Best Podcasts on Apple's MacBook Neo & iPhone 17e
Updated: Mar 04, 2026 – 20 episodes
Apple has introduced a new lineup of hardware, including the MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, and Studio Display XDR, sparking considerable tech discussion. The MacBook Neo, notably priced lower and featuring an iPhone-class A18 Pro chip, is being closely examined for its performance, repairability, and market strategy. These releases are being evaluated alongside ongoing rumors about future Apple devices and software updates.
TBPN is all in on the MacBook Neo, calling it a game changer for Apple's bottom line, especially at its $600 price point. Start with their latest episode to hear why they think this could shake up the computer industry. For a take on Apple's M5 chip, Limitless Podcast argues it's revolutionizing personal computing by enabling local AI model hosting. Morning Brew Daily offers a mixed view, highlighting Apple's strategic shift towards affordability with the Neo, contrasting it with the industry's AI-focused innovations. Listen to their episode for a balanced perspective on Apple's latest moves.
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Ridealong has curated the best podcasts and clips about Apple Launches MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, and M5-Powered Macs. Listen now.
Podcast Episodes Covering This Story
“In terms of surprises, there were no surprises. These were a bunch of products that had a lot of pent-up demand... And I think at $600, at $500 for education, the MacBook Neo is going to be a game changer, not only for the computer industry, but for Apple's bottom line. Was there any conversation about Mac minis? No, no, just on Twitter.”
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo is poised to be a game changer for both the computer industry and Apple's financial performance, especially at its competitive price point.
“The AI compute processing power of an M5 chip is around 4x larger than the previous generation of M4. It's 8x larger than the M1... now you can conceivably host and run AI models on your own local device. That means you can give it access to private data without handing that over to the likes of OpenAI or Anthropic.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's M5 chip revolutionizes personal computing by enabling local AI model hosting, enhancing privacy and performance without relying on external data centers.
“Apple just cut the price for a Mac book nearly in half. Introducing the Neo, a $599 budget device that is $400 less than any new gen laptop Apple has sold before. This release is Apple's first real foray into the entry-level market that has long been dominated by Google Chromebooks and Windows devices... The Neo caps off a week of rapid-fire product launches from Apple that had a through-line aimed at affordability.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's new MacBook Neo represents a strategic shift towards affordability, targeting entry-level users and students, contrasting with the industry's AI-focused innovations.
“Neo to me communicates new and different. and the fact that this has, I don't know if we talked about it, but the A18 Pro chip inside, which was first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro. It's a bin version that has one fewer GPU core, but for all intents and purposes, this is the iPhone 16 Pro chip inside of an Apple laptop. And it's not a weird Mac mini developer transition kit. It's a shipping product that customers can purchase.”
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo offers a compelling value proposition at $600, but its lack of a backlit keyboard and other features may deter some buyers.
“Apple 3.0 ran reactions to Apple's low-cost laptop from a few fronts, including analysts at IDC. That firm's Nabila Popal says with the launch, Apple has strategically expanded the Mac's total addressable market while reinforcing its position in price-sensitive institutional channels. In an environment defined by memory constraints and rising component costs, this pricing signals structural supply chain leverage and silicon-driven cost efficiency.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's MacBook Neo is strategically positioned to capture market share by leveraging its ecosystem and aggressive pricing amidst industry challenges.
“These are obviously beasts... if you wanted a fully loaded 16 inch M5 Max MacBook Pro, you're talking about seven thousand one hundred ninety nine dollars before Apple Care... Each year it gets like, oh, like a little 10 to 15% increase in performance... it just hasn't been enough for me to spend freaking $7,000 on a machine. I don't need to upgrade every year.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's latest hardware upgrades, while impressive, don't justify the high cost for users who don't need to upgrade annually.
“Apple says iPhone 17e features C1X, the latest generation cellular modem designed by Apple. C1X is up to two times faster than C1 in iPhone 16e and matches the speed of iPhone Air. C1X uses 30% less energy than the modem in iPhone 16 Pro, contributing to the exceptional all-day battery life. Translation? Good question. Apple's advertised battery specs for the iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e are identical, according to MacRumors.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's new iPhone 17e and iPad Air updates are more evolutionary than revolutionary, maintaining price points while offering modest improvements.
“The rebel rebel in me says that the greater privacy protection and convenience of Touch ID on MacBook Neo shouldn't cost more either. I worry about the people who will default to password as their password. If you care about the whole environmental thing, MacBook Neo may be your machine. A piece from 9to5Mac says it sets a new record for recycled content in an Apple product.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's new MacBook Neo offers impressive environmental credentials but raises concerns about privacy features being tied to higher costs.
“According to that site, the M5 chips are a surprisingly large departure from past generations, both in terms of the CPU architectures they use and in how they're packaged together. Apple did, of course, waste no time slotting the new Pro and Max processors in the MacBook Pro models. According to Apple's press release on those, the world's best Pro laptop raises the bar again with blazing fast CPU and GPU performance, plus up to two times faster SSD speeds and 1 terabyte of starting storage.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's new M5 chips are a significant departure from past generations, but the price hikes tied to memory shortages may dampen enthusiasm.
