The best MacBooks to buy in 2026: Apple has a new budget laptop (and it rocks)

Summary: Apple has a brand-new lineup of MacBooks for 2026, and there is finally a true budget option! The all-new MacBook Neo costs just $599 (or $499 for students). It runs on the A18 Pro smartphone chip, making it perfect for casual web browsing and schoolwork. Plus, it gets rid of the ugly screen notch.

If you need more power, the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air is the best choice for most people. Starting at $1,299, it handles multitasking easily and comes with 512GB of storage.

For heavy-duty users like video editors or AI creators, the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro is the top pick. It costs $1,699 but offers an amazing 21 hours of battery life and a super-smooth screen.

Finally, if you are still using an older Intel MacBook from 2020 or earlier, it's time to upgrade. The new macOS Tahoe software will no longer support those older models!

For more details, see Mashable at mashable.com/roundup/best-macbooks-2026-tested (opens in new tab)