I’ve had the MacBook Neo for a month, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to use. The Neo has been one of the more exciting new Apple products in a while. It gives you insane value, amazing build quality, and great performance, especially for the price. But to get the price down to $599, Apple had to make some compromises. To elevate my experience a bit, I added a few budget-friendly accessories that I think anyone can add to their MacBook Neo setup!
If you just got yourself a MacBook Neo, be sure to check out our setup guide!
I am a big fan of having both a trackpad and an external mouse with your laptop. I use the trackpad for gesture-based controls and a mouse for more precise cursor movements. One of the best mice to get is Satechi’s new Slim EX Mouse.
- Ultra slim and lightweight for portability
- Connects to up to three devices at once (two via Bluetooth and one via 2.4GHz connection)
- Recharge via USB-C
- Up to three months on a single charge and over one year of standby time
I used Satechi’s older M1 mouse for years with my MacBook Air. This new slim version is even better and stays at the same $29 price point. It is available in two colors: black and white. They also have a wired version that brings the price down to $22 (with coupon) if that is something you are looking for!
This one has been a mainstay for any laptop I have ever used. It is so simple, easy to use, and just adds so much to your experience with any MacBook. The MOFT laptop stand is very simple and has two versions: one with adhesive and one that uses friction. I prefer the one with adhesive so you never forget it. Using it is extremely simple as well. You place the stand at the bottom of the MacBook, giving you two new viewing angles for better ergonomics: 15 and 25 degrees. The stand is only 0.12in thin and weighs less than 3oz. So when it is folded up, you never even feel it. This is a great way to elevate your viewing experience without committing to a more permanent solution. The stand starts at $24 and goes up to $39 for the non-adhesive version for the larger 16in MacBook Pro.
This one is a newer one for me. I recently did a hands-on with this charger because I like it so much. This wall charger gives you everything you would want in a charger and more. You get:
- 110W total max output
- Four ports total: 3 USB-C and 1 USB-A
- Smart display with real-time wattage monitoring
- Live temperature monitor (love this feature)
- Includes 240W USB-C cable
The MacBook Neo only supports up to 30W of charging, so you won’t need the full 100W, but it also has four total ports you can use to charge other devices. The diagnostics display is where this really shines. You can see real-time charging speeds for all your devices, along with temperature readings, to ensure optimal charging! The CUCKTECH 10 Ultra is available on Amazon for $59.
Now, this is just a fun accessory, so I needed to include it. I have reviewed the Wokyis Dock and love it. It adds 12 new ports and a second 5in IPS display to any setup. The best part is how it looks. It’s made to mimic the old 1984 Macintosh, and it does it so well!
I use this dock mostly at a desk in order to give me more ports. It has:
- 4x USB-A (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps)
- 2x USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps) USB-C host connection to Mac mini
- SD and microSD card slots (UHS-II)
- M.2 NVMe SSD slot up to 8TB
- Headphone jack
- 5in IPS 720P display
- HDMI port
So if you are planning to create a nice desktop for your MacBook Neo, this dock gives you all the I/O you need to get you going. The Wokyis Dock has two versions: a 10Gbps and an 80Gbps. Since the MacBook Neo does not support those higher data speeds, the entry-level Wokyis is more than enough and starts at just $155!
One of the things Apple had to decide was how much base storage to give the Neo and how much you can upgrade it internally. At its highest, the Neo can only go up to 512GB of internal storage. For some people that could be enough. But there are people who have a ton of photos and videos and need more storage. I like to recommend a Lexar SSD. They are compact, ultra-reliable, and deliver speeds fast enough to match the data transfer speeds of that USB 3 USB-C port. I have had my Lexar SSD for over three years now and it works like a champ. I have never had a single issue with it, and I use it every day to handle all of my Final Cut Pro files. So if you plan on editing some video, it could be a good idea to keep everything on an external SSD like this one. The 1TB version is $159. Storage is getting more expensive over time, so now might be a good time to lock in that price!
They also have a 2TB for $279!
I recently compared the AirPods Pro 3 against the AirPods Max 2 (yes, I know they are drastically different products and price points). But while testing both and comparing them, it gave me a whole new appreciation for the AirPods Pro 3. You get 99% of the sound quality as the AirPods Max 2 at $300 less. It blew my mind how well the AirPods Pro 3 held up. Feel free to watch our comparison below.
Right now, Amazon has the AirPods Pro 3 on sale for $224. If you are in the market for a new headphone, or you want to pair your Neo with the best headphones without spending $550+ on the Max 2. Then the AirPods Pro 3 get my recommendation. You get a ton of smart features too, like:
- Hearing Aid capabilities
- Conversational Awareness
- Heart Rate monitor
- Live Translation
- Best in class ANC and transparency mode
Again, it blows my mind how amazing these earbuds are at the size and price they are.
I also like recommending this cable to complement the CUKTECH charger. The Statik Magstack is a high-quality USB-C cable that has a trick up its sleeve. You get:
- USB-C to USB-C cable
- Magnetic self-coiling design for tangle-free use
- Up to 100W fast charging support
- Durable nylon braided construction
This thing is impossible to tangle because the nylon cable has magnets that let it coil up perfectly every time. So, for $18, this is a no-brainer. It comes in three colors: Black, blue, and orange.
I reviewed this when the MacBook Neo was originally released. If you want to see a hands-on look at this, be sure to check out our review here. But in short, this is a MacBook stand and does everything. It elevates your MacBook Neo for better viewing, and it also has a fully rotating base that gives you some very satisfying clicks. Lastly, it also acts as a USB-C hub because it adds additional ports on the arm portion of the stand. It gives you:
- USB-C port for host connection supporting 100W PD charging and 10Gbps data speeds
- USB-C port power input supporting up to 100W
- 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 ports
- HDMI port (4K60)
- SD card slot
- MicroSD card slot
- 3.5mm headphone jack
This is just another easy way to add ports to a laptop that is in dire need of them. You can get the stand today from Kuxiu’s site for $88!
Final thoughts
Again, the MacBook Neo is a fantastic computer, especially given everything you get for $599. But I do think adding just a few accessories can really elevate your experience with the MacBook Neo. What are some of the best accessories you currently use? Do you have a MacBook Neo? Are you happy with it? These accessories will work with pretty much any MacBook, but I wanted to focus on the newest MacBook Apple gave us.
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