(Image credit: Future)

Apple is planning to update the MacBook Neo – its cheapest laptop – in the first half of 2027, meaning that those shopping for a cheaper Mac experience won't be left behind.

The MacBook Neo was announced in March 2026, launching at £/$599, but then seeing the price revised upwards to £/$699. Still, even with the price increase, it's the most affordable MacBook that Apple has released for a long time.

No details are known about the new model, but it's expected to continue with a run of bright colours. While the other models in the Mac family are expected to move to the M7 chip in 2027, it's likely that the MacBook Neo will get updated to the A19 Pro chip.

The details come from Bloomberg, where Mark Gurman has a good track record of sharing future Apple plans.

Apple is in the middle of a major refresh of its Mac line-up. That's seen the Neo introduced in 2026, but is expected to announce MacBook Pro model with an OLED display and supporting touchscreen – a first for the MacBook family.

To clear space for the big announcement, Apple has already unveiled the M6 MacBook Pro update, bringing performance updates to Apple's Pro workhorse, while also updating the iMac.

The announcement of the new iMac might give us a clue to Apple's plans for the MacBook Neo, because like the Neo, the iMac comes in a full range of colours.

However, Apple decided not to change these colours, but update it to the M6 chip and enhance the connectivity with the N1 chip. So, while it's an update, the design remains exactly the same.

Alongside the launch of the new MacBook Neo in 2027, we're expecting the MacBook Air to get an update and this is likely to be more meaningful, with a move to the M7 chip, although that's not confirmed.

Sitting behind these updates, there has previously been the rumour that Apple will introduce a new design with the OLED MacBook Pro, something that will filter down to refreshed M7 MacBook Pro models in 2027 too.

There's so much happening on the hardware side at Apple it's hard to keep up. We've had the iPhone Duo announced with the regular iPhone 18 expected in early 2027; we've had the move into smart home with the HomeView; and now we're looking at a real shake-up for MacBooks too.