💻 Lenovo has introduced its own laptop to compete with the MacBook Neo
🎨 The IdeaPad Vibe has a similarly fun design with plenty of color
⚙️ It’s powered by your choice of a Snapdragon or AMD chip
⬆️ There are options for up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage
💰 Lenovo says it’ll start at $699 and go on sale this October
Lenovo has a new budget-friendly laptop designed to compete with Apple’s MacBook Neo. It’s called the IdeaPad Vibe, and it takes after the Neo with an aluminum design that comes in a swath of fun colors. It’s going to launch later this year for the same price as the Neo, giving students and those shopping on a budget a Windows-powered alternative to one of the most bombastic new MacBooks in its history.
🧑💻 Hands-on with the IdeaPad Vibe
📐 A well-built design. The IdeaPad Vibe debuted at IFA 2026, and we got to check it out in-person ahead of the show in Berlin. It feels like many other Lenovo laptops to hold, with a well-constructed metal chassis that resembles the sloped rectangular design language of other IdeaPads.
💻 Plenty of options. Lenovo is selling the laptop in 14-inch and 15-inch sizes to give users a bit of extra room if they need it. The higher-end models come with OLED panels, while the baseline is old-fashioned LCD. You can choose between seven different colors: Dreamy Violet, Spicy Gold, Zen Green, Chill Blue, Radiant Coral, Moody Blue, and Lowkey Grey. All of them can be customized with different colors for the key caps as well.
⚙️ Pick your chip. Under the hood, Lenovo gives you the choice between AMD Ryzen AI 400 Series processors, or a chip from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X lineup. For most average consumers without any special software needs, going for the Snapdragon chip will get you better performance and efficiency overall, while the AMD option is ideal for those who need unique software programs for their jobs or for school.
🍎 More powerful than Neo? Compared to the MacBook Neo, you’ll get a lot more storage and RAM. The IdeaPad Vibe can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, which dwarfs the highest-tier 8GB/512GB Neo in Apple’s lineup. You also get stereo speakers, two USB-C PD ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack.
⚖️ You’ll barely notice it. The entire thing weighs around three pounds, depending on which one you get, and it’s about 14.9mm thick, so it won’t take up much room in your backpack. We messed around with it during our briefing, and it felt light enough to carry around all day without issue in your bag, or even in your arm.
💰 $699 starting price. The most compelling thing about the IdeaPad Vibe is the starting price. At $699, it’s the same as the MacBook Neo, complete with the same base 8GB of RAM. You have a lot more room for customization with this laptop compared to Apple’s, and you get more IO. It could wind up being the versatile alternative that’ll prove to be more useful, but we’ll have to get our hands on it to do a full review in the near future.
🎃 Launches start in October. Lenovo says that the IdeaPad Vibe will go on sale starting in October for the AMD models. The ones carrying Snapdragon chips will follow shortly in November.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.