- The MacBook Neo may be covered by the AppleCare+ plan
- Their repair prices are much lower than any other Mac
- Only the Mac mini’s AppleCare+ monthly membership fees are lower
Apple’s MacBook Neo is “the best budget laptop you can buy,” according to our MacBook Neo review. And with its starting price of just $599 / £599 / AU$899, you definitely won’t want to spend money on expensive repairs. Fortunately, Apple gives you the option to keep potential costs down by using its AppleCare+ insurance plan, which has some of the lowest repair rates for any Mac.
Head to the AppleCare+ website and you’ll see prices for several different repair options for the MacBook Neo (see table below). Battery service is free, while repairing damage to the screen and external case costs $49 / £39 / AU$79. Other accidental damage is more expensive: $149 / £109 / AU$249.
Those fees are much lower than what you would pay Apple if you didn’t have AppleCare+ coverage. Repairing or replacing the MacBook Neo battery outside of AppleCare+ costs $149 / £149 / AU$259 (as opposed to nothing under AppleCare+). Apple says you’ll need to inspect your laptop for other damage before giving you a “custom estimate,” but you can rest assured that any work will cost more than AppleCare+ service fees.
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Compared to other current MacBooks, the MacBook Neo’s AppleCare+ prices are more affordable. Repairing damage to the screen and external case of the MacBook Air M5 and MacBook Pro M5 Pro/M5 Max will cost you $99 / £79 / AU$149.
For other accidental damage, you’re looking at $299 / £229 / AU$429 for both devices. In other words, repairing the MacBook Neo will cost half as much as fixing the same problem on both the latest MacBook Air and the latest MacBook Pro.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
MacBook Neo (A18 Pro) |
Macbook Air (M5) |
MacBook Pro (M5/M5 Pro/M5 Max) |
Mac mini (M4) |
|
Battery service |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
– |
|
Screen damage |
$49 / £39 / AU$79 |
$99 / £79 / AU$149 |
$99 /£79 /AU$149 |
– |
|
Damage to external casing |
$49 / £39 / AU$79 |
$99 / £79 / AU$149 |
$99 / £79 / AU$149 |
$99 / £79 / AU$149 |
|
Other accidental damage |
$149 / £109 / AU$249 |
$299 / £229 / AU$429 |
$299 / £229 / AU$429 |
$299 / £229 / AU$429 |
Is AppleCare+ worth it for the MacBook Neo?
MacBook Neo repair costs are lower than any other Mac, whether desktop or laptop. The iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro are priced the same as the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Even the Mac mini, Apple’s most affordable desktop computer, costs the same.
The only area where the MacBook Neo might cost you a little more is the cost of the AppleCare+ subscription. For the MacBook Neo, you’ll pay $4.99 per month (no monthly option for the UK or Australia) or $49.99 / £49.99 per year (Australia does not yet have AppleCare+ pricing for the MacBook Neo).
Alternatively, you can pay a one-time fee of $139 in the US that gives you three years of coverage. That’s cheaper than AppleCare+ coverage for all other Macs except the Mac mini, which costs $3.49 a month (again, no monthly option for the UK or Australia yet) or $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$59.99 a year.
Of course, there’s still the question of whether AppleCare+ is really worth it for a laptop that only costs $599 / £599 / AU$899. After all, five years of AppleCare+ coverage for the MacBook Neo would cost you $250 / £250 if paid annually. Add that to the cost of the laptop and you’ll be paying $850/£850 in total. In our book, that means most people are unlikely to need it.
Still, if you’re considering buying the MacBook Neo in the first place, you may not be able to afford a new one if it breaks or something goes wrong. That would make avoiding AppleCare+ (or an alternative third-party insurance policy) risky and potentially very expensive.
Ultimately, you should decide if AppleCare+ is right for you based on your own circumstances. But it’s comforting to know that if you want to cover a MacBook Neo, it’s offered at a much more affordable price than almost any other Mac.
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