It's clear that the MacBook Neo has shaken Windows PC makers with its sub-$600 price and high-quality build. Despite Microsoft's claims in a 'value advantage report' released last week, the best budget laptops don't quite offer the same capabilities or build.
Intel may have the solution, with the first Wildcat Lake "Core Series 3" laptops finally hitting retail shelves. There is a catch, though: these laptops are currently only available in China, but it does give us an idea of what could eventually come to the U.S. and elsewhere.
Two different manufacturers have 14-inch Wildcat Lake laptops that promise either double the RAM or more battery life than the MacBook Neo.
Chuwi UniBook
First, Chuwi UniBook, which starts at $449 and features a Core Series 3 and an Intel 18A chipset. Like the Neo, it's targeted at students, travelers and business people.
For comparison, the Neo starts at $599 for the 256GB version. The 512GB with TouchID goes for $699.
Similarly, the UniBook features 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and WiFI 6 connectivity. However, it does have more ports, including an HDMI 2.0, Ethernet, two USB-C and three USB-A ports. It also has a 53 Wh battery, which Chuwi claims lasts 15 to 20 hours.
In our lab tests, the MacBook Neo lasted 13 hours and 28 minutes.
Honor X14
Spotted by Wccftech, Honor, primarily known for smartphones in the US, has its new Honor X14 laptop. Like the Chuwi, it has a 14-inch LCD display and a Core i5 Wildcat CPU.
Honor's laptops start at around 4,999 yuan, which is about $730 USD. However, we expect it will likely sell closer to $599.
The Honor X14 comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, a feat in today's memory-constrained world, and a 512GB SSD. It also has several ports: three USB, HDMI, 3.5mm audio, and a DisplayPort, which puts it well ahead of Apple's one USB-C 3 port, one USB-C 2 port and an audio port.
Again, it comes with a larger 60Wh battery, though the Honor website indicates a battery life of only 13.5 hours, on par with our Neo testing. That indicates it might actually be worse in real life, though I can't say for certain without testing it.
What's missing?
Yes, there are cheaper Intel and Windows laptops available. The value of the MacBook Neo is in its portability and the premium finish.
Unfortunately, neither the UniBook nor the Honor X14 has material specifications in any information sheet we could find. So it's not clear if either laptop features a slick aluminum finish like Apple's device.
Based on the images I've seen, they do appear to have a metal finish, but I can't guarantee that. That said, the higher-end MagicBook X14 does have an aluminum chassis.
Additionally, the Neo weighs just over 2.7 lbs. It's a super-lightweight laptop that doesn't feel cheap.
The Honor X14 weighs over 3 lbs. Chuwi did not provide any dimensions for the UniBook, so it's not clear how much bigger it is than the Neo.
Other Neo alternatives
If you need Windows recommendations, check out these three MacBook Neo rivals. If you need more data, we've benchmarked a number of budget laptops and compared them to the Neo. Don't forget about the Neo versus Chromebooks, the original super-cheap laptop.
And of course, if you like Apple, there's the MacBook Air, which you can get in the M5 version or seek out the less expensive refurbished MacBook Air M4.
The Honor laptop may never be released in the US, but Australia and U.K. buyers will likely get a version. However, the Chuwi one might hit our shores.
More from Tom's Guide
- Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple giving Intel a ‘once-in-a-generation window’ to manufacture iPhone, iPad and Mac chips
- 'Difficult to survive': RAMaggedon hits Intel as new report says it is jacking CPU prices by 10%
- Intel’s Core Ultra 200S desktop CPUs are 2x faster and $100 cheaper — a second chance at Arrow Lake's first bad impression
