MacBook Neo benchmarks show performance close to iPhone 16 Pro

Apple’s new MacBook Neo has appeared in early benchmark results, and the numbers show performance that closely matches the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple equipped the MacBook Neo with the same A18 Pro chip that debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro, although the laptop runs with one fewer GPU core.



The first benchmark result shows the MacBook Neo delivering strong CPU performance for a budget Mac. The device recorded a single-core score of 3461 and a multi-core score of 8668, which places it close to Apple’s latest iPhone in raw CPU performance. Because Apple designed this machine for everyday computing, these results align with what most users expect from an entry level Mac.



According to a Geekbench listing, the tested MacBook Neo ran macOS 26.3.1 with the Apple A18 Pro chip, featuring a 6 core CPU and 8GB of memory. The benchmark also reported a Metal score of 31,286, which reflects the laptop’s GPU performance in graphics tasks.



MacBook Neo benchmark comparison



These results place the MacBook Neo in an interesting position when compared with other Apple devices:




MacBook Neo: 3461 single core, 8668 multi core, 31,286 Metal



iPhone 16 Pro: 3445 single core, 8624 multi core, 32,575 Metal



M1 MacBook Air: 2346 single core, 8342 multi core, 33,148 Metal



M4 MacBook Air: 3696 single core, 14,730 multi core, 54,630 Metal



M3 iPad Air: 3048 single core, 11,678 multi core, 44,395 Metal



iPad 11: 2587 single core, 6036 multi core, 19,395 Metal




The slightly lower Metal score compared with the iPhone 16 Pro makes sense because the MacBook Neo ships with one fewer GPU core. However, the CPU scores remain almost identical since both devices rely on the same A18 Pro chip.



When compared with Macs, the results show that multi core performance sits close to the M1 MacBook Air, while single core performance runs significantly higher than the older M1 chip. Single core speed plays a major role in everyday computing tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and streaming video.



Apple designed the MacBook Neo for those everyday workloads rather than demanding creative work like video editing or 3D rendering where stronger multi core performance matters more.



The MacBook Neo starts at $599, with preorders already open. Apple plans to release the new Mac on March 11, positioning it as a low cost laptop aimed at buyers comparing Windows PCs and Chromebooks in the same price range.