O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: Take Apart

  • Rumor: Second-generation MacBook Neo won’t include a touchscreen interface

    Rumor: Second-generation MacBook Neo won’t include a touchscreen interface

    If you were hoping for a touchscreen feature on the next-generation MacBook Neo, as seen on an assortment of Chromebooks, you might have to wait a while.

    Per noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF Securities, who had commented in late 2025 that touchscreen support was possible on a forthcoming Apple notebook (this could be accomplished by integrating the touch layer directly into the IPS panel), this might not happen in the near term.

    A X post on Wednesday from Kuo painted a different picture. Kuo says that the second-generation MacBook Neo was originally expected to have a touch panel to compete with Chromebooks. At least half of Chromebooks on the market have touchscreen support, Kuo writes.

    Kuo did say back in September that the MacBook Neo wouldn’t have a touchscreen in its first generation. At the time, Kuo believed that the second-generation model’s specifications were still under discussion and “could include touch support.”

    Kuo has also stated that the second-generation MacBook Neo was slated for a 2027 release, but did not offer an update schedule after the fact.

    It’s currently thought that Apple will introduce an OLED-equipped MacBook Pro in late 2026, complete with touchscreen capabilities.

    Kuo has also cited that the MacBook Neo entered mass production months later than expected, and that shipments are expected to be lower than previous estimates. Still, at about 4.5 million to 5 million units for 2026, that is still a “strong number” to Kuo.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and @mingchikuo

  • Apple launches seven new products following last week’s multi-day media event

    Apple launches seven new products following last week’s multi-day media event

    Following last week’s multi-day media event, Apple on Wednesday announced that seven new products were now available at Apple Stores and other retail locations. Apple has announced that inventory will be available for both walk-in customers and Apple Store pickup, albeit availability may vary, and you’ll want to check to see if your local store has stock available.

    First, and perhaps drawing the most attention, the MacBook Neo is available in four different colors (Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver) and is powered by the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone. The notebook is equipped with a 13-inch display, up to 512GB of storage, and a non-configurable 8GB of RAM.

    The other six products include an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a new Studio Display, and a higher-end Studio Display XDR.

    Where the iPhone 17e is concerned, the handset features the same overall design as the iphone 16e that was released last year, but features Apple’s A19 chip, MagSafe for magnetic wireless charging and magnetic accessories, Apple’s second-generation C1X modem for faster 5G, and 256GB of base storage. In the U.S., the unit starts at $599.

    For the iPad fans, the M4 iPad Air is now available, and boasts an increased 12GB of RAM, Apple’s N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, and the C1X modem in cellular models.

    Apple’s new M5 MacBook Air now features the M5 chip, 512GB of base storage, and a somewhat higher price tag (its previous $999 price point jumped to $1299 as a result of the 256GB configuration being dropped. The unit also features Apple’s N1 chip, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support, and it now ships with Apple’s 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max.

    The higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models finally received M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, plus up to twice as fast SSD speeds and a doubled 1TB of base storage. Battery life has increased slightly across all of the models, and the N1 chip extends to the MacBook Pro line now for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support.

    Finally, Apple’s Studio Display gained Thunderbolt 5 support as well as improved speakers and a camera that now supports Desk View. The high-end Studio Display XDR gained all of those benefits, plus bigger improvements such as a 120Hz refresh rate, mini-LED backlighting, increased brightness, and more.

    If you’ve had a chance to pick up any of the new gear, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors and Apple

  • Apple announces M5 MacBook Air, cites 512GB SSD storage for the base model

    Apple announces M5 MacBook Air, cites 512GB SSD storage for the base model

    If you’ve loved the MacBook Air since it first debuted in 2008, you’re going to like this.

    Per MacRumors, Apple on Tuesday announced its refreshed MacBook Air models, the new units boasting the M5 chip and a higher SSD storage capacity.

