Apple Unveils MacBook Neo, Priced at USD 599, Targeting Budget PC Market

Apple has unveiled the MacBook Neo, a new lower-priced laptop starting at USD 599, aiming to broaden its reach in the price-sensitive personal computer market. This launch comes as rival companies face tighter supplies of memory chips.

Credit: APPLE

The MacBook Neo is powered by the A18 Pro chip, the same processor that first debuted in the company's iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024. This marks one of Apple’s most aggressive entry points into the PC market in many years.

Credit: APPLE

Priced at USD 599, the device is considerably cheaper in both nominal and inflation-adjusted terms than Apple's previous non-Pro, non-Air MacBook. That model debuted in May 2006 at USD 1,099, roughly USD 1,750 in today’s value.

Customers can pre-order the device starting Wednesday, with deliveries and in-store availability beginning March 11, Apple said.

Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of client devices at IDC, commented, "The real question is not whether Apple can sell a MacBook at this price (because it will be one of the most sold Macs ever if they can deliver), but how it balances cost, performance, and brand positioning while maintaining the premium experience that defines the Mac."

Credit: APPLE

The new MacBook is not Apple's initial venture into this price point. The organisation previously created a special USD 699 MacBook Air for Walmart, utilising its M1 chip which originally debuted in 2020.

The MacBook Neo directly targets users of Google-powered Chromebooks and lower-end Windows devices. Microsoft's efforts to shift to more battery-life-friendly chips, made with Arm technology, have not ignited a sales boom in this segment.

This foray into the mid-range personal computer segment could help Apple broaden its reach among students and first-time buyers.

Amid a global memory chip crunch, the new MacBook Neo comes with only 8 gigabytes of unified memory. This amount is half the 16 gigabytes in the M4-based MacBook and less than the 12 gigabytes in the iPhone 17 Pro.

Global personal computer and smartphone markets remain highly price-sensitive after several quarters of uneven demand. Hardware manufacturers continue to navigate fluctuating component costs, particularly for memory chips.

Apple this week launched its USD 599 iPhone 17e with higher base storage and refreshed its MacBook Air and Pro lineup. These updates include new M5 chips and standard configurations with larger memory.

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• The MacBook Neo is a new lower-priced laptop from Apple, starting at USD 599.

• It is powered by the A18 Pro chip, also found in the iPhone 16 Pro models.

• The device aims to challenge Google Chromebooks and lower-end Windows PCs.

Source: REUTERS

Investors Urge Resolution in Anthropic's Pentagon AI Battle

The Information Technology Industry Council, a technology industry group, has expressed concern over the U.S. Defense Department's decision to declare artificial intelligence company Anthropic a supply-chain risk. The council's members include major Anthropic backers Amazon and Nvidia. Other investors are working to contain the fallout from Anthropic’s ongoing dispute with the U.S. Defense Department, which the Trump administration renamed the Department of War.

Credit: UNSPLASH

In a letter, the Information Technology Industry Council, whose members include Nvidia, Amazon.com, Apple, and OpenAI, stated, "We are concerned by recent reports regarding the Department of War’s consideration of imposing a supply-chain risk designation in response to a procurement dispute." The letter did not explicitly name Anthropic.

In recent days, Anthropic Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei has discussed the matter with key investors and partners, including Amazon.com Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy. Venture capital firms Lightspeed and Iconiq have also contacted Anthropic executives.

Lightspeed and Iconiq are also engaging with other investors to explore potential solutions. Some investors are reaching out to their contacts within the Trump administration, hoping to ease tensions and prevent a ban of Anthropic's AI from all Pentagon contractors.

Anthropic and the Department of War are continuing discussions. The dispute stems from a months-long disagreement over how the military can utilise Anthropic's technology on the battlefield.

The clash is widely seen as a referendum on the level of control AI companies can maintain over their developed technology. The Pentagon has urged AI companies to remove strict limitations, favouring an "all-lawful use" clause.

Anthropic has, however, refused to compromise on its bans against its Claude AI powering autonomous weapons and facilitating mass U.S. surveillance. Anthropic was among the first AI companies to handle classified information through a supply deal via cloud provider Amazon.

OpenAI stated that it has secured its own classified deal with the Department of War and argued that Anthropic should not be designated a risk. Connie LaRossa, who focuses on national security policy at OpenAI, outlined their shared "red lines".

LaRossa stated, "Our red lines were the same as Anthropic's, which is at this point in time, no domestic surveillance and no use of AI for autonomous weapons." LaRossa added, "We are actually working to have the secure risk designation removed from Anthropic... That shouldn't be applied to a U.S. industry counterpart with such an important tool."

During discussions with Anthropic executives, investors have reaffirmed their support for the San Francisco-based AI laboratory while also expressing a desire to find a resolution with the Pentagon. Some investors voiced frustration that Chief Executive Officer Amodei antagonised rather than cultivated Department of War officials.

An individual briefed on the matter described the situation as "an ego and diplomacy problem." Investors believe that Amodei cannot be perceived as yielding to the administration without alienating a core group of employees and consumers drawn to Anthropic due to his stance.

