Apple’s new MacBook Neo, the company’s most affordable MacBook to date, is tipped to become one of the company’s strongest-selling laptops this year, with analysts predicting shipments of up to five million units in 2026.

The A$899 laptop marks Apple’s first serious push into the lower-cost notebook market traditionally dominated by Windows PCs and Chromebooks.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates that between 4.5 million and 5 million MacBook Neo units could ship this year, with two to 2.5 million units expected in the first half of 2026 alone.

The device is currently being assembled exclusively by Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta, though Foxconn may join as a secondary supplier as production ramps up.

Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturer Luxshare is reportedly positioning itself to assemble the next-generation MacBook Neo 2, part of a broader push to become the world’s largest laptop manufacturer after rapidly expanding its Windows laptop production over the past two years.

But fresh reports suggest the MacBook Neo 2 may drop a feature previously expected to debut in the lineup: a touchscreen.

Kuo had previously suggested Apple was considering adding a touch-enabled display to help the Neo compete more directly with Chromebooks, many of which include touchscreens and are widely used in education markets.

The latest supply-chain checks now suggest Apple has abandoned those plans, potentially due to increased component costs and design complications.

Apple has historically avoided touchscreen MacBooks, favouring trackpad and keyboard interaction, while reserving touch input for the iPad line.

The company may also be keen to differentiate the Neo from higher-end models, with rumours suggesting touchscreens could debut on a future premium MacBook Ultra instead.

Despite the missing feature, the Neo could become even more competitive later this year.

Market analysts warn that rising memory and CPU costs could push mainstream laptop prices up by as much as 40%, potentially making Apple’s aggressively priced entry-level MacBook look like a better value option over time.

If those forecasts hold, Apple’s latest budget play could reshape the lower end of the laptop market – an area the company has largely avoided until now.