“The MacBook Air has an M5. But the Air is interesting too because they took away the 256 model and they forced it to the 512 model, but they cut the price of the 512 model to $1099. But now it starts at $1099 instead of $999. That's the MacBook Air. [...] It's now 1099 and 512, which is okay. And across all the laptops, the MacBook Pro 2, they basically doubled the RAM to start.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's latest product launch focuses on increasing base storage across devices without raising prices, making higher storage options more accessible.
“The benchmarks with the iPhone 16 Pro Max as a stand-in, pretty good... single-core CPU is 19% slower than an M5, 30% faster than an M1, and 19% faster than the M2 Ultra and the Mac Pro. Oh, so not even your Mac Pro. No, this is the current Mac Pro. It is 19% faster in single-core than the current $7,000 Mac Pro that you can buy right now at Apple.com.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's MacBook Neo offers impressive single-core performance, surpassing even the current $7,000 Mac Pro, showcasing Apple's continued dominance in hardware innovation.
“Each chip features an up to 18 CPU with 12 performance cores and six of what Apple is calling super cores. Apple says these are the fastest CPU cores in the world. In total, Apple says that the combination of the performance cores and super cores lead to an up to 30% boost in overall performance. The GPU is a huge part of the story too, thanks to the addition of neural accelerators in each core.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's new M5 chips significantly enhance performance and efficiency, making the MacBook Pro the most powerful laptop Apple has ever sold.
“Xu said, quote, In the past, Apple's pricing situation has always been high. So for them to release a very budget-friendly product, this is obviously a shock to the entire industry. In fact, in the entire PC ecosystem, there have been a lot of discussions about how to compete with this product. End quote. Xu, however, did question the MacBook Neo's ability to handle productivity-heavy workloads. He described the MacBook Neo as a, quote, content consumption device similar to the iPad.”
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo, despite being powered by an iPhone chip, is surprisingly capable for productivity tasks, challenging the notion that it's merely a content consumption device.
“The M5 MacBook Air also came out... it got more expensive... The M4 MacBook Air you could have bought at 999 and it came with 256 gigs of storage now the M5 starts at 512 gigs of storage and the starting price is 1099... The MacBook Air is such an amazing computer... if you're in the market and the MacBook Neo, which we going to get to if if if you listening to this podcast the MacBook Neo is probably not for for you.”
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo is not for the average user, and the price increase for the M5 MacBook Air is justified by its enhanced features.
“It was a very strange morning. I want to be very clear with everyone. Apple did not call this an Apple event. They called it an Apple experience. And there were three simultaneous experiences you could have depending on where you were in the world. So there's one here in New York City. There is one, I believe, in Singapore or Hong Kong. It was Hong Kong. Yeah. I don't know what happened around the world.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's latest product launch was unconventional, focusing more on the experience than the products themselves, which is a departure from their usual hardware announcements.
“Apple continues to try to find a product too expensive for an Apple product. Part of the Apple audience to buy and has not yet found it. There is a portion of the Apple audience that will buy. What's the very expensive? Twelve thousand dollars. Very expensive laptops within living. The gold watch was probably the one lesson. Maybe not that. Maybe not that.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's strategy is to expand its product line with both high-end 'Ultra' products and more accessible options like the MacBook Neo, aiming to capture a broader market spectrum.
“The price is the really crazy thing. So $599. For students, it's $100 cheaper. So $499. that is one of the cheapest Apple products they've ever made. I'm pretty sure the headphones cost more. The Apple AirPods Max cost like 500 bucks. Remarkably cheap. A18 Pro chip, 256 gigs or 512 of storage, four colors. They got it in ramp yellow. They call it citrus, but I think everyone's going to be- And it now costs the same amount as the entry-level iPhone.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's MacBook Neo is a strategic move to capture the low-end market, offering an affordable entry point for students and iPhone users without a Mac.
“For a $599 system, the MacBook Neo doesn't look or feel like a budget machine. Its colorful aluminum case looks even more attractive than the MacBook Air and Pros... The downsides to the MacBook Neo became more apparent as I used it. Its keyboard feels a bit flimsy... and while the Neo's touchpad feels smooth and responsive, it lacks the sturdiness from the company's more expensive haptic touchpads.”
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo offers impressive features for its price but may struggle with long-term performance due to its limited RAM and mobile chip.
“The Neo takes its place as Apple's cheapest laptop with a starting price of $599 and enough power to handle everyday tasks and last all day on a charge. It's designed to entice students and first-time laptop buyers into Apple's world. Actually, not just the go-to Apple laptop, the Neo's hardware simultaneously embarrasses an entire class of affordable and even far pricier Windows laptops, as well as just about any Chromebook.”
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo is a game-changer for budget-conscious consumers, offering impressive performance at a lower price point than its predecessors and competitors.
“There are new references to two new studio display models, as well as the often rumored low-cost MacBook powered by the A18 Pro chip. The references were uncovered inside kernel extensions in the public release of macOS 26.3 last week. The low-cost MacBook referenced is powered by the A18 Pro. It's widely expected to be released next month, featuring a display under 13 inches.”
Ridealong summary
Apple's upcoming hardware releases, including a low-cost MacBook with an A18 Pro chip, are generating anticipation but details remain speculative.