Apple’s new MacBook Neo is an eye-catching $599/£599, but to reach that price point, Apple had to make numerous compromises and sacrifices. One of the key features that’s missing on the entry-level $599 model is Touch ID, Apple’s fingerprint biometric system that was introduced with the iPhone 5s way back in 2013. However, it is available if you’re willing to pay a little more: it’s available on the $699 model with 512GB of storage.
At this price scale, $100 is a lot, representing a 17 percent price jump. So for buyers, it’s not a trivial consideration. Does $699 still make it a budget laptop? Sure, but the increase is enough to make customers pause and really think about whether Touch ID is worth it.
In case you’re unfamiliar with how Touch ID works on a Mac, there’s a small circular sensor in the top right corner of the keyboard. When your Mac is locked, you can use Touch ID to gain access instead of typing a password. And this follows throughout the whole Mac experience: In almost every instance where you need to type in a password, you can use Touch ID instead. For example, if you’re logging into an account online, you can use Touch ID to automatically fill in your password but also keep people who aren’t you locked out.
Touch ID as a security feature is quite valuable–an overlooked aspect because its focus is convenience. The act of typing usernames and passwords doesn’t take much effort, but Touch ID manages to whittle down that task to a simple button. And with passkeys, it’s become even stronger as sites begin to do away with passwords completely. If you access a lot of web-based tools and services, you’ll end up using Touch ID several times a day.
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This convenience aspect of Touch ID is what I value the most; it improves my Mac experience. I actually get a sense of dread when I run into an instance where I can’t use it and have to type–third-party developers have to write Touch ID support into their apps, and sometimes they don’t. I could see myself in six months of MacBook Neo use without Touch ID and regretting my decision. The $100 is worth it to me.
On the bright side, the $100 upgrade also includes a 512GB SSD that replaces the 256GB SSD. So you also have twice the space to store your files. That softens the blow, but the bottom line is MacBook Neo buyers have to decide whether to spend $100 on a button. For my money, it is.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.