Apple’s low-cost MacBook Neo is compatible with the company’s new Studio Displays, but its output will be scaled to 4K resolution at 60Hz.
Apple confirmed the compatibility and output limitation with 9to5Mac.
With pricing starting at $1,599, the regular Studio Display runs at 5K with a maximum 60Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the all-new 5K Studio Display XDR is capable of up to 120Hz and pricing starts at $3,299.
Apple calls the refreshed Studio Display “the perfect companion to Mac,” but if you were planning on using it as an external display for a new MacBook Neo, there are other options available at significantly lower price points – USB-C 4K displays from companies like LG, Dell, and Samsung, for example.
If you still have a Mac with an Intel chip inside, you’re not going to want to pick up one of the new Studio Display or Studio Display XDR models either – neither model will work with an Intel-based Mac.
The MacBook Neo has two USB-C ports, but only one supports DisplayPort 1.4 for connecting an external display. To use an external monitor, it must be connected to the correct port, which is the USB 3 port located closest to the rear of the device. The laptop does not support Thunderbolt either, so you can’t daisy-chain multiple monitors.
The $599 MacBook Neo and the new Studio Displays are available to pre-order now, with availability beginning on Wednesday, March 11.
