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Need-to-knows
- MacBook Neo makes the most sense for students and those with an average workload
- iPad Air worth it if you know you’ll be doing lots of different creative tasks
- iPad Air has M4 chip, Neo uses A18 Pro
- macOS more suited to work than iPadOS
It’s safe to say that the MacBook Neo has put the value-for-money cat among the proverbial consumer tech pigeons. Does that make any sense? Probably not, but the point is that the Neo represents such a good all-round offering that it’s hard to recommend looking anywhere else.
Before the Neo, if you didn’t have the money to get a MacBook Air, the next best thing was the iPad Air. It costs significantly less (without accessories) and if you got a keyboard to go with it, you could use it like a laptop.
Now the MacBook Neo costs exactly the same, without the need to get accessories to turn your iPad into a laptop. Plus, you get access to proper macOS meaning you don’t have to deal with iPadOS.
That doesn’t mean the M4 iPad Air is now irrelevant, far from it as we shall see below. So who should buy a MacBook Neo? And who suits an iPad Air. Here are the key differences that matter when deciding between the two.
At a glance
| Category | MacBook Neo (13″) | iPad Air 13″ (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $599/£599 | From $599/£599 |
| Chip | A18 Pro | M4 |
| CPU | 6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency) | 8-core (3 performance + 5 efficiency) |
| GPU | 5-core GPU | 9-core GPU |
| Neural Engine | 16-core | 16-core |
| Memory Bandwidth | 60GB/s | 120GB/s |
| RAM | 8GB unified | 12GB unified |
| Storage Options | 256GB / 512GB SSD | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| Display Size | 13.0″ | 13″ (12.9″ usable) |
| Resolution | 2408×1506 (219 ppi) | 2732×2048 (264 ppi) |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 600 nits |
| Colour | sRGB, 1B colours | P3 wide colour, True Tone |
| Touchscreen | No | Yes (plus Apple Pencil support) |
| Battery Life | Up to 16h video / 11h web | Up to 10h (9h cellular) |
| Battery Size | 36.5 Wh | 36.59 Wh |
| Ports | 2× USB-C + 3.5mm jack | 1× USB-C |
| External Display | 1× 4K @ 60Hz | 1× up to 6K @ 60Hz |
| Camera (Rear) | None | 12MP Wide |
| Camera (Front) | 1080p | 12MP Center Stage |
| Speakers | Dual speakers | Stereo landscape speakers |
| Microphones | Dual with beamforming | Dual mics |
| Keyboard | Built-in Magic Keyboard | Optional accessory |
| Biometrics | Optional Touch ID | Touch ID |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, optional 5G |
| Weight | 1.23 kg | 0.616 kg |
| Thickness | 1.27 cm | 0.61 cm |
| Operating System | macOS | iPadOS |
The iPad Air has significantly more raw power
If you’re comparing these two purely on performance, the iPad Air has the advantage.
It runs Apple’s M4 chip, which belongs to the same family of processors used in all other Macs, barring the Neo. It features an 8-core CPU, a 9-core GPU, and 12GB of unified memory, along with a very fast memory bandwidth of 120GB/s.
It makes it one of the most powerful tablets on the market, second only to the M5 iPad Pro.
The MacBook Neo, by contrast, uses the A18 Pro chip. This is still a very capable processor, but it isn’t made as a bespoke laptop chip; it debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro Max. As such, it is designed for efficiency rather than sustained, heavy workloads that you might typically carry out on a laptop.
That’s what it all means on paper, at least. In our real-world tests, the MacBook Neo is perfectly comfortable handling everyday tasks such as web browsing, document editing, streaming, and video calls. It can chew through far more than that, too, taking apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro in its stride. You can have loads of Chrome tabs open and the Neo won’t skip a beat.
If anything, the Neo highlights how overpowered most MacBooks have been for the average user all these years. We honestly believe that the majority of people could get by with a Neo without any issue, unless you have specific, intense workloads that require more power.
The iPad Air simply has more headroom if you plan to push it your device harder. Creative tasks like photo editing, video editing, rendering, modelling or just lots of multitasking will be better off on the M4 chip. If you know that’s what you’ll be doing, going for the extra power is worth it.
The MacBook Neo is the simpler, all-in-one device
Obviously, power matters. But the choice between a MacBook and iPad also comes down to the practical aspects of both. One is a tablet, the other a laptop.
When choosing between the two, you need to have a proper sit-down and think about what you are actually likely to get up to on your device.
