MacBook Neo doesn’t have a touchscreen. | Image by Apple
Apple appears to be on a roll with its MacBooks. After launching its first low-cost laptop, the MacBook Neo, the company is also widely expected to release a laptop with a touchscreen. However, those two concepts may never mingle.
MacBook Neo 2 is unlikely to feature a touchscreen
Earlier reports for the second-generation MacBook Neo claimed that Apple may add a touchscreen to the laptop to compete with all the Chromebooks that have the feature. However, in his latest report, reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that the MacBook Neo 2 won’t feature a touch panel.
The follow-up to Apple’s first budget laptop is still expected to launch sometime in 2027. The company is also still in line to launch its first touchscreen MacBook later this year or in early 2027, though that would be a high-end MacBook Pro with a new design and an OLED display.
MacBook Neo is yet to win market share
We can only hope that the MacBook Neo 2 gets at least a backlit keyboard. | Image by Apple
In his note, Kuo says that sales of the MacBook Neo are likely to really take off by the end of the year, with shipments steadily growing every quarter. One of the reasons is the expected higher demand around the time students return to school in the fall and the holidays at the end of the year.
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Which feature would add to the MacBook Neo 2?
On a more interesting note, he expects that other brands will deplete their stock of lower-cost memory inventory in the coming months. That would lead to higher prices during the second quarter of the year, which would make the MacBook Neo appear an even better deal. It’s also part of Apple’s strategy to stick to its pricing and absorb the higher memory cost to win larger market share.
Is Apple a budget-friendly brand now?
As shocking as it may sound, we may live to see a moment when Apple wins people’s hearts because of its lower prices. I’m ready to bet that most people would choose a cheaper MacBook over a touchscreen Chromebook if given such a choice. I’m also certain that a backlit keyboard for the MacBook Neo 2 would be a much more meaningful upgrade than a touchscreen.
Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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