iFixit calls the MacBook Neo “the Most Repairable MacBook in 14 Years” and their teardown is fascinating in general (modular design, no glue, and lots and lots of screws), but this specific bit finally answered the question I’ve been asking myself: Why is the MacBook Neo as heavy as the MacBook Air despite a smaller battery, chassis, and screen?

Here’s what we found: The Neo’s chassis is actually only barely lighter than the Air’s. Together, its chassis, keyboard, and bottom cover are just 8g lighter than the Air’s. But the Neo’s screen is 48g heavier, and the solid chunk of metal that supports its trackpad makes up 7% of the laptop’s overall weight! The Neo’s full trackpad assembly is almost exactly twice as heavy as the M3 MacBook Air’s, too.

A MacBook in the Neo’s body but the Air’s screen and trackpad assembly would drop the weight by about a tenth of a pound. Noticeable but not significant. I’m still crossing my fingers for a MacBook that gets back to the barely two pounds of the 12-inch MacBook.