First MacBook Neo Benchmarks Reveal Power of Apple’s A18 Pro Chip

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The first benchmark results for Apple’s newly announced MacBook Neo are now online, offering an early look at how the A18 Pro performs inside a Mac.

The results show that Apple’s iPhone chip delivers performance that is surprisingly competitive with entry-level Mac processors. The MacBook Neo scored 3,461 in single-core tests and 8,668 in multi-core tests, numbers that closely match those of the iPhone 16 Pro.

The reason is simple. Both devices run the same A18 Pro chip, though the MacBook Neo ships with a slightly reduced GPU configuration.

GPU Difference Explains Metal Score Gap

Graphics performance is where the first difference appears. The MacBook Neo recorded a Metal score of 31,286, slightly lower than the iPhone 16 Pro’s 32,575. This gap exists because the MacBook Neo includes one fewer GPU core.

Aside from graphics, the CPU results are almost identical between the two devices.

How the MacBook Neo Stacks Up Against Other Apple Devices

Looking beyond the iPhone comparison, the MacBook Neo delivers performance that lands in an interesting spot within Apple’s lineup.

The numbers reveal a shift. While the Neo cannot match the multi-core power of newer M-series chips, its single-core performance is far ahead of the original M1 MacBook Air.

Related: MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air: Full Comparison (Specs, Price, Features)

Why Strong Single-Core Performance Matters?

Single-core speed still plays a major role in many everyday computing tasks.

Activities such as browsing websites, opening apps, writing documents, and watching videos often depend more on single-thread performance than raw multi-core throughput. In these areas, the A18 Pro performs extremely well.

That makes the MacBook Neo well-suited for students, casual users, and people who mainly use a laptop for productivity and media.

Apple is Targeting a Different Segment

Apple is not positioning the MacBook Neo against its own Mac lineup. Instead, the company is aiming directly at budget laptops powered by Windows or ChromeOS.

Apple claims the A18 Pro is:

• up to 50% faster in everyday tasks than the best-selling PC with an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor
• up to three times faster for on-device AI workloads
• up to twice as fast for photo editing

This positioning explains the Neo’s aggressive starting price.

Related: A18 Pro vs M1: How Apple’s iPhone Chip Compares to the First Mac Silicon

Price and Availability

The MacBook Neo starts at $599, making it the most affordable Mac Apple currently sells.

Preorders are already open, and the laptop will begin shipping on March 11.

More benchmark entries will likely appear over the coming days, which should give a clearer picture of real-world performance. Early results already confirm one thing. Apple’s iPhone chips are now powerful enough to comfortably power entry-level Macs.

Would you buy the MacBook Neo based on these benchmarks? Tell us in the comments below.

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