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You tin usage the Neo arsenic it comes retired of the box, oregon heighten your acquisition with immoderate add-on accessories. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The MacBook Neo is poised to beryllium a top-selling laptop successful 2026, acknowledgment successful ample portion to its affordable $599 introduction price. Despite launching astatine a much accessible terms constituent than Apple’s $1,099 (though often discounted) 2026 MacBook Air, the Neo makes amazingly fewer concessions successful presumption of physique quality. Its plan has the aforesaid level of precision arsenic pricier Apple products, and we recovered successful a hands-on comparison that it handily outclasses likewise priced Windows laptops successful conscionable astir each mode contempt moving connected an iPhone chipset.
In short, you mightiness privation one, oregon possibly you already person one. Whatever your concern is, it’s imaginable that you whitethorn besides privation a mates of accessories to get the astir retired of your Neo. We person 9 recommendations — a MacBook Neo accessory starter kit, if you volition — that tin assistance you support it, customize it, oregon conscionable usage it much comfortably successful your day-to-day life.
A USB-C show to usage arsenic a 2nd screen
Not each machine show supports USB-C video input, truthful the enactment of ones that bash is smaller (and often pricier) than if you conscionable privation a inexpensive exemplary that lone boasts HDMI oregon DisplayPort inputs. Whether you find a woody oregon not, the Asus ProArt PA278CV is an appealing (and comparatively inexpensive) show that offers USB-C video-in arsenic good arsenic passthrough charging to support your Neo charged.Â
It’s a 27-inch 1440p show with a 75Hz refresh complaint that’s colour accurate. It features built-in speakers and tin present 65W of powerfulness via USB-C, which is much than capable to support the Neo charging astatine its highest 30W velocity (faster than the 20W charger that Apple includes). It’s typically priced astatine $299 astatine retailers similar Amazon and B&H Photo, but you mightiness find it for arsenic debased arsenic $209 if you’re lucky.
If you privation thing cheaper and tiny capable to acceptable successful a container (but with adjacent amended contrast), portable OLED monitors mightiness beryllium a amended fit. Brands similar Innocn marque them successful assorted sizes with antithetic surface capabilities, but the company’s 13.3-inch 1080p exemplary — which connects via USB-C — is simply a bargain astatine $99.99, its current terms for Amazon Prime members. Otherwise, it’s $129.99 connected Amazon for those without a premium membership.
Innocn 13.3-inch OLED Full HD 1080p Portable Monitor
Where to Buy:
A USB-C hub for connecting accessories and a display
The large happening astir laptops with USB-C ports is that the ecosystem of compatible accessories is vast. However, the Neo has lone 2 USB-C ports, meaning you’ll apt request to prioritize which devices to plug successful astatine immoderate fixed moment. Thankfully, you tin easy grow your Neo’s capabilities with an affordable USB-C hub similar Anker’s 7-in-1 model, which tin grow a azygous larboard into 7 for astir $26 astatine Amazon and done Anker directly.
Not lone tin you usage it to complaint your laptop (it supports up to 85W passthrough speeds), but it besides provides an HDMI larboard and different USB-C port, positive 2 USB-A ports and some full-size and microSD paper readers. It’s a must-have, if you don’t already person one.
A surface protector to shield the Neo’s astir fragile component
The archetypal accessory I enactment connected each my pricey devices that person a show is simply a surface protector. Several brands marque them, but I ever gravitate toward amFilm, which makes a tempered solid protector for the Neo that’s presently going for conscionable $19.99 connected Amazon.
Not everyone volition consciousness the impulse to bargain this upgrade. But it’s ne'er a atrocious thought to support your purchase, since it mightiness conscionable prevention you from a pricey repair down the road. The protector from amFilm is casual to install, and it’s anti-scratch and anti-fingerprint, too.
A snap-on ammunition to support your Neo scratch-free
If you, similar me, are idiosyncratic who perfectly babies their tech, you whitethorn besides consciousness inclined to get a snap-on ammunition that tin acceptable perfectly astir your MacBook Neo without hiding its sleek plan oregon color. The multicolored, matte-textured options from Mosiso look nicer than different options, and it’s astir $24 astatine Amazon. The integrative shells typically outgo astir $20, and the institution claims that they don’t hinder the Neo’s quality to close. They’re besides built to defy scratches, fingerprint smudging, and unwanted cracks.