Chief Executive Officer Amodei has stated that Anthropic cannot "in good conscience accede to their request." He informed investors that the company would "continue to work to figure out a solution with the DoW."

Investors involved in the Department of War talks aim to help Anthropic avoid a "supply-chain risk" designation from the U.S. government. Such a designation, if implemented, could severely impact the startup's rapidly growing sales to business customers.

Demand has increased for Anthropic's products, including its chatbot Claude and coding assistant Claude Code. Claude was the most-downloaded free app in the Apple App Store on Monday, surpassing OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated that such a risk designation would necessitate all government contractors ceasing to use Anthropic's technology across their business operations. Anthropic has publicly challenged Hegseth's comments, asserting he lacks the statutory authority to block its AI use outside of defence contracts.

Anthropic also announced it would legally challenge any supply-chain risk designation in court. Some investors worry the dispute could deter potential customers who wish to avoid government scrutiny.

These concerns arise at a critical juncture for the startup. Anthropic has raised tens of billions of USD with high expectations for its enterprise sales, which constitute about 80% of its revenue.

The success of future share sales, including its anticipated initial public offering, relies on Anthropic's continued expansion of its business revenue. Anthropic is currently allowing employees to sell shares to investors, and the company has previously stated that an IPO decision has not yet been made.

Anthropic's projected annual revenue, or revenue run rate, is approximately USD 19 billion, an increase from USD 14 billion a few weeks prior. This push from investors coincides with several U.S. government agencies terminating their use of Anthropic's technology.

The State Department, for instance, has switched to rival OpenAI, following President Donald Trump's order for government agencies to discontinue using Anthropic within the next six months.

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• The Information Technology Industry Council expressed concern over the Department of War's "supply-chain risk" designation for Anthropic.

• Anthropic is in a months-long dispute with the Pentagon over military use of its AI technology, refusing to allow it for autonomous weapons or mass U.S. surveillance.

• Major investors, including Amazon and Nvidia, are engaging with Anthropic and the administration to de-escalate tensions and avoid a ban on its AI for government contractors.

Source: REUTERS

Xiaomi Tests Humanoid Robots in Car Plant, Plans Large-Scale Deployment

Tech organisation Xiaomi has tested self-developed humanoid robots in its car production facility. The company plans to deploy a significant number of these robots in its own factories over the next five years. Xiaomi founder Lei Jun, who is also the company's CEO and chairman, shared an article detailing the trial operations.

Credit: Lei Jun's WeChat account

The humanoid robots operated autonomously for three continuous hours during the trials. They successfully completed assembly tasks without any human intervention, demonstrating their capabilities.

A video released by Xiaomi showed the robots picking screw nuts and tightening them to designated spots on car floors. They achieved a 90.2% success rate for simultaneous installation on both sides, aligning with Xiaomi’s rapid vehicle production time of 76 seconds per unit.

Xiaomi stated that the success rate was measured by dividing the number of successful installations by the total attempts. Key technical challenges involved precise alignment with locating pins, handling variations in the nuts’ internal spline structures, and countering magnetic forces that could affect gripping stability.

Lei said in a social media post that this marks the initial step towards stable application of Xiaomi’s humanoid robot in intelligent manufacturing. He added that the company would continue to promote the use of general-purpose humanoid robots in smart manufacturing.

The robots carried out a range of tasks on the automotive production line. These included removing protective films, installing vehicle badges, picking up and placing self-tapping nuts, and moving material boxes.

Xiaomi indicated this demonstrated a shift from laboratory-based technology demonstrations to real-world industrial scenarios. The company did not disclose the expected number of robots to be deployed, the cost per unit, or a specific timeline for the five-year target.

The robot technology is built on the company’s tactile fine-tuning model, TacRefineNet. This model relies solely on tactile sensing without vision or object 3D models. It also uses a vision-language-action large model, emphasising tactile perception in precision assembly.

Xiaomi also showcased several other products at MWC Barcelona 2026. These included the debut of a concept electric hypercar, Vision Gran Turismo. The company also announced plans to produce a premium smartphone in partnership with German camera maker Leica.

Humanoid robots represent a high-profile segment of China’s growing technology sector. This area is receiving renewed attention from capital markets. Momentum for humanoid robotics investment continues, following their notable presence at this year’s Spring Festival Gala.

Two robotics companies that appeared at the event announced results of fresh financing rounds. Galbot revealed it had raised 2.5 billion yuan (US$363 million) on Monday, just months after raising more than US$300 million at a valuation exceeding 20 billion yuan.

Noetix Robotics also announced it raised nearly 1 billion yuan in Series B financing. This round was led by Chendao Capital, an affiliate of battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd.

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• Xiaomi tested self-developed humanoid robots in a car production facility, planning a large-scale deployment within five years.

• The robots operated autonomously for three hours, achieving a 90.2% success rate in assembly tasks.

• They performed various tasks on the automotive line, including film removal, badge installation, and material handling.

Source: SCMP