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| Apple's MacBook Neo looks to be slower than the cheapest iPhone currently available. |
In the ever-evolving landscape of Apple silicon, we’ve grown accustomed to a predictable hierarchy: the MacBook Pro sits at the top, the MacBook Air handles the middle ground, and iPhones, while powerful, are generally considered the less intensive computing companions. However, Apple has just thrown a fascinating curveball into the mix with the release of the new MacBook Neo.
According to initial benchmark results flooding the web, Apple’s latest laptop may currently be the slowest device in its entire product lineup—and it’s not because the MacBook Neo is a slouch. It’s because Apple’s latest budget iPhone is just that good.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Laptop vs. Phone
Early Geekbench 6 scores paint a surprising picture of the silicon food chain. The MacBook Neo (identified by the model number Mac17,5) is posting scores that place it below the newly released iPhone 17e (model iPhone 18,5) in both single-core and multi-core performance metrics.
On average, the budget-friendly iPhone 17e is beating its laptop cousin by roughly 5% across the board. You can view the raw data flooding in from the early benchmarks right here:
Geekbench Search Results for Mac17,5
For those keeping score at home, this is the equivalent of a compact car outpacing a luxury coupe in a drag race.
Why This is Happening: A Tale of Two Chips
While the headlines might scream "MacBook Slow," the reality of the situation is far more nuanced and actually quite impressive for Apple’s engineering team.
The MacBook Neo is running on a modified version of the A18 Pro SoC. This is the same silicon that powered last year’s flagship iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. It’s a proven, powerful chip that, until now, was considered top-tier mobile processing.
However, the iPhone 17e is equipped with the newer A19 chip. We aren't talking about a "Pro" variant here; this is the standard A19 found in the latest base-model iPhones. Despite being the "non-Pro" version, the generational leap in architecture from the A18 Pro to the A19 is just enough to give the iPhone a slight, but consistent, edge in raw CPU grunt.
In terms of graphical performance, the playing field levels out. Across the variety of benchmark submissions, there is no clear winner between the A18 Pro and the A19 in GPU tests. Both chips handle graphics workloads admirably, trading blows depending on the specific test.
Context is King: Price, Performance, and the Competition
Before we declare the MacBook Neo a disappointment, it is crucial to look at the bigger picture. Initial reviews of the MacBook Neo have been surprisingly positive, with critics praising its price-to-performance ratio.
This situation is less an indictment of the MacBook Neo and more a testament to how far Apple’s mobile silicon has come. It highlights that even Apple’s lowest-price iPhone is likely more than powerful enough for the vast majority of smartphone users.
Similarly, the MacBook Neo seems to be hitting its target mark. If early reviewers are suggesting the laptop is "adequate" or even "great for the price" for most consumers, the fact that it is only 5% slower than a brand new iPhone speaks volumes about the efficiency and power of the Apple Silicon ecosystem. You are getting near-flagship performance from last year in a laptop chassis, presumably at a very competitive price point.
The Real Fight: MacBook Neo vs. The World
Of course, the ultimate test for the MacBook Neo isn't whether it can beat a phone in a benchmark; it’s whether it can justify its existence against the myriad of Windows laptops in the same price bracket.
The Windows laptop market is currently in a state of flux, with new Snapdragon X Elite and Intel Core Ultra chipsets rolling out across various devices. A true comparison for the Neo will be against these similarly-priced competitors.
Consumers looking for an in-depth analysis won't have to wait long. A detailed review of the MacBook Neo is slated for publication in the near future by the experts at Notebookcheck. That review promises to give a very detailed look at its performance against their massive database of laptops, offering a true comparison of how this "slowest Apple device" stacks up against the rest of the computing world.
Conclusion
For now, the story of the MacBook Neo is a fascinating paradox. It is a laptop that gets outperformed by a phone, yet it is being lauded as a solid value proposition. It proves that in the era of Apple Silicon, the lines between mobile and desktop hardware have blurred to the point of near invisibility. While the iPhone 17e might be the speed demon on paper, the MacBook Neo might just be the smart, affordable workhorse that many users have been waiting for.