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Apple Was Caught Off Guard by MacBook Neo's 'Off the Charts' Demand

Apple's most affordable MacBook ever appears to be a resounding hit with customers, based on comments shared by CEO Tim Cook this week.

macbook neo product film feature
On an earnings call on Thursday, Cook said that customer response to the MacBook Neo has been "off the charts" since the laptop was unveiled in March.

"We could not be happier with how things are going at the moment," he said.

Apple was very optimistic about the MacBook Neo before announcing it, but the company still "undercalled" the level of enthusiasm that the laptop would generate, according to Cook. He said that MacBook Neo demand has exceeded Apple's expectations and helped to drive a record number of first-time Mac buyers last quarter.

"We're very focused on customers new to the Mac and customers that have been holding on to their Mac a very long period of time," said Cook.

As a result of high demand, Cook added that the MacBook Neo is currently "supply constrained." For orders placed today, Apple's online store in the U.S. currently shows a 2-3 week delivery estimate for all configurations of the laptop.

Apple released the MacBook Neo on March 11, following a week of pre-orders. In the U.S., pricing starts at just $599 for the general public and an even lower $499 for college students and qualifying educational staff. Powered by a version of the iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip, the laptop is available in Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver finishes.

Related Roundup: MacBook Neo
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Neutral)
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Top Rated Comments

smeagol Avatar
26 weeks ago
Don't know how Apple didn't anticipate the Neo being a hit, at that price point, in today's economy. Price is the number one barrier to Apple capturing more marketshare.
Score: 55 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
26 weeks ago
The theme with this earnings call is, don’t listen to tech bros.

Most people want the basic stuff. They don’t care if their MacBook has 8GB or 16GB RAM. They don’t care if their iPhone is the thinnest on the market.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BlueShirt11 Avatar
26 weeks ago
I'm a sales manager for Best Buy and indeed the number of people that come in asking for them is insane. It's an incredible little machine and anyone that comes in to look at the value wall ($300-500 windows that don't last long) see the immediate value difference when they can get a mac for "only" $600. The fact that its also faster than any $600 windows machine also helps. When they already likely have an iphone the thought of switching over isn't as scary.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
26 weeks ago
Surprised they didn’t realize this. Price was always the top factor in why more people didn’t buy Macs.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
26 weeks ago
Interesting they felt the iPhone Air would be a success and a more affordable Mac wouldn’t be such an appealing item.

Are they that oblivious to the state of the world and the average persons’ finances right now? Kind of feels out of touch.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shalev Lazarof Avatar
26 weeks ago
Windows PC's getting hammered, music to my ears.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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