Nearly three months after its debut, Apple’s MacBook Neo is emerging as an early success story, helping the Cupertino company reach new customers and challenging long-held assumptions about who buys a Mac.

Apple shipped 1.1 million MacBook Neo units in the quarter ended March, according to data from market intelligence provider IDC, shared with TechCrunch, ahead of the recent MacBook Air (M5) and MacBook Pro (M5) launches. Those MacBooks shipped over 900,000 and 550,000 units, respectively, in their debut quarters.

The figure is notable because the Neo was available for only about three weeks during the quarter after going on sale in mid-March, said Navkendar Singh, associate vice president at IDC, adding that shipments began to spike from early April.

Introduced in early March with a starting price of $599, roughly 45% below the entry-level MacBook Air, the MacBook Neo was designed to make the Mac more accessible to a broader set of buyers. The laptop retains much of the look and feel of Apple’s premium notebooks, including an aluminum chassis and a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, while making some compromises to reach the lower price point, including using an A18 Pro chip instead of an M-series processor and offering 8GB of memory in the base model.

So far, the market appears to be responding to Apple’s strategy. Demand for the Neo, Singh said, has exceeded expectations in several countries, including India, where retailers have struggled to secure enough inventory.

Of the MacBook Neo units shipped globally during the March quarter, 44% were shipped to the U.S., per IDC. India, meanwhile, accounted for close to 18,000 shipments despite the laptop being available for only a few weeks during the period.

The MacBook Neo starts at ₹69,900 (about $733) in India, compared with ₹119,900 (around $1,260) for the entry-level MacBook Air.

“Rising prices of Windows notebooks and attractive pricing of the Neo have led to its very high demand,” Singh told TechCrunch.

The Neo’s popularity could also reshape Apple’s strategy in markets such as India, where older MacBook models such as the M1, M2, and M3 Air have historically been important volume drivers when sold at discounted prices during sales events, according to IDC senior market analyst Bharath Shenoy.

“We need to see how that pans out going ahead due to Neo’s rising popularity,” Singh said.

Speaking during Apple’s April earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said customer response to the MacBook Neo had been “off the charts” and acknowledged that the company was facing supply constraints following the launch. Cook also said Apple had set a March-quarter record for customers new to the Mac, partly driven by the Neo.

Counterpoint Research sees the significance of the Neo extending beyond its early sales. The laptop is helping Apple expand beyond its traditional customer base by attracting first-time Mac buyers and competing in lower-priced notebook segments where Macs have historically had little presence, said David Naranjo, associate director at the research firm.

He added that the Neo could eventually help Apple increase its share of the $400-$699 notebook market from about 2% to around 15%.

“Although it is still early, the MacBook Neo launch stands out as one of Apple’s most strategically important recent Mac releases, especially as the wider PC market deals with rising memory costs and ‘shrinkflation,’ while Apple is expanding its reach,” Naranjo told TechCrunch.

IDC’s Singh believes the opportunity extends beyond first-time buyers. Apple, he said, is targeting the Neo at a much broader audience than previous Mac models, a strategy that could help the company gain share in consumer and small-business laptop segments.

The MacBook Neo’s early success is already prompting competitors to respond. Dell this week unveiled a new XPS 13, starting at $699, aimed at the same segment, and said the MacBook Neo’s arrival had demonstrated strong demand for premium-quality laptops at more accessible prices.

That said, the launch-quarter figures may tell only part of the story, with Singh forecasting a “very big spike” in Neo shipments in the current quarter as Apple works through supply constraints and expands availability.

Apple did not respond to a request for comments.

In 2025, one in four cars sold anywhere in the world was electric. However, in the US, that figure is closer to one in ten, and it is not moving in the right direction. 

The falling EV prices globally have pushed sales to record levels. American buyers, on the other hand, are marching through 2026 with fewer incentives, higher prices, and a shrinking selection of affordable options. 

How bad is the EV situation in the US?

The IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2026, released May 20, puts the global picture in sharp relief.

Electric car sales exceeded 20 million units in 2025, growing 20% from 2024. On average, EV battery prices dropped 8% due to lower raw material costs and wider adoption of lithium iron phosphate chemistry. 

Contrary to the global trends, US sales went the other way, slightly down year-on-year. But it is when you look at the last quarter of 2025, which recorded 45% lower new EV sales than the same period in 2024, that you realize how grim the picture is. 

Why is the US falling behind on EV affordability?

The biggest reason behind the declining sales is the recent policy changes. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminated tax credits for new and used EV purchases after September 2025. It also removed penalties for automakers that fail to meet fuel efficiency standards, essentially reducing the industry’s financial incentive to prioritize EVs. 

Then there’s the 100% important duties on Chinese EVs, even the affordable ones, which are among the world’s most affordable and dominate sales across Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. These are practically unavailable to American buyers. 

Finally, it’s the preference for large vehicles that is keeping prices out of reach for many buyers. The report mentions that more than 85% of EV models available in the US are SUVs or other large vehicles. These come with bigger batteries, which cost more, pushing the average EV price higher. 

The US seems to be doubling down on premium and heavy EVs, but in other markets like Europe, small EVs are expanding rapidly. Vietnam, where EV penetration exceeded 40% in 2025 driven by VinFast’s affordable small models, illustrates exactly what accessible pricing can achieve. 

The impact is also visible is the Big Three’s EV strategy

Faced with slower-than-expected consumer demand, shifting federal policy, and profitability pressures, the Big Three automakers have already scaled back their fully electric vehicle plans. Instead, they’re pivoting toward plug-in hybrids, traditional gas-electric hybrids, and ICE trucks.

For instance, Ford scrapped its three-row electric SUV, absorbing a $400 million write-down. The company has also pulled the plug on its all-electric F-150 Lightning. Instead, it is reinventing it as a range-extended electric vehicle (EREV), that will provide over 700 miles of range.

Automaker	Previous Ambition	Current Strategy
Ford	Aggressive EV scaling (Three-Row EV, T3 Truck)	Scrapped 3-row EV; hybrid options for all gas models
General Motors	All-electric lineup focus	Reduced EV production; reintroducing plug-in hybrids (PHEVs)
Stellantis	Rapid transition to pure BEV platforms	Focus on gas-extended EVs (Ramcharger) and 4xe plug-in hybrids

General Motors has also reduced its short-term EV production target, abandoning its goal of reaching a one-million-unit EV manufacturing capacity. The automaker is redirecting its manufacturing capacity to prioritize the production of gas-powered trucks and SUVs. 

Stellantis is also focusing on multi-energy vehicles. While the IEA report highlights how consumers are responding to the less favorable scenario in the EV market, the Big Three’s pivot away from pure EVs reflects the shift in demand.