I always recommend getting a refurbished or 2nd hand M2/M3/M4 Air instead of the Neo. Go with 16GB of RAM and enjoy the additional benefits, like the illuminated keyboard (which I also regarded as crucial), better ports, trackpad, webcam, and display (larger, more contrast, less reflective, P3, TrueTone). While also having a faster SSD and better Multicore score. And TouchID coming standard.
The Neo is nice with the student discount ($499) for, well, students and such. But in general I regard it as overhyped with too many compromises. People drool about it because it’s new and has nice colors, and at least in the US, the value is good - but I would certainly not buy any 8GB MacBook in 2026, especially if I want to keep it for some more years and have a good time with it. Rather spend a bit more for a much better device.