10th March 2026 | NewsApple’s New MacBook Lineup: Cheaper Neo, More Expensive ProsApple’s March announcements have now landed, and we have the full picture.Alongside the new MacBook Neo, Apple has refreshed the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. On paper, it looks like the usual generational update.In reality, Apple has quietly made some much bigger changes to how the MacBook Pro lineup is configured and priced. Not necessarily by raising the headline prices but by changing the options you’re allowed to choose.Here’s what’s actually changed.MacBook Pro Pricing Hasn’t Increased… TechnicallyLooking at the base models alone, the pricing doesn’t seem too shocking.New MacBook Pro pricing14-inch M5 Pro: £2,19914-inch M5 Max: £3,59916-inch M5 Pro: £2,69916-inch M5 Max: £3,899Compared with last year:14-inch M4 Pro: £1,99914-inch M4 Max: £3,19916-inch M4 Pro: £2,49916-inch M4 Max: £3,699At first glance, that looks like a £200–£400 increase depending on the model. But if you match the specifications like-for-like, the price difference almost disappears. Apple has essentially rearranged the configuration ladder rather than simply increasing prices. The catch is how you reach those configurations.The 512GB Option Has DisappearedOne of the biggest quiet changes is storage. You can no longer buy a MacBook Pro with 512GB of storage, even on the standard M5 configuration. The entry point has moved up the ladder. That means the minimum storage configuration has effectively increased, whether you needed it or not. For many buyers, 512GB was already the sweet spot between price and practicality. Removing it forces buyers higher into the storage tiers. The M5 Max Is Even More RestrictedThe M5 Max configuration is where the new strategy becomes most obvious. With the previous generation, you could choose relatively modest configurations if you simply wanted the extra GPU power. Now the choices are much more constrained. The M5 Max starts with 2TB of storage, and there is no option to choose 512GB or 1TB. That immediately pushes the entry price much higher.RAM Upgrades Now Force a Chip UpgradeMemory upgrades have also become more expensive in practice. The M5 Max starts with 32GB of RAM, but if you want 64GB, you must first upgrade the chip for £200.So the path looks like this:Chip upgrade: £200RAM upgrade from 32GB to 64GB: £600Total upgrade cost: £800In previous generations, you could increase RAM without first changing the chip configuration. That flexibility has now gone.Moving From M5 Pro to M5 Max Is Much More ExpensiveAnother side effect of the new structure is the jump between chips. Because of the required upgrades, moving from M5 Pro to M5 Max now costs around £1,400 on the 14-inch model. That’s a significant step between tiers. It’s no longer a modest upgrade for users who simply want the extra GPU performance. Instead, it pushes the Max firmly into the professional or studio-level bracket.Why Apple Might Be Doing ThisThere are a few possible explanations. Increasing average order valueApple may be deliberately restructuring the upgrade ladder to encourage more customers to move into higher tiers. Instead of offering dozens of combinations, the company nudges buyers into more expensive configurations. It’s a subtle way to increase the average basket value without dramatically raising the headline prices. Reducing the number of SKUsAnother possibility is operational. Apple has historically offered a large number of configuration options. That creates complexity in manufacturing and inventory. By removing less-common options, such as 512GB or certain RAM combinations, Apple can dramatically reduce the number of SKUs it needs to manage. Fewer configurations mean simpler production and logistics. Removing unpopular configurationsIt’s also possible Apple simply looked at sales data and removed combinations that very few people bought. If most M5 Max buyers were already choosing higher storage tiers, the lower options may have been dropped. Still, many buyers won’t be happy about losing that flexibility.Apple Did Something Similar With the MacBook AirThis isn’t limited to the Pro models. The new M5 MacBook Air now starts with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. That’s a welcome improvement on paper. However, if you want to upgrade anything else, you must first purchase the £100 GPU upgrade. Again, the ladder has been adjusted. The starting spec looks better, but moving beyond it requires stepping into a higher tier. The MacBook Neo: Apple’s Cheapest Laptop in YearsAt the other end of the lineup sits the most interesting release of the week. The MacBook Neo. Starting at £599, it’s easily the best-value MacBook Apple has launched in years. Performance-wise, it sits slightly above the MacBook Air, roughly 7% faster, making it a clear replacement for the Air’s previous role. That isn’t surprising. Apple quietly continued selling the M1 MacBook Air through education and selected resellers long after the M2 and M3 models arrived. That strongly suggested Apple still wanted a lower-cost MacBook in the lineup. The Neo appears to be that device.Unlike the Pro lineup, the Neo keeps things simple. There is essentially one upgrade option: £100 to increase storage to 512 GB. That upgrade also adds Touch ID, making it a particularly good value option. Compared to the upgrade pricing on the Pro models, it’s refreshingly straightforward.But there are still some unknowns. Build quality, long-term reliability and thermal performance will take time to assess. Apple has not released a MacBook in this price bracket for many years. We’ll need to see how these machines perform after several years of use.For buyers thinking longer term, an M2 MacBook Air or newer still remains the safer bet. Those machines are more powerful, better established and likely to hold value well in the refurb market.
