Exclusive: Apple executive details affordable new MacBook Neo, AI-integrated technology and more
Owning a laptop from Apple is more affordable than ever with the new MacBook Neo, which launches later this month and costs nearly half the price of a MacBook Air.
John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, sat down with ABC News' Elizabeth Schulze for an exclusive interview after the new product reveal to discuss the tech specs, including built-in AI features, as well the future of the company.
"We saw an opportunity here to really just reach a lot more people than we ever have before," Ternus said. "[The MacBook Neo is] solid, it's reliable, it's durable, it's all the things you want a Mac to be. And yeah, that's an amazing price point."
The all-new MacBook Neo, available March 11, features a durable aluminum design that comes in four colors a 13-inch Liquid Retina display powered by the Apple silicon processor, and has all-day battery life.
Priced at $499 for college students and teachers, Apple is now closer to competitors like the Google Chromebook or HP laptops, which are more established in schools. The starting non-education price is $599.
Ternus said a key reason why the Neo is less expensive is because it uses an Apple computer chip that previously was only used in iPhones.
While some consumers have wondered what took Apple so long to bring a less expensive product to the market, Ternus said the company "didn't want to do it until we could do it really, really well and build a Mac that we were proud of."
"That's why the bar is high," he added.
The Neo's array of bright colors -- it's available in blush, indigo, silver and a new citrus hue -- also brings back some nostalgia for the company's candy-colored computers of the '90s.
"We built this system new from the ground up, with color in mind," Ternus said. "It was an opportunity for our design team to do something really expressive with this product."
As Apple builds out its lineup, Ternus told ABC News that artificial intelligence will be incorporated into all of its products with features like auto-translate or photo enhancing.
"I think Apple Intelligence is going to continue to grow, and it'll just make things you do better and easier. And if we're doing it right, you know, people won't even really necessarily notice or think about it," he said. "They'll just have a new feature that they start using more and more because they really like it."
After Schulze noted there had been some concerns that Apple could be behind when it comes to AI, Ternus stated, "We've always focused on delivering the experience."
Thinking ahead about his future with the company, Ternus addressed speculation about Apple CEO Tim Cook choosing him as his successor when he eventually decides to step aside.
"Well, the good news is, I love the job I have," Ternus started. "I get to work with the most amazing people in the world, and on days like today when we've announced all these products, it is the best place to be."
