Versus Engine
Apple MacBook Neo vs Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M3 Max)
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Apple MacBook Neo against Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M3 Max), side by side.
Cheaper to start
Apple MacBook Neo
Starts about $2,800 lower.
Rated higher
Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M3 Max)
9.8 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
- chipApple A18 Pro
- memory8GB
- chassisAluminium, no plastic parts
- coloursIndigo, blush, citrus, silver
- display13-inch, 2408 x 1506
- storage_base256GB (512GB at $799)
- battery—
- cpu_cores—
- gpu_cores—
- architecture—
- neural_engine—
- unified_memory—
- memory_bandwidth—
- fabrication_process—
Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M3 Max)
The definitive mobile workstation for local AI development. Powered by the M3 Max chip with a 40-core GPU and up to 128GB of unified memory running at 400GB/s, it runs massive LLMs entirely on-device without thermal throttling.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- 400GB/s memory bandwidth eliminates LLM bottlenecks
- Up to 128GB unified RAM supports massive 70B+ models
- Unmatched battery life under heavy sustained compute
Cons
- Astronomical price at high memory configurations
- Unified memory cannot be upgraded post-purchase
Specifications
- chip—
- memory—
- chassis—
- colours—
- display16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR (3456x2234, 120Hz ProMotion)
- storage_base—
- battery100-watt-hour lithium-polymer
- cpu_cores16-core (12 performance, 4 efficiency)
- gpu_cores40-core (Hardware-accelerated ray tracing)
- architectureARMv8.6-A (Apple Silicon)
- neural_engine16-core (18 TOPS)
- unified_memoryUp to 128GB LPDDR5
- memory_bandwidth400 GB/s
- fabrication_process3nm (TSMC N3B)