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PC makers are not ready for the MacBook Neo

The Verge / 3/13/2026

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Key Points

  • The MacBook Neo's launch features aggressive entry-level pricing that executives describe as a market shock, signaling a major shift in laptop competition.
  • Asus CFO Nick Wu disclosed that Asus had some knowledge of Apple’s Neo development dating back to 2025, reinforcing rumors about Apple using an iPhone chip in a MacBook.
  • PC makers appear surprised and unprepared for the Neo, with executives admitting they were caught flat-footed by Apple's move.
  • The piece frames this development as a potential turning point for the PC market, prompting a reevaluation of pricing, product strategy, and competitive dynamics.
A photo of a person using a laptop with their feet propped up on a window.
This thing is poised to eat their lunch. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The MacBook Neo is here, and it took no time at all for an executive from a major PC manufacturer to put their foot in their mouth trying to discuss this new competition from Apple's $600 laptop. On Asus' latest earnings call, CFO Nick Wu said that the Neo and its aggressive entry-level pricing were "certainly a shock to the entire market." Wu also disclosed that Asus had some knowledge of Apple developing the Neo back in 2025, much as many of us had heard rumors of a MacBook with an iPhone chip for months - and yet, Asus and other PC makers seem to have been caught flat-footed.

What's worse is these company executives don't even seem to r …

Read the full story at The Verge.