How Apple’s cheap MacBook Neo sparked a war in budget laptops

Apple’s budget MacBook Neo appears to be driving stronger-than-expected Mac sales and widening pressure across the low-cost laptop market. Apple reported 29% year-over-year revenue growth in its Mac segment to $10.4 billion in the June quarter, with CEO Tim Cook highlighting the MacBook Pro and MacBook Neo as key contributors. The article says the Neo, launched at $599 for regular buyers and $499 for students before later price increases, helped Apple win share from Windows and Chromebook devices, especially in education. Rivals such as Dell, Acer, HP, Lenovo, and Qualcomm are responding with lower-priced, more AI-focused hardware and chip offerings. The piece suggests Apple’s brand power could help it expand beyond the premium PC segment, though sustaining the June-quarter growth rate may be difficult after the Neo’s price hike to $699/$599 amid industry memory shortages.