MacBook Lineup: Neo $699, Air $1,299, Pro $1,999 and Up

Apple sells five MacBooks: the MacBook Neo from $699, the 13-inch MacBook Air from $1,299, the 15-inch Air from $1,499, the 14-inch MacBook Pro from $1,999 and the 16-inch Pro from $2,999. Moving from Neo to Air to Pro changes the chip, the screen and the ports, not only the price, and the most expensive standard configuration is a 16-inch Pro with M5 Max at $4,999.

Every figure below is from Apple’s tech specs pages and its US store, read on 17 October 2026. Battery figures are Apple’s own tests, which it says vary by use and configuration.

The lineup at a glance

Model	Chip	Starts at	Base memory / storage	Display	Weight	Video streaming, per Apple
MacBook Neo	A18 Pro	$699	8GB / 256GB	13.0-inch, 500 nits, sRGB	2.7 lb	Up to 16 hours
MacBook Air 13-inch	M5	$1,299	16GB / 512GB	13.6-inch, 500 nits, P3	2.7 lb	Up to 18 hours
MacBook Air 15-inch	M5	$1,499	16GB / 512GB	15.3-inch, 500 nits, P3	3.3 lb	Up to 18 hours
MacBook Pro 14-inch	M5, M5 Pro or M5 Max	$1,999	16GB / 1TB	14.2-inch XDR, up to 120Hz	3.4–3.6 lb	Up to 20–24 hours
MacBook Pro 16-inch	M5 Pro or M5 Max	$2,999	24GB / 1TB	16.2-inch XDR, up to 120Hz	4.7 lb	Up to 22–24 hours

MacBook Neo: the entry point

Configuration	Storage	Keyboard
$699	256GB	Magic Keyboard, no Touch ID
$799	512GB	Magic Keyboard with Touch ID

Both have the A18 Pro with a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, and 8GB of memory; Apple lists no memory option. The Neo is the one MacBook with 8GB and no way to add more at checkout. Its ports are one USB 3 USB-C port at up to 10Gb/s, one USB 2 USB-C port at up to 480Mb/s and a headphone jack, and it drives one external display at up to 4K and 60Hz. Apple’s specs list a “Magic Keyboard” for the Neo where the Air and Pro say “Backlit Magic Keyboard”, and an sRGB screen where the Air’s covers the wider P3 range. It charges over USB-C with a 20W adapter rather than MagSafe.

The A18 Pro and 8GB also decide software. Our macOS 27 compatibility guide found the MacBook Neo runs macOS 27 and Apple Intelligence, but misses the expressive Siri voices, which need an M3 or later with 12GB of memory.

MacBook Air: M5 in two sizes

Size	Starts at	GPU	Memory	Storage
13-inch	$1,299	8-core	16GB	512GB
13-inch	$1,599	10-core	16GB	1TB
13-inch	$1,799	10-core	24GB	1TB
15-inch	$1,499	10-core	16GB	512GB
15-inch	$1,799	10-core	16GB	1TB
15-inch	$1,999	10-core	24GB	1TB

Every Air has a 10-core M5 CPU and can be ordered with up to 32GB of memory and 4TB of storage. Over the Neo it adds MagSafe, two Thunderbolt 4 ports at up to 40Gb/s, support for two external displays, a 12MP Center Stage camera, Wi-Fi 7 and four speakers. The 15-inch has a 66.5Wh battery against the 13-inch’s 53.8Wh, and Apple rates both at the same 18 hours of video.

Apple calls the Air “a silent, fanless design”. A laptop with a fan speeds it up under load; why a laptop fan gets loud sets out the causes makers name.

MacBook Pro 14-inch: three chips

Starts at	Chip	Memory	Storage
$1,999	M5, 10-core GPU	16GB	1TB
$2,199	M5, 10-core GPU	24GB	1TB
$2,399	M5, 10-core GPU	32GB	1TB
$2,499	M5 Pro, 15-core CPU, 16-core GPU	24GB	1TB
$2,999	M5 Pro, 15-core CPU, 16-core GPU	24GB	2TB
$3,199	M5 Pro, 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU	24GB	2TB
$4,099	M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU	36GB	2TB

Every Pro has a Liquid Retina XDR display rated at 1,000 nits for SDR outdoors and 1,600 nits peak for HDR, ProMotion at up to 120Hz, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot and MagSafe.

The plain M5 model is the one Pro with Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6E; the M5 Pro and M5 Max models step up to Thunderbolt 5 at up to 120Gb/s and Wi-Fi 7. On Wi-Fi, then, the Air is a generation ahead of the 14-inch Pro with the plain M5. The M5 Pro chip also brings memory bandwidth of 307GB/s against the M5’s 153GB/s and support for three external displays; the M5 Max supports four. Apple rates the M5 model at up to 24 hours of video, the M5 Pro at 22 and the M5 Max at 20, all from the same 72.4Wh battery.

MacBook Pro 16-inch: Pro and Max only

Starts at	Chip	Memory	Storage
$2,999	M5 Pro, 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU	24GB	1TB
$3,599	M5 Pro, 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU	48GB	1TB
$4,399	M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU	36GB	2TB
$4,999	M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 40-core GPU	48GB	2TB

The 16-inch MacBook Pro adds screen area, a 100Wh battery that Apple rates at up to 24 hours of video with M5 Pro and 22 with M5 Max, and a 140W adapter. It weighs 4.7 pounds. Only the M5 Max with the 40-core GPU can be ordered with 128GB of memory, in either Pro size.

Memory is a checkout decision

Apple lists memory as a configure-to-order option on every MacBook except the Neo. On the 14-inch Pro with the plain M5, Apple’s standard configurations step from 16GB to 24GB to 32GB at $200 a step. Our guide to whether 16GB of RAM is enough sets out the case for buying more where you cannot add it later. If you are weighing a desktop instead, the Mac mini configuration guide prices the same M5 Pro chip in Apple’s smallest Mac.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest MacBook right now?

The MacBook Neo, at $699 on Apple’s US store on 17 October 2026, with an A18 Pro chip, 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage. The $799 model doubles the storage to 512GB and adds Touch ID.

What is the difference between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro?

Per Apple’s specs, the Pro adds a Liquid Retina XDR display at up to 120Hz, a third Thunderbolt port, HDMI, an SDXC slot and the option of M5 Pro or M5 Max chips. The Air is lighter and Apple calls it fanless. The 14-inch Pro starts $700 above the 13-inch Air.

Is the MacBook Neo the same as a MacBook Air?

No. The Neo uses the A18 Pro chip with 8GB of memory and no memory option, two USB-C ports of which one is USB 2, one external display and an sRGB screen. The Air has an M5, 16GB to 32GB, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe and two external displays.

What is the difference between the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air?

Screen size and resolution, a larger 66.5Wh battery against 53.8Wh, and weight: 3.3 pounds against 2.7. Apple rates both at up to 18 hours of video streaming. The 15-inch starts at $1,499 with the 10-core GPU; the $1,299 13-inch has an 8-core GPU.

Which MacBook Pro has Thunderbolt 5?

The M5 Pro and M5 Max models, in both the 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the plain M5 chip has three Thunderbolt 4 ports and Wi-Fi 6E instead of Wi-Fi 7, according to Apple’s tech specs.

Do MacBooks have fans?

Apple describes the MacBook Air as having a silent, fanless design. Apple’s MacBook Neo and MacBook Pro pages we read do not say either way, so we make no claim about them.