During its fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter earnings call, Apple disclosed that it has sold 170,000 MacBook Neo units to teachers and students in the Philippines—one of its largest education procurement deals to date—signaling an accelerated push into emerging markets and the education ecosystem through low-priced entry-level Mac products. The MacBook Neo is Apple's first laptop powered by the A18 Pro chip, launched in March 2026. It was initially priced at $499 for the education market before rising to $649, making it the most affordable MacBook in Apple's current lineup. The 256GB and 512GB models for education users in the Philippines are priced at approximately $721.25 and $837, respectively—still an attractive proposition for budget-conscious education buyers. Apple CEO John Ternus said that education opportunities of this kind can bring more users into the Apple ecosystem and drive business growth, and that the education market serves as a key entry point for Apple to cultivate long-term user habits and fuel the expansion of its services and app ecosystem.