Why You Can Trust CNET Best MacBook Deals: Big Savings on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Models
Apple laptops are always costly, but these savings give you the chance to nab one without breaking the bank.
It isn't a controversial statement to say that Apple makes some of the best laptops on the market these days. There are tons of great features, especially on the recently released M3 MacBook Air, including gorgeous displays and long-lasting batteries. Even the previous-gen M2 chips are a great option for most people, too. But unfortunately, these laptops can be pretty pricey. Thankfully, we found some great deals that can help you save hundreds of dollars on your new laptop.
We update this list regularly to help you snag a great bargain when one appears. If you don't see a deal that's right for you just yet, check back later. Prices on the latest models can shift at any time, and those older laptops could fall out of stock as well, so keep that in mind when you're planning your next purchase.
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US pricing for Apple MacBooks
While Amazon, Best Buy and Adorama have the best prices at the moment, one benefit to paying full price and buying from Apple is that you can customize the machine, adding more RAM or a higher-capacity solid-state drive. The models sold by Amazon and other retailers have fixed configurations.
Want to go the refurbished route? You can find refurbished MacBooks on Apple's Certified Refurbished Mac page. Refurb inventory changes rapidly, so you might not always see the latest MacBook Air or Pro available. It's worth keeping an eye out, though, because you can lock in substantial savings.
It's also worth noting that the Apple Store offers students an educational discount, which can trim hundreds of dollars from the price of a new laptop or tablet.
MacBook prices
| Model (with chip and screen size) | List price | Best price (current) | Best price (all-time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M2 MacBook Air 13-inch | $999 | $849 | $829 |
| M2 MacBook Air 15-inch | $1,299 | $1,000 | $999 |
| M2 MacBook Pro 14-inch | $1,999 | $1,700 | $1,699 |
| M2 MacBook Pro 16-inch | $2,499 | $1,998 | $1,998 |
| M3 MacBook Pro 14-inch | $1,599 | $1,399 | $1,299 |
| M3 MacBook Pro 16-inch | $2,499 | $2,199 | $2,199 |
*Note that "all-time" means the best price we've seen on a new model at an Apple-authorized retailer in the product's lifetime. Prices change frequently and may differ between colors.
Best MacBook deals
You can now pick up the base-model M2 MacBook Air for just $849, which isn't the lowest price we've seen but is still a decent deal — $150 off the retail price.
This MacBook Air features a 15.3-inch display powered by Apple's M2 chip and 8GB of RAM. It also has a Touch ID sensor, two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, a MagSafe charger and 18 hours of battery life. Best Buy is offering a straight $299 discount and you can save up to $825 extra when trading in your old laptop as well.
The latest M3 MacBook Air was reviewed in March by CNET's Joshua Goldman, who noted the graphics performance has a significant upgrade over previous M2 MacBook Airs. Right now you can save $150.
Amazon is now offering the bigger 15-inch M3 MacBook Air in the starlight color at a $171 discount. Right now the other colors are not on sale, but Amazon stock fluctuates, so be sure to check the other colors if starlight is not your jam.
Though the M1 MacBook Air is a couple of generations old at this point, Walmart offering it for $699 ($300 less than its original list price) makes it an attractive prospect for those on the hunt for a cheap portable Mac. It's still worth buying if you're in that camp.
This deal saves you $299 off the slightly older 14-inch MacBook Pro, but only if you choose the silver model. You'll get a 14-inch display, an M2 Pro chip and a 512GB SSD included. This is a great machine for people who want both portability and power from their laptop.
The baseline model of the now previous-gen 16-inch MacBook Pro features Apple's still-powerful M2 Pro processor (12-core CPU and 19-core GPU), 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. Adorama currently has this harder-to-find model at a discount of $501, but only the silver is listed for sale.
The long-awaited M3 MacBook Pro is here, and you can pick one up with a reasonable discount, albeit not the best that we've seen to date. The prices of these machines fluctuate wildly right now, but this is the best available at the time of publishing.
You can pick up the basic 512GB model of the M3 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro in silver with a nice $300 savings thanks to Amazon's current discount. Act fast, as prices for Macs are volatile right now and these discounts come and go.
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