPhone 17 Pro models. This means the next edition of the laptop should have an increased 12GB of RAM, as that is how much unified memory the chip has in the iPhone 17 Pro models.
High MacBook Neo demand is a problem for Apple
Apple’s MacBook Neo has become a surprise hit, so much so that the company may struggle to keep up with demand. According to Tim Culpan, the MacBook Neo uses rejected A18 Pro chips. This is why the MacBook Neo has only 5 GPU cores. On iPhone, the same chip has 6 GPU cores. This makes the MacBook Neo’s processor “effectively free” for Apple.
Increasing the supply of Apple Neo products is a challenging proposition for Apple. Apple’s margins were high when they used rejected A18 Pro silicon. If Apple has to build new A18 Pro CPUs for its MacBook Neo, the product’s margins will suffer. This could mean that Apple may be forced to increase the price of today’s MacBook Neo. Alternatively, its production run will be limited to when sufficient processors are available.
Apple’s next-gen MacBook Neo is expected to launch in 2027, repeating the same trick with Apple’s A19 Pro chip. Using otherwise rejected silicon allows Apple to maintain high margins. If demand is too high, it will need to produce new chips and significantly reduce margins.
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