The Department of Education (DepEd) will deploy 170,000 MacBook Neo laptops to teaching and non-teaching personnel in more than 16,400 public K–12 schools, Apple Chief Executive Officer John Ternus said. Ternus described it as the company’s biggest education deal ever for Mac.
Ternus disclosed the agreement on Monday, November 2, during Apple’s earnings call for the September quarter in Cupertino, California. It was his first earnings call as CEO.
“As one example, we recently secured our biggest education deal ever for Mac, with the Department of Education in the Philippines,” Ternus said.
“They’re going to deploy 170,000 MacBook Neos to teachers and staff. Opportunities like this bring more users into our ecosystem and help fuel growth across our business,” he said.
Part of DepEd’s computerization program
According to a Manila Bulletin report, the laptops will be distributed under the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP). The program covers lesson preparation, administrative work and classroom activities. Neither Apple nor DepEd has publicly stated the contract value or the delivery schedule.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said, “Investing in our teachers is investing in the future of our learners.” The report said the deployment is tied to President Marcos’s priority of keeping frontline educators future-ready.
What the MacBook Neo offers
Apple describes the MacBook Neo as its most budget-friendly MacBook. The laptop runs on Apple silicon, includes built-in AI capabilities and has an aluminum unibody enclosure with a fanless design. Teachers get Pages, Keynote, Numbers and Freeform with no extra licensing or subscription fees.
Recipients will also have access to the Apple Education Community platform. It offers foundational training programs and more than 70 lesson plans developed locally by Filipino educators for the K–12 curriculum.
Mac sales in emerging markets
Apple reported Mac revenue of $10.8 billion for the September quarter, up 24% from a year earlier despite supply constraints. Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh attributed the result to the MacBook Neo and MacBook Pro.
Apple said the Mac business set all-time revenue records in markets including India and Southeast Asia. It also recorded double-digit growth in both developed and emerging markets.
“Emerging markets continued to see strong performance on Mac, resulting in Mac’s best fiscal year there, driven by record upgraders and customers new to the Mac,” Parekh said.
Apple also reported a September quarter record for customers new to the Mac. Ternus said that, according to IDC, the company gained global Mac market share during the quarter and the full fiscal year.
