MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air vs MacBook Neo in 2026
Apple sells three MacBook lines: MacBook Neo, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Neo uses the A18 Pro chip, Air uses M5, and Pro uses M6, M5 Pro or M5 Max. The Pro has the brightest displays, the most ports and the longest battery life Apple quotes. Every figure here comes from Apple's own pages, as of 30 October 2026.
Quick answer
MacBook Neo starts at £699 or $699, with A18 Pro, 8GB of memory and a 13-inch display. MacBook Air starts at £1,299 or $1,299, with M5 and up to 32GB. MacBook Pro starts at £1,999 or $1,999, with M6, M5 Pro or M5 Max, an XDR display, more ports and up to 24 hours of battery life.
Which MacBook models does Apple sell now?
Apple's Mac compare page lists these current laptops at the top of its model picker:
- MacBook Neo (A18 Pro), 13-inch.
- MacBook Air (M5), 13-inch and 15-inch.
- MacBook Pro (M6), 14-inch.
- MacBook Pro (M5 Pro or M5 Max), 14-inch and 16-inch.
- MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display (M5 Pro or M5 Max), 14-inch and 16-inch, the touchscreen models.
Which Pro has which chip is covered in MacBook Pro M6 vs M5 Pro and M5 Max.
How do the chips compare?
From Apple's tech specs pages:
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | A18 Pro | M5 | M6, M5 Pro or M5 Max |
| CPU | 6-core | 10-core | 12-core (M6) up to 18-core (M5 Pro, M5 Max) |
| GPU | 5-core | 8-core or 10-core | 12-core (M6) up to 40-core (M5 Max) |
| Neural Accelerators in the GPU | Not listed | Yes | Yes |
| Memory | 8GB | 16GB, 24GB or 32GB | 16GB (M6) up to 128GB (M5 Max) |
| Storage | 256GB or 512GB | 512GB up to 4TB | 1TB up to 16TB (M5 Max, PROLED) |
Apple's Air page describes "a silent, fanless design". Apple describes the A18 Pro in MacBook Neo as a chip that "breezes through your go-to apps and AI activities".
How are the displays different?
| MacBook Neo | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 13.0-inch | 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch | 14.2-inch, or 16.2 or 16.3-inch |
| Type | Liquid Retina, LED-backlit IPS | Liquid Retina, LED-backlit IPS | Liquid Retina XDR (mini-LED) or PROLED XDR (tandem OLED) |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits | Up to 1,600 nits peak HDR (Liquid Retina XDR); up to 2,000 nits peak HDR, and 2,000 nits peak SDR outdoors (PROLED XDR) |
| Colour | sRGB | Wide colour (P3) | P3 (Liquid Retina XDR); P3 and Adobe RGB (PROLED XDR) |
| Touch | No | No | PROLED XDR models only |
The 16.3-inch screen is the 16-inch PROLED XDR model. The touchscreen is explained in MacBook Pro touchscreen, how the PROLED XDR display works.
What ports and external displays does each have?
- MacBook Neo: one USB 3 (USB-C) port, one USB 2 (USB-C) port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. It supports one external display, at up to 4K at 60Hz.
- MacBook Air: two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, MagSafe 3 and a headphone jack. It supports up to two external displays.
- MacBook Pro: three Thunderbolt ports (Thunderbolt 4 with M6, Thunderbolt 5 with M5 Pro and M5 Max), HDMI, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 and a headphone jack. It supports up to two external displays with M6, three with M5 Pro and four with M5 Max.
For wireless, Apple lists Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 on MacBook Neo, and Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 on MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
How do battery life and weight compare?
| Video streaming | Wireless web | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Neo | Up to 16 hours | Up to 11 hours | 1.23 kg |
| MacBook Air 13-inch | Up to 18 hours | Up to 15 hours | 1.23 kg |
| MacBook Air 15-inch | Up to 18 hours | Up to 15 hours | 1.51 kg |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch with M6 | Up to 24 hours | Up to 16 hours | 1.55 kg |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch PROLED XDR with M5 Pro | Up to 22 hours | Up to 14 hours | 1.38 kg |
Apple's battery figures come from its own testing, and its footnotes say battery life varies by use and configuration.
What about the camera, speakers and Touch ID?