    The M5 chip in the ‌MacBook Air‌ features a 10-core CPU, with what Apple calls the world’s fastest CPU cores. It offers configurations with up to 10 GPU cores with Neural Accelerators in each core, delivering up to 4x faster performance for AI tasks than the ‌MacBook Air‌ with the M4 chip.

    Apple has also stated that the M5 features enhanced shader cores and a third-generation ray-tracing engine, along with a faster unified memory system that offers 153GB/s of bandwidth, thereby offering a 28 percent improvement over the M4 chip.

    The updated notebook also ships with Apple’s customer N1 wireless chip, which supports both the Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 protocols. The M5 MacBook Air now starts at 512GB of storage and continues to be configurable up to 4TB. The SSD also has 2x faster read and write performance compared to the previous generation.

    The M5 MacBook Air was made available for pre-order on Wednesday, March 4, and will be available for retail sale on Wednesday, March 11. The notebook starts at $1,099, $100 more than the previous generation.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Apple

  • Apple announces MacBook Neo notebook, offers $599 price point for entry-level model

    Apple announces MacBook Neo notebook, offers $599 price point for entry-level model

    The low-cost MacBook you’ve been waiting for has arrived.

    Following months of rumors and speculation, Apple on Wednesday announced the MacBook Neo, a new notebook featuring the A18 Pro chip with a retail price starting at $599.

    The notebook is the first Mac to be powered by an iPhone chip, the A18 having debuted in 2024’s iPhone 16 Pro models. Apple has stated that the chip is up to 50 percent faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5, up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads, and up to 2x faster for tasks like photo editing.

    Where specs are concerned, the MacBook Neo boasts a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2408-by-1506 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and an anti-reflective coating. The display itself lacks a notch, and instead features uniform, iPad-style bezels.

    The MacBook Neo is available in Silver, Indigo, Blush, and Citrus color options, with the colored finishes extending to the Magic Keyboard in lighter shades and come with matching wallpapers. The notebook itself weighs 2.7 pounds, and features two USB-C porrts (one being a USB-C 2 port with support for speeds up to 480 Mb/s and one is a USB-C 3 port with support for speeds up to 10 Gb/s), along with a headphone jack.

    The MacBook Neo also offers a 16-hour battery life, 8GB of unified memory, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 connectivity, a 1080p front-facing camera, dual mics with directional beamforming, and dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio.

    The retail price starts at $599 for the entry-level MacBook, which offers 256GB of storage along with the Magic Keyboard or $699 for the 512GB model, which arrives with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Education customers can purchase the notebook at a $499 price point.

    Apple also pointed out that the MacBook Neo is Apple’s lowest-carbon Mac, and that it’s composed from 60 percent recycled materials. These materials include 90 percent recycled aluminum and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery.

    The MacBook Neo is available to pre-order starting today, with availability beginning on Wednesday, March 11.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Apple

  • Technical specifications begin to leak about Apple’s upcoming “MacBook Neo” budget notebook

    Technical specifications begin to leak about Apple’s upcoming “MacBook Neo” budget notebook

    While Apple’s in the middle of its new products sprint this week and has announced six new products over the last few days, the leak community has released its own information regarding Apple’s anticipated buget MacBook.

    Per 9to5Mac and MacRumors, details have been released as to the upcoming MacBook, dubbed the “MacBook Neo,” which won’t be available in a 12-inch size, but will include two USB-C ports as well as a MagSafe charging port.

    Apple already features two USB-C ports and a MagSafe charging port on the M2 MacBook Air and later. This would be a continuation of that choice in terms of ports.

    Other technical details point to the inclusion of Wi-Fi 7 support, but no Apple N1 wireless networking chip.

    It’s thought that the MacBook Neo will feature an A18 Pro chip originally designed to power the iPhone 16 Pro, although Apple could opt for the A19 Pro chip found in the iPhone 17 Pro.

    An official announcement is expected via the media experience slated to start at 9 am ET from New York City.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and MacRumors