MacBook Neo

We don't have any real numbers specifying the prevalence of GaN laptop chargers, but it's getting harder to find powerful machines that use silicon semiconductors instead of GaN. The USB-C chargers that accompany modern MacBook Pro laptops? They are filled with GaN semiconductors. You'll find this type of charging technology with higher-end models by Lenovo, Dell and just about everyone else. Some entry-level laptops, like the MacBook Air and Neo, still use silicon-based charging technology. However, they can be outfitted with third-party GaN chargers. To that end, accessory companies like Ank

One potential downside to using a GaN charger is that you just might not need it, so it could be a waste of money. The MacBook Neo, for instance, doesn't support fast charging. Attaching a GaN charger won't hurt the machine, but you'll only get a modest speed bump. Consumers do value speed, so GaN chargers tend to be more expensive than silicon chargers. This price difference is shrinking all the time, however, as the technology continues its journey toward mass adoption.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Apple only recently refreshed its MacBook and iPad lineups earlier this year with the additions of the new products like MacBook Neo, MacBook Air with M5, MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and Max and the iPad Air with M4. However, we're expecting Apple to reveal next-gen iPhones and Apple Watches this fall during its annual hardware event in the fall. Smartphones and smartwatches aren't exempt from being affected by the chip shortages, so it's more likely that Apple is planning to bump up prices when introducing the expected iPhone 18 series and the potential Apple Watc

Even if higher input costs justified some of Apple's recent price increases, the markups go well beyond simply covering expenses. Take the entry-level MacBook Neo, marketed as an affordable option for students, which saw a $100 price jump just months after its launch, despite no meaningful improvements in hardware features or functionality. As my colleague Matt Elliot pointed out, Apple seems to be using the widely reported memory shortage as a convenient cover to raise the Neo's price. In reality, the company exhausted its initial supply of surplus smartphone processors for its budget laptop