MacBook Neo has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera and a dual-speaker sound system. MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View. Apple lists a four-speaker system on the 13-inch Air and a six-speaker system on MacBook Pro.
Touch ID is on every MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. On MacBook Neo it depends on the model: Apple's tech specs list Touch ID on the 512GB model and not on the 256GB model. Apple's MacBook Neo page describes the other model as having a Lock Key, which wakes and locks the screen and turns the Mac on and off.
How much does each one cost?
Starting prices from Apple's UK and US online stores:
| Model | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Neo, 256GB | £699 | $699 |
| MacBook Neo, 512GB | £799 | $799 |
| MacBook Air 13-inch | £1,299 | $1,299 |
| MacBook Air 15-inch | £1,499 | $1,499 |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch with M6 | £1,999 | $1,999 |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch PROLED XDR | £2,899 | $2,899 |
Every MacBook Pro configuration is listed in new MacBook Pro release date and price.
How do you decide between them?
Apple doesn't tell you which to buy, and neither will we. These questions match the differences Apple lists:
- How much memory do your apps need? Neo has 8GB. Air goes to 32GB. Pro goes to 128GB.
- How many screens do you connect? One on Neo, two on Air and the M6 Pro, three or four on M5 Pro and M5 Max.
- Do you use an SD card or HDMI? Only MacBook Pro has both built in.
- Does the display matter to your work? XDR brightness, Adobe RGB and Touch are Pro features.
- How long are you away from a charger? Apple quotes up to 16 hours for Neo, 18 for Air and 24 for the Pro with M6.
- Do you want Touch ID? On Neo, that means the 512GB model.
Where Failshot fits
A new Mac is the moment to add the second layer. Your password is the first layer. Failshot is the second: second layer device security, for the moment someone sits down at your Mac and unlocks it.
While it's on, Failshot photographs whoever unlocks your Mac, then, with Pro, records a 5-second video, and its window tells them the unlock was photographed. With the Mac's built-in camera, the green light comes on. With Pro, turn on alerts and Failshot emails you about an unlock you don't confirm as yours. Switching it off, or quitting it from its menu, takes Touch ID or your Failshot PIN and answer, never your Mac password.
Failshot is for macOS 14 or later. Free to download. It's free to use. Pro adds video, email alerts and the encrypted vault, and you can try Pro free for 7 days. The trial is on failshot.app, for the Mac. iPhone, Android and Windows are coming soon.
More questions
What is the MacBook Neo?
Apple's lowest-priced MacBook, from £699 or $699. Apple lists it with the A18 Pro chip, 8GB of memory, a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, up to 16 hours of battery life and four colours: silver, blush, citrus and indigo.
Is the MacBook Air lighter than the MacBook Pro?
Yes, by Apple's specs. The 13-inch Air weighs 1.23 kg and the 15-inch 1.51 kg. The 14-inch Pro with M6 weighs 1.55 kg and the 14-inch PROLED XDR model with M5 Pro weighs 1.38 kg.
Does the MacBook Air have a fan?
No. Apple's MacBook Air page describes "a silent, fanless design" for the M5 model.
Which MacBook has a touchscreen?
Only the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. Apple lists "Touch display not applicable" for the other MacBook Pro models, and MacBook Air and MacBook Neo don't have Touch.
Do all three run the latest macOS?
Yes. Apple's macOS 27 Golden Gate compatibility list includes MacBook Neo (13-inch, A18 Pro), MacBook Air with M5 and earlier Apple silicon models, and MacBook Pro with Apple silicon. Apple's releases say the new MacBook Pro models come with macOS 27.
Sources
- Compare Mac models, Apple (UK)
- Compare Mac models, Apple (US)
- MacBook Neo, Apple (UK)
- MacBook Neo, tech specs, Apple (US)
- MacBook Air, Apple (UK)
- MacBook Air, tech specs, Apple (US)
- MacBook Pro, tech specs, Apple (US)
- MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, tech specs, Apple (US)
- Buy MacBook Neo, Apple Store (UK)
- Buy MacBook Neo, Apple Store (US)
- Buy MacBook Air, Apple Store (UK)
- Buy MacBook Air, Apple Store (US)
- Buy MacBook Pro, Apple Store (UK)
- Buy MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, Apple Store (UK)
- macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers, Apple Support (UK)