The best deals on MacBooks right now
By Quentyn KennemerAntonio G. Di Benedetto
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Apple currently sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. It recently discontinued the M1 MacBook Air to make room for the M3 Air, but some retailers are still selling the last-gen laptop starting at $699 — a far cry from the $2,499 starting price of the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro. Purchasing a new MacBook can certainly be a pricey endeavor, but thankfully, finding a deal on a current M3-based model is actually not that difficult.
Although Macs may not experience perpetual discounts, it’s not uncommon to see various models discounted by as much as $400. Alternatively, purchasing refurbished options directly from Apple is another way to save money without waiting for the changing deal winds to blow your way. It’s also the only option to find certain SKUs of older models as Apple continues to move forward on newer releases. Apple’s refurbished store provides a one-year warranty on all products and generally offers discounts of up to 15 to 20 percent off the price of a new unit.
But if you want to buy new and you’re looking to save whatever you can, here are the best MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini deals available.
The M1 MacBook Air was considered Apple’s entry-level laptop before the M3 model’s arrival prompted Apple to discontinue it. But while the redesigned M2 version of the MacBook Air (which has been with us for a while as well) seems poised to take over as the top value choice, the 2020 version with an M1 processor and fanless design remains available at some retailers as a solid budget option. It’s best suited for typical productivity work, with a comfortable keyboard, an excellent trackpad, and all-day battery life. For many people, the M1 Air still ticks the right boxes when it comes to performance and price, even if it’s long enough in the tooth to have been fully dethroned in our guide to the best laptops.
The base MacBook Air with the M1 chip comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s becoming harder to find in new condition, but Walmart has committed to keeping it around for the foreseeable future and is currently discounting it to $699 ($300 off). The M1 Air may be a few years old now, but it’s still hard to beat in terms of value, especially when it comes to everyday performance and battery life.
The 2020 MacBook Air has been discontinued but remains a great value and is still easy to find on sale at some retailers. It comes outfitted with the company’s M1 chip in one of three different colors (silver, space gray, and gold). Read our review.
As for the fancier 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip, the base model with 256GB of storage and an eight-core GPU recently received a price drop. It started at $1,199 originally before falling to $1,099 last year, and now, its pricing starts at the same $999 that the original M1 model did.
As for deals, the base configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is currently on sale starting at $849 ($150 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo. The model with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, meanwhile, is down to $1,049 ($150 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which is the second-best price we’ve seen on the step-up model.
The M2 MacBook Air is a super slim and light laptop, one that comes with a 1080p webcam that’s actually usable and a handy magnetic charger that frees up one of its two USB-C ports. Its M2 processor didn’t kick-start a revolution like the M1 generation, but it’s a great performer for any user outside of more demanding creatives.
It does have some slight downsides, like slower storage in the base 256GB configuration and a notch cutout in its otherwise excellent screen. But even so, there hasn’t been a more travel-friendly laptop offered by Apple since the days of the polarizing 12-inch MacBook, and this prior-gen model was once good enough to top our list of the best laptops.
The 2022 MacBook Air is a thin, lightweight device powered by Apple’s M2 chip. The M2 model touts a 1080p webcam and a better display than its predecessor while retaining features like long battery life and MagSafe charging.
The 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 is a lot like a blown-up 13-inch Air, and judging from our glowing review, there’s nothing wrong with that. Like its smaller counterpart, it has an M2 chip, two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, MagSafe charging, and its base model comes with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. But it differs by having a larger, 15.3-inch notched screen with 2880 x 1864 resolution, six speakers instead of four, a 10-core GPU that costs extra on the 13-inch, and a higher starting price of $1,299. Bumping up to a larger, faster 512GB of storage will run you $1,499.
As of right now, Amazon is offering the best deals we can find on the larger MacBook Air, including the base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is on sale in select colors starting at $1,159.63. Given the current price, however, we’d recommend opting for the model with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, which is on sale in select colors at Best Buy and Amazon for $1,199 ($300 off). Best Buy is also selling a 10-core model with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for $1,499 ($400 off).
Apple’s largest MacBook Air sports a 15-inch display, six-speaker array, and M2 chip. The base model starts with 8GB of RAM and 256B of storage, though you can configure it with up to 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.
The M1 Air and its wedge had to perish for the M3 MacBook Air to exist. Apple’s updated entry-level laptops arrived in both 13- and 15-inch variants simultaneously this time, bringing with them slightly faster performance and a slate of minor upgrades. Apple added Wi-Fi 6E, for one, along with an additional Thunderbolt port that allows you to use two external displays when the lid is closed. They also continue to offer 18 hours of battery life and a MagSafe charging port, though the M3 Air starts at a slightly higher price than its predecessor at $1,099.
Thankfully, the base MacBook Air 13 with an M3 chip, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage is on sale for as low as $999 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo, nearly matching its best price to date. You can also get the base model of the latest 15-inch MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $1,149.99 ($150 off) at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon.
