Laptop Reviews | The Verge

I tested three Windows laptops in the MacBook Neo’s price range — there’s no contest

2026-04-17T13:39:11-04:00

The Neo king of affordable laptops. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

When the MacBook Neo arrived last month, I knew Windows laptop makers were in trouble. For $599, the Neo offers fantastic build quality and solid performance in a sleek and ultra-portable package. Windows laptops in this price range tend to be ugly, cheap-feeling, and a little slow.

Despite years of rumors, the MacBook Neo still seemed to take the Windows world by surprise. I expect proper competitors to pop up just as soon as the companies can manage, but I wanted to see what the competition in the PC space is like now.

So I asked a bunch of laptop manufacturers to send me their best answers to the MacBook Neo.

One of these is not like the others." data-portal-copyright="">

The MacBook Neo is a 13-i …

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Asus’ lightweight 16-inch laptop is a formidable MacBook Air alternative

2026-04-07T21:18:24-04:00

Only boring people choose beige. Am I right? | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

I already put Asus' new Zenbook A16 through the wringer when I brought a pre-production unit with me to CES. I loved it for its ample power in an impressively light 16-inch chassis. It's speedy enough for part-time content creation, it's got lengthy battery life, and its large OLED screen is crisp and vivid.

Now, the final production model is here, priced at $1,699.99 for a configuration with a whopping 48GB of RAM - a spec-to-price balance that's unheard of, especially in these uncertain times. All the strengths I witnessed from its pre-production days are still present, and the early hardware issues and software bugs I encountered have be …

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The new MacBook Pro is still fast as hell

2026-03-20T14:58:59-04:00

It just looks like, well, most other MacBook Pros. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Apple's flagship 16-inch MacBook Pro has reigned supreme in the world of creator-focused laptops since its M-series processor overhaul in 2021. Since then, we've mostly seen the same design with year-over-year chip bumps and small refinements. "If it ain't broke," right?

If you want to know everything about this machine, you can read our review of the last-gen M4 Pro / M4 Max models - it pretty much all holds up with the M5 models that replace them. But this time around, in addition to the usual testing and use of the new M5 Max model, it's worth asking a specific new question: whether you should consider a new MacBook Pro if you're current …

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MacBook Air M5 review: a small update for the ‘just right’ Mac

2026-03-14T08:23:00-04:00

Neo to the left of me. Pros are to the right. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Not much has changed in the new MacBook Air for 2026: It now has the M5 chip, Wi-Fi 7, and faster storage starting at 512GB instead of 256GB. It's just as outstanding a computer as last year's model, even if it's a shame it's $100 more expensive.

The bigger change has happened to the Air. The MacBook Neo now exists, and it's an awesome little computer for $500 less than the base 13-inch Air. The Neo's existence doesn't invalidate the Air or make it pointless, and I doubt the Neo will cannibalize too much of the Air's sales. The Air is a more capable, faster, and sleeker machine. Having the Neo sit beneath it does paint it in a new light, t …

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I reviewed the MacBook Neo, ask me anything

2026-03-10T12:58:07-04:00

These colors make me thirsty for some reason. Thirsty for questions, perhaps??? | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

It's MacBook Neo review day, so let's talk Apple's new $599 laptop. I'm going to host another AMA for Verge subscribers today at 11AM PT / 2PM ET. Like last time, it'll all take place in the comments section of this post.

What do you want to know about the MacBook Neo? I've got the "blush" pink one on hand right now, and I'm happy to answer whatever I can about Apple's new MacBook with an iPhone chip. I also have the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air and 16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro review units on-hand too, so we can also nerd out about those a bit if you'd like.

To ask your questions, leave a comment on this post. There's no harm in getting your ques …

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MacBook Neo review: the Mac for the masses

2026-04-21T11:04:52-04:00

The MacBook Neo is basically the M1 MacBook Air all over again. That laptop changed the game in 2020, and became the default option for just about anyone who wanted a great all-around thin-and-light laptop and could spend $1,000. The M1 Air was good enough that you could still buy a new one until last month. 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. It will.

The Air is still better than the Neo in pretty much every way, but even the cheapest MacBook …

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Apple’s new M5 Max feels like a huge upgrade if you bought your laptop three years ago

2026-03-12T12:01:17-04:00

We've been busy testing many new MacBooks, ranging from the new $1,099 M5 MacBook Air, going all the way up the $6,149 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Max chip. While these computers are identical in design to last year's models, they have some things in common: neither delivers a significant lead over their M4 counterparts, although their faster SSDs might be enough reason for folks with older laptops to consider upgrading. We'll have full reviews of both laptops soon; in the meantime, here's how the M5 Max compares to its predecessors.

The biggest actual change: Apple claims that its 2026 models can deliver "up to 2x" the sustained read …

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This limited edition Death Stranding-inspired tablet is the coolest computer I’ve ever touched

2026-02-28T11:56:27-05:00

The recent blizzard gave me a touch of Shadow Moses vibes. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 was already a unique beast. It's a chunky gaming tablet with impressive AMD Strix Halo integrated graphics. I was really into it when I reviewed it around this time last year. But just look at it now, clad in the stylings of Hideo Kojima's game studio and his longtime collaborator, artist Yoji Shinkawa.

I felt compelled to hike this whole kit up a mountain during the early hours of a snowstorm because it just seemed so fitting." data-portal-copyright="">

This is the Asus ROG Flow Z13-KJP, a collaboration between Asus and Kojima Productions announced at CES. It's officially inspired by Kojima Productions' mascot Ludens, though it feels very Death Stranding, which makes sense, since Yoji Shinkawa designed both. Shinkawa is famed for designing legendary characters and gadg …

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HP ZBook Ultra G1a review: a business-class workstation that’s got game

2026-02-17T11:57:01-05:00

Business laptops are typically dull computers foisted on employees en masse. But higher-end enterprise workstation notebooks sometimes get an interesting enough blend of power and features to appeal to enthusiasts. HP's ZBook Ultra G1a is a nice example. It's easy to see it as another gray boring-book for spendy business types, until you notice a few key specs: an AMD Strix Halo APU, lots of RAM, an OLED display, and an adequate amount of speedy ports (Thunderbolt 4, even - a rarity on AMD laptops).

I know from my time with the Asus ROG Flow Z13 and Framework Desktop that anything using AMD's high-end Ryzen AI Max chips should make for a co …

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Intel Panther Lake laptop CPU review: call it a comeback

2026-01-26T08:26:04-05:00

Panther Lake CPUs in hand at CES 2026.

Intel's been talking the talk for months about its new generation of laptop chips, the first made on its long-anticipated 18A process. 18A is meant to steer Intel back toward bluer waters by making its chips better, and, if possible, attracting chip designers like Qualcomm and Nvidia to use Intel's foundries, not just its rival TSMC's. Last year's Arrow Lake chips received a mixed reception, particularly desktop versions. The mobile-only Lunar Lake chips, on the other hand, were great, showing that the x86 architecture still has plenty of fight in it against a slowly rising tide of Arm-based Windows laptops. But Lunar Lake was a one-off that …

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