Apple MacBook Neo price comes with a nasty surprise in the EU and UK
Get ready to pay more for Apple’s affordable new MacBook
💰 The new Apple MacBook Neo is priced attractively at $599, featuring compelling specs and a colorful design
🤬 Customers in the EU and UK will face an additional, unexpected cost as Apple will not include a charger with the laptop
😤 A compatible charger must be purchased separately for £99 ($99)
🥲 Apple attributes this decision to the EU’s environmental policies, which also affect the UK market, penalizing new users
The new Apple MacBook Neo will be a compelling proposition for many thanks to its attractive specs, colorful design, and – most importantly – the non-Apple-like price tag of just $599.
However, those who purchase the Apple MacBook Neo in the EU or UK will be hit by an unexpected cost because Apple won’t be shipping a charger with the affordable laptop. If you need a charger, which I’d assume anyone buying a MacBook Neo will probably need, you’ll have to pay an additional £99 ($99) for the privilege.
After all, it’s unlikely that anyone who owns a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro will be downgrading to the MacBook Neo, so new adopters won’t have a charger to hand.
Unsurprisingly, Apple does include a USB-C or MagSafe charger in every other country globally, but the EU’s draconian environmental policies, which also impact the UK, mean you’ll have to pay more than Apple’s advertised price if you don’t already own a compatible charger.
Apple stopped including chargers last year, starting with the 14-inch MacBook Pro. While the move may have seemed reasonable with mobile phones, with millions already having the necessary chargers, not shipping a laptop with a charging cable just seems idiotic, and only punishes those who may be new to Apple’s ecosystem, which is exactly who the MacBook Neo is aimed at.
The MacBook Neo is available March 11 and costs $599 for the 256GB base model. It’ll cost $699 in the EU or UK if you need a charger, though.
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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.