Apple Accidentally Leaks Potential Budget MacBook Ahead of Big Event


It’s been a busy week for Apple: The company has already revealed the new iPhone 17E and refreshes for the iPad Air, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. But there’s still a big hands-on press event scheduled for Wednesday — and Apple may have accidentally shown its hand by posting (and then removing) a regulatory document that confirms the existence of a “MacBook Neo.”

The regulatory PDF was posted on Apple’s official website in compliance with EU law. While the file didn’t contain the product’s name, the link to the regulatory document listed Apple’s Model A3404 as the MacBook Neo. Though Apple has removed the file from its official website, MacRumors uploaded a mirror of the document.

The MacBook Neo could be the long-rumored budget MacBook. It’s the single Apple product we strongly suspected to see during the company’s spring refresh schedule that hasn’t yet made its debut, and as a new product, it makes sense that it would be the linchpin of the “special Apple Experience.”

The budget MacBook is rumored to be outfitted with an iPhone chip like the A18 Pro or the A19 Pro, which means it’ll have less processing power than other current-generation MacBooks. It could also have a smaller 12-inch LCD screen.

While previous reports pointed to a potential price of $599 for the MacBook Neo, the M5 MacBook Air announcement could complicate things.

The MacBook Air — which is currently the cheapest product in Apple’s laptop lineup — had its price increased from $999 to $1,099. The budget MacBook might have a distinctive place in the product lineup if its rumored price is true, but this could also mean the MacBook Neo is priced higher than we previously expected.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CNET experts will be on the ground reporting hands-on experiences from the New York Apple Experience on March 4. While there’s no event livestream, any new products will be posted on the Apple Newsroom website as they are announced.





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Apple is scaling back and rethinking its ambitious plans to introduce an AI-powered health coach, according to a Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman citing anonymous sources privy to the company’s plans.

The project, known inside Apple as Mulberry, was first reported last year, with the company expected to roll together health-related AI features as a coach or assistant. But now, Bloomberg reports, that project will be broken down into individual features introduced over time, as it has done with tools such as the sleep apnea and hearing tests added to Apple Watch and Apple AirPods.

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A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bloomberg’s sources point to a change in leadership over Apple’s health technology. Veteran services head Eddy Cue is overseeing those projects and addressing pressure from competitors pushing into the health space, including Oura and Peloton as well as tech giants like Google and OpenAI, which just launched ChatGPT Health.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging that it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Apple was also said to have built a studio for a revamped health services app that would have included virtual and video wellness instructions, and integration with existing health tools and Apple devices. It is likely that some of that content and software will still be released publicly, just not in one package, according to Bloomberg.





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