Solving the 'problem' of MacBook Neo's popularity

Jason Snell:

The MacBook Neo is apparently a big hit. So big that Apple is reportedly ramping up production. Now the bad news: Since the MacBook Neo is powered by the A18 Pro chip from 2024’s iPhone 16 Pro, a product that’s been discontinued, there is likely a finite number of chips available for MacBook Neo production.

Jason goes on to posit that the most likely solution is for Apple to release an updated Macbook Neo in the next 6 to 9 months that uses the A19 Pro chip. I would like this to be true because I’d love to buy a Neo with the 12GB of RAM that the A19 Pro SoC has. But if they moved to using the bined A19 Pro chips there’s only going to be a finite number of those too. If demand outpaces supply of bined chips there needs to be a sustainable plan.

If you look at iPad pricing you can get an iPad Air with an M4 chip for $599 and the iPad Mini with the A17 Pro is $499. So while using the bined A18 Pro is great for Apple’s bottom line, and is also great for reducing waste, I also think they could produce an A series chip specifically for the Neo and keep prices the same.

Since using bined chips means maximum profit I’d tend to agree that they may move to the A19 Pro and exhaust that supply before producing dedicated Neo chips though.