Best MacBook deals for January 2024
[ad_1]
Apple sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. The offerings start with the 13-inch MacBook Air from 2020 at $999 and go all the way up to the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro starting at $2,499. But finding a deal on a current Mac with an M1, M2, or even the new M3 chip — as well as the higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max — is actually not that difficult.
While Macs may not experience perpetual discounts, it’s not uncommon to see various current models discounted by as much as $400. Alternatively, purchasing refurbished options directly from Apple is another way to save money without as much waiting for the changing winds of deals to blow your way. 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 right now.
a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>M1 MacBook Air
The MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop. It’s best suited for typical productivity work, with a comfortable keyboard, an excellent trackpad, and all-day battery life. The redesigned M2 version of the MacBook Air has been with us for a bit — there’s now even a 15-inch M2 Air — but the 2020 version with an M1 processor and fanless design remains in the lineup as the budget option. 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 typically sells for $999, but Best Buy and Amazon are currently discounting it to $749.99 ($250 off), matching its lowest price to date. 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 MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop, which comes outfitted with the company’s M1 chip in one of three different colors (silver, space gray, and gold).
The MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop. It’s best suited for typical productivity work, with a comfortable keyboard, an excellent trackpad, and all-day battery life. The redesigned M2 version of the MacBook Air has been with us for a bit — there’s now even a 15-inch M2 Air — but the 2020 version with an M1 processor and fanless design remains in the lineup as the budget option. 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 typically sells for $999, but Best Buy and Amazon are currently discounting it to $749.99 ($250 off), matching its lowest price to date. 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 MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop, which comes outfitted with the company’s M1 chip in one of three different colors (silver, space gray, and gold).
As for the newer, 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. Along with introducing a 15-inch M2 Air during WWDC last year, Apple announced that the 13-inch model now starts at $1,099 instead of $1,199. As for deals, the 13-incher is currently selling for $949 ($150 off) at B&H Photo with 256GB of storage. You can also find discounts on the upgraded configuration, which can be had with a 512GB SSD and 10-core GPU for $1,199 at B&H Photo ($200 off) and for $1,249 at Best Buy ($150 off).
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 one’s good enough to be the No. 1 laptop we now recommend in our buying guide.
The redesigned MacBook Air is a thin, lightweight device powered by Apple’s latest chip. The M2 model also touts a 1080p webcam and a better display than its predecessor while retaining features like long battery life and MagSafe charging.
The newer 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.
Surprisingly, the 15-inch M2 Air started receiving some discounts even before it shipped, which let early adopters save between $50 and $100. As of right now, you can get it for $200 off at Amazon and B&H Photo, where it’s currently selling for $1,099 in all four colorways. The expanded 512GB model is also on sale for $150 off at B&H Photo right now, selling for $1,349 in space gray.
Apple’s largest MacBook Air sports a 15-inch display, six-speaker array, and an 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 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).
