Apple’s ‘big week’: MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e and more
In the span of just three days, Apple unveiled half a dozen new products. Here is everything the company announced — and what it all means for you
Apple rarely does anything quietly. But even by its own standards, this was a remarkable week. There was a near-relentless stream of announcements: new iPhones, new iPads, new MacBooks, new chips and even a surprise entry-level laptop that leaked before Apple had a chance to tell anyone about it.
Here is a clear-eyed look at what Apple actually announced, what is genuinely new and what is worth your attention.
MacBook Neo and more
The headline act of the week was undoubtedly the MacBook Neo. Apple accidentally revealed its existence before the official announcement on Wednesday, which made for an embarrassing few hours in Cupertino.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The MacBook Neo starts at $599 — or $499 for students and educators — making it the most affordable Mac laptop Apple has ever sold. It is a direct challenge to the cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks that dominate the budget end of the market.
The laptop runs on Apple's A18 Pro chip, the same processor that powered the iPhone 16 Pro. It has a 6-core CPU, a 5-core GPU and 8GB of unified memory. That is enough to support Apple Intelligence features. Apple claims it will last up to 16 hours on a single charge.
The 13-inch Liquid Retina display supports one billion colours. The design is clean and compact, though early hands-on impressions suggest the keyboard and trackpad do not feel quite as premium as those on Apple's higher-end machines.
Note that TouchID requires an extra $100 upgrade, which also doubles the storage from 256GB to 512GB. It comes in four colours: silver, blush, citrus and indigo.
The MacBook Air also received a meaningful update. Apple has fitted the M5 chip and doubled the base storage to 512GB. The new model also gains Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support via Apple's N1 chip. However, the starting price has risen back up to $1,099 after a temporary cut to $999 for the M4 model. The 15-inch version starts at $1,299.
For professionals, the MacBook Pro now comes with the new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Apple describes these as using "Fusion Architecture," which combines two processor dies into a single chip for more power and efficiency.
The 14-inch model with an M5 Pro starts at $2,199 — a $200 increase on the previous generation — though Apple has doubled the base storage to 1TB. The 16-inch model starts at $2,699. Both models also gain Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
iPhone 17e
Apple has refreshed its entry-level iPhone without raising the asking price. The iPhone 17e starts at $599 and brings some welcome improvements over the iPhone 16e.
The most obvious upgrade is storage. The base model now comes with 256GB — double what the iPhone 16e offered. Wireless charging has also improved significantly. The iPhone 17e supports MagSafe and Qi2 at speeds of up to 15W, twice the speed of its predecessor.
The display is the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR panel, but it now features Ceramic Shield 2. Apple says this offers three times better scratch resistance than the previous generation and reduces glare noticeably.
The device is powered by the A19 chip, which is the same processor used in the iPhone 17. That means full support for Apple Intelligence features. It runs iOS 26 and carries the C1X cellular modem, which Apple claims is up to twice as fast as the C1 in the iPhone 16e.
The iPhone 17e retains an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and supports satellite features including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance and Messages. The design has not changed significantly from the 16e. It is available in black, white and soft pink.
iPad Air M4
The new iPad Air arrives with Apple's M4 chip, along with a bump in RAM from 8GB to 12GB. Apple has held the prices steady: the 11-inch model starts at $599 and the 13-inch version starts at $799, both with 128GB of storage.
The M4 chip is roughly two years old at this point, which means the iPad Air remains one generation behind the iPad Pro. For most users, that gap is irrelevant. If you use your iPad for streaming, browsing, reading and light creative work, the M4 is more than capable. Apple says it delivers up to 2.3 times faster performance than the M1 iPad Air and over four times faster 3D rendering.
One notable first: this is the first iPad Air with Wi-Fi 7 support, made possible by the inclusion of Apple's N1 and C1X connectivity chips. The design appears unchanged, with the same LCD display and rear camera setup as before.
Studio Displays
Apple refreshed the Studio Display and introduced an entirely new product: the Studio Display XDR.
The Studio Display XDR is a 27-inch monitor with a 5K Retina XDR screen. It uses a mini-LED panel with more than 2,000 dimming zones and a peak HDR brightness of 2,000 nits. It supports a 120Hz refresh rate, a major improvement over the 60Hz limit on previous models.
The monitor includes Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, supports daisy-chaining of additional displays and can deliver up to 140W of charging — fast enough for a 16-inch MacBook Pro. A height-adjustable stand is included as standard. It starts at $3,299.
The refreshed Studio Display keeps its 27-inch 5K Retina panel and upgrades to a 12MP Centre Stage camera with Desk View. It gains Thunderbolt 5 support and can deliver 96W charging. The base price is $1,599. A nano-texture glass option is available for an additional $300, and a height-adjustable stand costs an additional $400.