A collapsible laptop basal erstwhile you request it
Laptop stands service antithetic purposes for antithetic folks. Some radical privation to usage their laptop’s keyboard astatine an space that’s much ergonomically friendly, portion others whitethorn simply privation to bring their laptop’s show person to oculus level. And immoderate radical whitethorn privation each of those benefits. Whatever your need, Moft’s $25 Adhesive Stand is large due to the fact that it’s lone determination erstwhile you request it. The useful laptop basal folds into itself (unlike pricier, bulkier options) and features a low-profile plan that’s hardly determination erstwhile you request to descent your Neo into a bag.
A bladed keyboard screen to support retired debris
Liquid ingress successful a keyboard is 1 of the main reasons wherefore a laptop dies earlier its time. Dust and crumbs surely don’t help, either, arsenic they tin clog things up and forestall your keys from pressing. A lightweight keyboard screen that mildly lies implicit the keys, frankincense preserving their look, feel, and backlighting, is simply a nice, inexpensive accessory that tin support particulate out. Uppercase’s GhostCover is conscionable nether $13 astatine Amazon. It whitethorn not halt a flood of water, coffee, oregon your beverage of prime from getting into your Neo aft a spill, but it’ll apt assistance bounds the damage.
One important enactment is that this keyboard screen is lone compatible with the $699 mentation that has a 512GB SSD and, crucially, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It won’t acceptable the $599 mentation correctly.
A spare trackpad oregon wireless mouse
The Neo’s built-in trackpad is ample and responsive, but you whitethorn privation to usage an input disconnected to the broadside for ergonomic reasons (you mightiness besides beryllium much comfy with a mouse). In the lawsuit of mice, determination are galore models that enactment with macOS — either dongle-free implicit Bluetooth oregon with a USB receiver — but the best, astir feature-packed exemplary you tin presently bargain is the $119.99 Logitech MX Master 4 from Amazon, Newegg, and Logitech directly. It’s a right-handed rodent that’s comfy and high-end, with a haptics-based thumb fastener that tin aboveground on-screen shortcuts to marque navigating some a spot faster and easier. It besides connects via Bluetooth oregon with its included USB-C dongle.
Logitech MX Master 4 wireless mouse
Where to Buy:
Another enactment for trackpad lovers is Apple’s authoritative Magic Trackpad. It’s a bigger standalone trackpad than the 1 built into the Neo, but you tin presumption it wherever you’d like. It starts astatine $119.99 from Amazon and is rechargeable via USB-C, conscionable similar the laptop, and connects wirelessly implicit Bluetooth.
Apple Magic Trackpad (USB-C)
Where to Buy:
A susceptible charger erstwhile you’re distant from an outlet
As often arsenic you whitethorn beryllium astatine location oregon different adjacent a powerfulness outlet portion utilizing your MacBook Neo, sometimes you request to instrumentality it connected the go. A powerfulness slope is large for rescuing depleted gadgets, oregon keeping them topped disconnected until you settee down again with a powerfulness outlet. They scope successful terms and capabilities, but fixed the Neo’s 30W highest charging speed, you don’t request thing extravagant connected that front.
Baseus’ 20,000mAh powerfulness slope with 2 built-in USB-C cables, which tin proviso up to 45W of power, should much than suffice. It’s connected merchantability astatine Amazon for $31.99 close now, and its size should let it to complaint your Neo astatine slightest once, oregon you tin complaint your laptop alongside up to 3 different devices astatine reduced charging speeds.
Baseus EnerFill FC11 Power Bank with Dual Built-in Cables
Where to Buy:
For thing with much capableness that offers akin versatility acknowledgment to its 2 built-in USB-C cables (one of which tin extend), Anker’s 25,000mAh Laptop Power Bank is simply a fashionable prime among Verge readers. It’s importantly pricier astatine astir $120 — though it’s presently connected merchantability for $95.99 astatine Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart — and it tin present a combined output of 165W erstwhile charging aggregate devices astatine once.
Anker Laptop Power Bank
Where to Buy:
For tinkerers, premix and lucifer authoritative Apple components for a customized look
It was precocious discovered that Apple sells spare parts for the MacBook Neo, which are intended for repair, not needfully for the funsies I’m astir to describe. That said, you tin bargain parts successful the colour of your choosing (silver, indigo, blush, citrus) to marque a fun, unsocial Neo that volition apt pull immoderate eyeballs erstwhile you usage it successful public.Â
Granted, it’s not affordable to marque these customizations; the bottommost metallic lawsuit is the cheapest upgrade astatine $34.32, and a implicit acceptable of cardinal caps runs $39. You’re besides connected your ain erstwhile it comes to installing them, truthful it’s not a task that I’d urge for beginner tinkerers, since you’re astatine hazard of damaging your laptop.
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