Best MacBook Deals: Save on MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

by · Digital Trends

Apple is one of the best laptop brands out there. If you’ve grown up using the operating system and can’t move to Windows, or you’re just impressed by the high-quality internal components and gorgeous designs, you know you’re an Apple fan for life. As a fan, it’s always worth checking out the best Apple deals, by the way. Back to MacBooks, they’re perfect for creative professionals and casual users alike. These devices are significant investments though, so shoppers who are interested in them should be on the lookout for any discount they can get. We’re here to help with that — we’ve rounded up some of the best MacBook deals you can take advantage of right now, but you need to hurry because there’s no telling how long they’ll stay online.

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Best MacBook deals

Apple MacBook Air 2020 (M1, 13-inch, 256GB SSD) — $800, was $1,000

If you love Apple but hate their high price points, the MacBook Air is for you. It’s a classic laptop option for students and casual users who love iOS and the Apple aesthetic but can’t afford the more expensive laptops. That’s not to say this is a flimsy machine. In fact, it has Apple’s M1 chip, which is a powerful processor and was once top of the line for Apple. It has 8GB of RAM, average for a mid-range computer, and a fairly light 256GB memory. The one thing Apple never skimps out on is the display. The screen on the 2020 MacBook Air is a gorgeous retina display, the same technology on your iPhone. It’s worth shelling out the Apple price just for that, since you spend hours at a time staring at it. This one has a resolution of 2560 x 1600, so anything short of 4K will look its best.

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Apple MacBook Air 2022 (M2, 13.6-inch, 256GB SSD) — $1,049, was $1,199

If you love the sleek look of the MacBook Air, but the M2 chip just doesn’t cut it power-wise, the MacBook Air 2022 model has your back. It has several improvements over previous models, both in the design and internal components. Arguably the most important improvement is the switch to the M2 chip. It’s a speedy chip that can handle a lot more demanding processes than the M1 on the 2020 MacBook Air can. The outside of the laptop has been redesigned too. It’s now the lightest it’s ever been, at only 2.7 pounds. Technology in general has improved by leaps and bounds in the past two years, and the MacBook Air reflects that. You can upgrade the processor to up to ten cores from the 2020’s eight, and you now have the option to get 512GB of storage instead of being capped at 256GB. The retina display, an Apple staple, is now 13.6-inches and runs at 2560 x 1664 resolution.

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Apple MacBook Pro 2022 (M2, 13-inch, 256GB SSD) — $1,099, was $1,299

Here you get the M2 Chip, the 13-inch gorgeous Retina display, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive. This is the version with the touch bar, and a fully backlit keyboard, as well. The real star of the show is the battery life, and your MacBook Pro will last for up to 20 hours of continuous use, which is enough to get you through your day and then some. Two Thunderbolt ports add a lot of versatility to the system too making room for high-speed and high-power accessories.

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Apple MacBook Pro 2021 (M1 Pro, 14-inch, 512GB SSD) — $1,749, was $1,999

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

If you’re willing to get a smaller display for the 2021 MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro chip for extra storage space, then this is the deal for you. The screen still features Liquid Retina XDR technology, with narrow bezels thanks to moving components to the notch. This version of the 2021 MacBook Pro also comes with the same 1080p FaceTime HD camera and lineup of ports. The 512GB storage space, however, will prove to be important to professionals such as graphic designers and video editors, as their work deals with large files. While the 14-inch screen may be too small for some users, the laptop still packs amazing power, especially when combined with MacOS Ventura.

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Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (M2 Pro, 14.2-inch, 512GB SSD) — $1,949, was $1,999

Offering a bit more power and versatility, the 2023 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip features a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, delivering outstanding computing power for multitasking and more resource-heavy applications like video editing or graphic design. The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display offers stunning visuals and accurate colors, making it ideal for creative work. The laptop also comes with 16GB unified memory and 512GB SSD storage, providing ample space for your files and data. With its sleek and modern design, this MacBook Pro is not only powerful but also stylish, making it a great choice for professionals and creatives who value performance.

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Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (M2 Pro, 16.2-inch, 512GB SSD) — $2,450, was $2,500

Built for power users, the 2023 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip is a high-performance laptop. It features a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU for exceptional computing power, enabling you to run demanding applications with ease. The laptop also boasts a stunning 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, which delivers brilliant and accurate colors. With 16GB unified memory and 512GB SSD storage, you’ll have ample space to store all your files and data. This MacBook Pro is ideal for anyone who needs a high-performance laptop for tasks such as video editing, graphic design, or data analysis.

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When are the best MacBook deals?

If you’re looking for a new MacBook, it’s quite likely that you need one right now. When your existing laptop or MacBook has failed, you rarely have the luxury of waiting for the next seasonal sale to replace it. If that’s the case, there’s no harm in buying now. There are always worthy MacBook deals going on if you know where to look, so just pick the model that’s best for you, find the best price you can, and enjoy. However, if you’re thinking long-term and are able to wait, there may be better times of the year to buy a new MacBook.

Prime Day happens every summer as a celebration of Amazon’s birthday. However, it’s not just Amazon that gets in on this action, as many other retailers also run their own concurrent sales. You’ll need to wait a few months to see what happens, but Prime Day is often a great time to take advantage of deep discounts on tech and score a MacBook for less. Markdowns on Apple products aren’t always huge during this event but with some luck and good timing, you can catch something great on sale.

Otherwise, there’s always Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Again, there’s no guarantee of what the discounts will be, but technology is often the star of these shows. The catch? It’s not until the day after Thanksgiving, and that’s not till the end of November. That’s a long time to wait to buy a new MacBook if you need one soon. Worse, you may find your disposable income a lot lower because you’re doing holiday shopping for other people as well. Holiday shopping can always be stressful which is why it might be a better idea to buy right now. After all, you get more time to enjoy the delights of your MacBook if you buy today, and the MacBook deals we’ve found are still plenty good.