As of writing, My Best Buy Plus and Total members can also get an extra $50 off the 13-inch model and save up to $84.95 on select 15-inch models. If you aren’t already a member of Best Buy’s rewards program, you can effectively sign up for free, as memberships start at just $49.99 per year. Both tiers offer exclusive discounts like these, plus early access to sales events, free two-day shipping, and an extended 60-day return policy.
The MacBook Air M3 is a jack-of-all-trades, with a balanced combination of performance and power efficiency. It also now supports dual displays with the lid closed, and the storage speed is noticeably faster. You don’t need to think about if this laptop will meet your needs — it just will. Read our review.
The 15-inch MacBook Air is also equipped with Apple’s M3 chip. It features a larger display and better speaker array than the 13-inch MacBook Air M3. Read our review.
The MacBook Pro line is once again in a transitional phase. Apple announced Macs using a new M3 processor at its “Scary Fast” event in October, including a new 14-inch MacBook Pro that replaces the 13-inch M2 model. That means Touch Bar Macs are finally dead, but some of those outgoing M2 models are still available for now. You’ll find any deals on them further down, but first, let’s focus on the new M3 generation.
The new entry point into the MacBook Pro world is a MagSafe-equipped MacBook Pro that uses the existing 14-inch design and slightly pares it down. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro has the same 3024 x 1964 resolution display and 120Hz refresh rate as its pricier siblings, and in addition to a MagSafe charging port, it has an SD card slot and HDMI port. However, it starts with just 8GB of RAM and lacks the third USB-C / Thunderbolt port found on the M3 Pro and M3 Max models (as well as Thunderbolt 4 speeds).
The M3 MacBook Pro may be a bit of an odd middle child in some ways, but it’s still a very good laptop — especially if you can find a deal that puts more price distance between the M3 model and the M3 Pro version. Fortunately, the base model with 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM is currently receiving a $200 discount at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon, dropping it to its all-time low of $1,399.99. The same configuration is going for $1,449 ($150 off) at Best Buy and B&H Photo.
Apple’s new entry-level model for the MacBook Pro line is now a 14-inch laptop powered by the new base M3 processor. It uses a similar design to the pricier 14-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s Pro- / Max-series chips but is offered at a lower price with the same ports and less RAM.
The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros for late 2023 are another round of spec-bump models, much like their previous 2022 incarnations. Now starting with the M3 Pro chip (or the speedier M3 Max) and 18GB of base RAM instead of 16GB, the new models remain targeted at creatives doing content work like video editing, photo processing, and other graphical work. Like their predecessors and the M1 Pro generation before that, they offer MagSafe charging, three USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI-out, and a full-size SD card slot, with prices starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch and $2,499 for the 16-inch. You can, of course, spec them up the wazoo if you’re willing to pay more, as exhibited by the review unit Apple sent us of the 16-inch model, which cost an eye-watering $7,199.
While these models are still quite new, versions that actual humans buy have begun receiving discounts. For instance, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro (11-core CPU / 14-core GPU), 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is currently on sale for $1,799 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, which is only $50 more than the lowest price we’ve seen.
As for the base 16-inch MacBook Pro, you can currently pick it up in select colors at Amazon and B&H Photo with an M3 Pro chip, 18GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage starting at $2,299 ($200 off), which matches its second-best price to date.
The new 14-inch MacBook Pro comes in a space black color and is configurable with either an M3 Pro or M3 Max chip. It looks a lot like the previous M2 generation, but spec-wise, the M3 Pro models start with a 12-core CPU, 18GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro remains Apple’s largest laptop for creators and power users. The latest model includes a spec bump to the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, with a claimed battery life of up to 22 hours, and is configurable with up to 128GB of RAM.
The latest Mac Mini comes in a base configuration with Apple’s M2 processor or in a more powerful configuration with the M2 Pro. It’s an excellent upgrade to one of the most affordable yet performant desktop computers you can get (as long as gaming isn’t your priority). The M2 Mac Mini starts with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $599, while the M2 Pro model features a superior processor plus gigabit ethernet, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,299.
The latter model also features an expanded port selection, from two USB-C ports to four. It’s almost like getting an M2 Pro-powered MacBook Pro 14, but in desktop form. However, keep in mind that buying any Mac Mini means you have to provide your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor. The M2 Mac Mini remains a great value for a desktop computer.
Right now, the base model with an M2 chip, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD is on sale for $499 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo, which is an increasingly common sale price and only $20 more than its best price to date. You can also get it with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $699 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo.
If you want to maximize its potential, you can upgrade to the M2 Pro version with a 10-core CPU / 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,199 ($100 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo.
The revised Mac Mini for 2023 starts at $599 for an M2-powered model with an eight-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. The Mini can also be had with the M2 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and a more robust port selection for $1,249.
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