Versus Engine
Apple MacBook Neo vs Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026)
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Apple MacBook Neo against Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026), side by side.
Cheaper to start
Apple MacBook Neo
Starts about $3,000 lower.
Rated higher
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026)
8.9 vs 8.8 on our design scale.
Standout
Apple MacBook Neo
All-aluminium build at $699
Apple MacBook Neo
Apple's entry laptop from $699 — the first MacBook running an iPhone chip.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- All-aluminium build at $699
- A18 Pro delivers iPhone-class efficiency and battery life
- Cheapest credible path into macOS
Cons
- 8GB of memory and a 256GB base, neither upgradeable
- Display is a step below the Air
- A18 Pro is a phone chip — sustained workloads are not its job
Specifications
- chassisAluminium, no plastic parts
- DisplayLiquid Retina display 13.0-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2 2408-by-1506 native resolution at 219 pixels per inch 500 nits brightness Support for 1 billion colors sRGB color
- Memory8GB 8GB unified memory
- Operating SystemmacOS
- Storage256GB 256GB SSD
- Audio—
- Audio PlaybackSupported formats include AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos
- AURA SYNC—
- Battery—
- Battery and PowerUp to 16 hours video streaming Up to 11 hours wireless web Built-in 36.5‐watt‐hour lithium‐ion battery 20W USB-C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable (1.5 m)
- brand—
- Built-in AppsApp Store Books Calendar Contacts FaceTime Find My Freeform Games GarageBand Home iMovie iPhone Mirroring Journal
- Charging and ExpansionOne USB 3 (USB-C) port with support for: Charging DisplayPort USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s) One USB 2 (USB-C) port with support for: Charging USB 2 (up to 480Mb/s) 3.5 mm headphone jack
- ChipApple A18 Pro chip 6‐core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores 5‐core GPU Hardware‐accelerated ray tracing 16‐core Neural Engine 60GB/s memory bandwidth
- coloursIndigo, blush, citrus, silver
- cpu—
- description—
- Device Lighting—
- Dimensions (W x D x H)—
- Exclusive Subscription Offers—
- Expansion Slots (includes used)—
- External Display SupportSupports one external display with up to a native resolution of 4K at 60Hz 4 Simultaneously supports the built-in display at full native resolution USB 3 (USB-C) port supports native DisplayPort 1.4 speeds (up to HBR3)
- Graphics—
- I/O Ports—
- io_ports—
- Keyboard and Touchpad—
- Keyboard and TrackpadMagic Keyboard 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys – Not available, Touch ID Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and support for gestures Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
- Microsoft Office—
- name—
- Network and Communication—
- Neural Processor—
- Power Supply—
- Processor—
- Size and WeightHeight: 0.50 inch (1.27 cm) Width: 11.71 inches (29.75 cm) Depth: 8.12 inches (20.64 cm) Weight: 2.7 pounds (1.23 kg) 6
- sku—
- storage_base256GB (512GB at $799)
- Video PlaybackSupported formats include HEVC, H.264, AV1, and ProRes HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10+/HDR10, and HLG
- Weight—
- Xbox Game Pass—
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026)
Blackwell-class mobile graphics in a slim, deliberately understated chassis.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Top-tier mobile GPU in a genuinely slim chassis
- ROG Nebula OLED display
- Desktop-class render performance for creators on the move
Cons
- Loud under sustained maximum load
- Poor battery life away from the wall
- Runs hot enough to matter on a lap
Specifications
- chassisUltra slim 0.70", 4.30 lbs 16-inch premium aluminum chassis with new 35-zone Slash Lighting
- Display14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED 16:10 aspect ratio - Refresh Rate: 120Hz Pantone Validated
- Memory32GB LPDDR5X 8533 on board(Actual memory speeds may vary by CPU configuration.) - Max Capacity: 32GB Support dual channel memory Memory Slot: No expansion possible
- Operating SystemWindows 11 Pro
- Storage1TB PCIe™ 4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD
- AudioSmart Amp Technology Dolby Atmos AI noise-canceling technology Built-in array microphone 4-speaker (dual-force woofer) system with Smart Amplifier Technology, 2 Tweeters
- Audio Playback—
- AURA SYNCYes
- Battery73WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion
- Battery and Power—
- brandROG
- Built-in Apps—
- Charging and Expansion—
- Chip—
- colours—
- cpuIntel ® Core™ Ultra 9 386H and 50 TOPs of NPU compute
- description2026 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16: Work, game, and create smarter with this 16" Copilot+ PC. Featuring a 2.5K OLED display, RTX 5090 graphics, and Intel Core Ultra.
- Device LightingSlash Lighting
- Dimensions (W x D x H)31.1 x 22.0 x 1.59 ~ 1.83 cm (12.24" x 8.66" x 0.63" ~ 0.72")
- Exclusive Subscription Offers3-Month Google AI Pro Subscription 6-Month Dropbox 500GB Subscription 1-Year ASUS Secure Auto-Backup 200GB Subscription
- Expansion Slots (includes used)1x M.2 PCIe
- External Display Support—
- GraphicsNVIDIA™ GeForce RTX™ 5070 Ti Laptop GPU Turbo mode: 1812MHz at 115W(1762MHz Boost Clock+50MHz OC, 100W+15W Dynamic Boost Manual mode: 1812MHz at 130W(1762MHz Boost Clock+50MHz OC, 110W+20W Dynamic Boost) 12GB GDDR7
- I/O Ports1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™ / power delivery / G-SYNC 1x Thunderbolt™ 4 support DisplayPort™ / power delivery
- io_portsAmple I/O support, USB Type-C with DP 2.1 and PD 3.0 support
- Keyboard and TouchpadBacklit Chiclet Keyboard 1-Zone RGB Touchpad With Copilot key *Copilot in Windows (in preview) is rolling out gradually within the latest update to Windows 11 in select global markets. Timing of availability varies by device and market. Learn more: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/copilot-ai-features?r=1#faq
- Keyboard and Trackpad—
- Microsoft Office1-month trial for new Microsoft 365 customers. Credit card required.
- nameROG Zephyrus G16 (2026)
- Network and CommunicationWi-Fi 7(802.11be) (Triple band) 2*2 + Bluetooth™ 6.0 Wireless Card (*Bluetooth™ version may change with OS version different.)
- Neural ProcessorIntel™ NPU up to 50TOPS
- Power SupplyRectangle Conn, 250W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 12.5A, 250W, Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal *Whether a charger is included varies according to country, region and model. Please check with your local ASUS retailer for details.
- ProcessorIntel™ Core™ Ultra 9 Processor 386H 2.1 GHz (18MB Cache, up to 4.9 GHz, 16 cores, 16 Threads); Intel™ NPU up to 50TOPS
- Size and Weight—
- sku90NR0PC1-M006M0
- storage_base—
- Video Playback—
- Weight1.58 Kg (3.48 lbs)
- Xbox Game PassXBOX Game Pass Premium_2 months (*Terms and exclusions apply. Offer only available in eligible markets for XBOX Game Pass Premium. Eligible markets are determined at activation. Game catalog varies by region, device, and time.)