The MacBook Neo is a traditional laptop. It opens up, you type on the keyboard, move the cursor with the trackpad, and everything works exactly as you’d expect. No accessories are required.
The iPad Air, on the other hand, can become laptop-like, but it needs extra hardware to do so. Many people pair it with Apple’s Magic Keyboard or a third-party keyboard case if they want to use it for work.
That flexibility is one of the iPad’s strengths, but only if you actually take advantage of it. If you know you’ll mostly be typing and browsing the web, then the Neo is ready-made for that purpose. Yes, you can connect a keyboard and mouse to the iPad Air, but it’s inherently less intuitive to use than an actual laptop for laptop-y things (which is also down to the software, which we’ll get to later).
Related: What’s the best iPad keyboard?
But! If you can see your needs snowballing, like watching a lot of content (especially when travelling), using an Apple Pencil, a second screen for your desktop, something to read/play games on, then an iPad can be justified.
Only you know how you will use whatever device you decide to purchase, but if you’ll mostly be working on it (with YouTube/Netflix etc thrown in), then it’s hard to look past the Neo.
iPadOS versus macOS
Following on from that is the operating software and it arguably matters even more than the hardware.
The MacBook Neo runs macOS Tahoe, which is a full desktop operating system designed for traditional computing. You get proper window management, desktop apps, file systems, and an experience that is generally more conducive to classic ways of working.
The iPad Air runs iPadOS 26, which improved significantly on 2025 as an OS for productivity but it ultimately still behaves differently from a laptop operating system. Apps tend to be more touch-focused, multitasking is less seamless, and certain workflows like video editing work better on macOS.
If you’ll mainly be word processing, using the internet and emailing, then macOS is by far the most convenient way to go. On the flip side, iPadOS excels when it comes to touch interaction. It’s intuitive, fluid, and designed to work beautifully with gestures and the Apple Pencil. If you’ll be doing lots of that, then the iPad Air works well.
The MacBook Neo has the larger working screen
Although the iPad Air’s display is sharp and bright, the MacBook Neo offers a slightly larger working canvas.
The Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2408 by 1506 and 500 nits of brightness. The iPad Air’s 11-inch display is smaller but sharper at 264 pixels per inch.
In real-world use, both displays are excellent. The difference mainly comes down to form factor.
The MacBook’s display is designed for sitting at a desk and multitasking. The iPad’s screen is designed to be held, touched, and used from different angles.
More: Check out my full MacBook Neo review!
Neither approach is better per se, but they suit different types of usage.
Battery life is strong on both
Battery life is one area where these two devices are surprisingly similar.
The MacBook Neo offers up to 16 hours of video playback and around 11 hours of web browsing. The M4 iPad Air manages roughly 10 hours of web browsing or video playback.
In day-to-day use, both devices should comfortably last through a working day for most people, although you will find yourself charging the iPad Air more.
Connectivity and ports are fairly basic on both
Neither of these devices is particularly port-heavy.
The MacBook Neo offers two USB-C ports (one with USB 3 speeds and one slower USB 2 port) alongside a headphone jack. The iPad Air has a single USB-C port capable of USB 3 speeds. Both support one external display with the Neo maxing out at 4k 60Hz and the iPad Air 6K 60Hz.
In both cases, you’ll likely end up using a USB-C hub if you need to connect lots of accessories or different readers.
The price
The final consideration is cost. Both of these devices start at $599/£599, which seems to be a slam dunk for the iPad Air until you consider the extra cost of accessories.
Apple’s Magic Keyboard costs $269 new! That puts your iPad Air into M4 MacBook Air territory. There are cheaper options which you can find in our best iPad accessories guide, but either way, the Neo is ultimately the cheaper option.
Which makes sense. The Neo is aimed at the average person, who needs a good level of power and build quality to meet their needs. Most people can buy the cheaper option. Great!
So which one should you buy?
Choosing between the MacBook Neo and the M4 iPad Air isn’t really about which device is better. Both are excellent and can handle what most people are likely to throw at them. It’s about which one fits your work and lifestyle the most.
The iPad Air is the more powerful machine thanks to its M4 chip, and it offers versatility as both a tablet and a laptop-style device. If you plan to draw, take handwritten notes, edit photos, or want the flexibility of a touch-first device, the iPad Air makes sense.
The MacBook Neo, however, is the simpler and more straightforward option. It arrives as a complete laptop with a keyboard, trackpad, and macOS ready to go. Even though its A18 Pro chip is less powerful than the M4, it’s still easily capable of working through everyday computing tasks.
Which one are you buying? Let me know below!
1 Comment
iPad!