Apple has raised the MacBook Neo's starting price from $599 to $649 on its online education store in the U.S., meaning it now offers college students and other eligible groups only a $50 discount on the laptop, down from $100. The change was made within the past week, with equivalent increases in lo cal currencies in other countries. When the MacBook Neo first launched in March, it started at just $499 on Apple's education store, but that rose to $599 in June and now to $649. Apple raised the MacBook Neo's starting price for the general public from $599 to $699 in June as well, and it has also raised prices on iPhones, other Macs and iPads, and additional products this year. The company has attributed the price increases to a memory chip shortage that has led to significantly higher costs for RAM and storage chips. MacBook Neo: Education Pricing March: $499 June: $599 October: $649 MacBook Neo: General Pricing March: $599 June—Present: $699In May, Apple expanded the UNiDAYS verification system that it already used in many European countries to the U.S. and Canada, meaning that customers who are not students, educational staff, or otherwise eligible are no longer be able to break the rules and take advantage of the lower prices available through the education store. Apple reportedly plans to release a second-generation MacBook Neo with an A19 chip, 12GB of RAM, and new color options in the first half of 2027. The current model has an A18 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM, and it is available in Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo. Related Roundup: MacBook NeoBuyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Neutral)Related Forum: MacBook NeoThis article, "Apple Raises MacBook Neo's Starting Price to $649 on Education Store" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums ...read more read less