Apple MacBook Neo: First benchmark tests compared to the MacBook Air M1 are here
The eagerly awaited first benchmark tests for the new Apple MacBook Neo are here. Unsurprisingly, its CPU performance is almost identical to that of the iPhone 16 Pro. The MacBook Neo uses the same 6-core A18 Pro chip that first appeared in the iPhone 16 Pro, but has one fewer GPU core.
The Apple MacBook Neo scored 3461 points in the single-core test, 8668 points in the multi-core test, and 31286 points in the Metal test. Here you can see the Neo’s results compared to the iPhone 16 Pro and some other Apple devices.
Apple MacBook Neo test results:
- iPhone 16 Pro – 3445 MHz single-core, 8624 MHz multi-core, 32575 MHz metal
- MacBook Air M1 – 2346 MHz single core, 8342 MHz multi-core, 33148 MHz metal
- MacBook Air M4 – 3696 MHz single core, 14730 MHz multi-core, 54630 MHz metal
- iPad Air M3 – 3048 single core, 11678 multi core, 44395 metal
- iPad 11 – 2587 single core, 6036 multi core, 19395 MHz metal
Since the Apple MacBook Neo has one less GPU core than the iPhone 16 Pro, a slightly lower Metal score is understandable.
Single-core performance at M3 or M4 level
Comparing the performance with the test results of existing MacBooks, so the multi-core score of the A18 Pro corresponds to the M1 chip in the MacBook Air, but the single-core score is significantly higher than that of the M1 and is more in line with the M3 or M4 chip.
High single-core performance is advantageous for the target audience of the Apple MacBook Neo, as single-core speed is important for activities such as web browsing, word processing and video streaming. However, for video editing, music production, 3D modeling and similar tasks where multi-core performance plays a more significant role the MacBook Neo is not ideally suited.
Apple does not compare the performance of the MacBook Neo to other Macs, iPads or iPhones. The company’s budget-friendly MacBook aims to compete with Windows PCs and Chromebooks in a similar price range. In its marketing materials, Apple states that the A18 Pro is up to 50 percent faster than the best-selling PC with the latest Intel Core Ultra 5 for everyday tasks. It’s also up to three times faster at AI applications directly on the device and up to twice as fast at photo editing.
So far, we only have one benchmark result, so the average values could be slightly different once more Neo devices are tested. However, the results are exactly as expected.
The compact notebook is available from €699/$599, but prices in our Apple MacBook Neo price comparison will soon drop. Pre-orders are now being accepted, with the official launch scheduled for March 11th.
