Apple unveiled new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models based on its new M2 chip earlier this year. The new MacBook Air is bigger than the previous Air, with the promise of more power. Along with a bigger 13.6-inch display and new M2 chip, however, comes a higher price. Gone is the $999 starting price; the new M2 MacBook Air line starts at $1,199. The updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip starts at the same $1,299 list price as the previous model.
As holiday shopping season nears, the new M2 machines are selling at sizable discounts. You can save up to $150 on the M2 MacBook Air and $149 on the M2 MacBook Pro at Amazon. If you’re sad to see the Air’s $999 starting price disappear (we are; sniff), you can get the previous-generation MacBook Air with the M1 chip and 13.3-inch display for $800 at Amazon — a savings of $199.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro and its larger 16-inch Pro sibling, both based on Apple’s M1 Pro chip, are the company’s biggest and most powerful MacBooks. You can save up to $499 on the 14-inch model and $400 on the 16-inch unit.
US pricing for Apple’s MacBooks
The new M2 MacBook Air starts at $1,199, and the previous M1 MacBook Air starts at $999. The 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,299, the 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 and the 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499.
While Amazon has the best prices at the moment, one benefit to paying full price and buying from Apple is that you can customize the machine and add more RAM or a higher-capacity solid-state drive. The models sold by Amazon and other retailers are fixed configurations.
Want to go the refurbished route? You can now find refurbished M1 MacBooks on Apple’s Certified Refurbished Mac page. Refurb inventory changes rapidly so you may not always see an M1 MacBook Air or Pro listed. It’s worth keeping an eye out, however, because you can lock in substantial savings, up to $200. Rick Broida, CNET’s Cheapskate emeritus, is a big fan of refurbs, particularly Apple’s — which are often as good as new.
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.
Keep reading to see the best MacBook laptop deals currently available for Apple’s current and previous-generation MacBooks. We update this list periodically.
Read more: MacBook Pro 2021 Review: Apple’s M1 Max Chip Meets Retro Ports
MacBook discounts, compared
Model w/ CPU (and storage capacity)
List price
Best price (current)
Best price (all-time)
M1 MacBook Air (256GB)
$999
$800
$750
M1 MacBook Air (512GB)
$1,199
$1,199
$1,000
M2 MacBook Air (256GB)
$1,199
$1,099
$1,049
M2 MacBook Air (512GB)
$1,499
$1,349
$1,299
13-inch M2 MacBook Pro (256GB)
$1,299
$1,150
$1,150
13-inch M2 MacBook Pro (512GB)
$1,499
$1,350
$1,399
14-inch MacBook Pro w/ M1 Pro chip (512GB)
$1,999
$1,999
$1,500
14-inch MacBook Pro w/ M1 Pro chip (1TB)
$2,499
$2,000
$2,000
16-inch Macbook Pro w/ M1 Pro chip (512GB)
$2,499
$2,199
$2,099
16-inch Macbook Pro w/ M1 Pro chip (1TB)
$2,699
$2,299
$2,299
16-inch Macbook Pro w/ M1 Max chip (1TB)
$3,499
$3,350
$3,099
*Note that “all-time” means the best price that we’ve seen at an Apple-authorized retailer in the product’s lifetime. Prices change frequently and may differ between color variants.
Best MacBook deals
The MacBook Air from 2020 features Apple’s M1 processor, which has an eight-core CPU, a seven-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. The M1 MacBook Air starts at $999 from Apple and features 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. It lacks the Touch Bar (which could be viewed as a positive), and does have a 13.3-inch Retina display, Touch ID and the Magic keyboard. The step-up model costs $1,199 from Apple and doubles the solid-state storage to 512GB.
You can save $199 on the 256GB model in gold or space gray at Amazon right now. The new M2 MacBook Air has a $100 discount at Amazon but still costs $199 more than the M1 model.
You’re receiving price alerts for Apple MacBook Air M1 (256GB, space gray)
In addition to receiving the second-gen Apple silicon chip, the M2 MacBook Air boasts a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display and is available in two new colors: starlight and midnight. It also ditches the Air’s tapered wedge shape and now looks more like the squared-off, slablike Pro models. The webcam has also been upgraded to a 1080p resolution for better video calls. The M2 Air starts at $1,199, which is $200 more than the previous model. It features an M2 processor with an eight-core CPU and eight-core GPU, 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. The step-up $1,499 model has an M2 chip with an eight-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 8GB of memory and a 512GB SSD.
Amazon is selling the 256GB model at a $100 discount. You can save $150 on the 512GB model at Amazon.
You’re receiving price alerts for MacBook Air M2 (Silver, 256GB, 8-core)
Aside from the new M2 chip, the updated 13-inch MacBook Pro remains mostly unchanged from the previous iteration. It’s now the only laptop in the updated Apple lineup that has the controversial and generally disliked Touch Bar. It also lacks the new MagSafe charger and offers the same two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports for both charging and peripherals. Pricing remains the same as the previous series. The baseline model costs $1,299 and features 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. The step-up $1,499 model doubles the SSD to 512GB.
You can save $149 on the 256GB model at Amazon. If you need more storage, you can also save $149 on the 512GB model.
You’re receiving price alerts for 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro (256GB SSD): $1,150
The baseline model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro costs $1,999 and features an eight-core M1 Pro chip, a 14-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The $2,499 step-up model features a 10-core M1 Pro chip, a 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display has a 3,024×1,964-pixel resolution.
There are no discounts currently available on the baseline 14-inch Pro, and it’s going in and out of stock on Amazon. You can, however, save $499 on the 1TB model at Amazon — that’s the biggest discount we’ve seen yet for it.
You’re receiving price alerts for 14-inch MacBook Pro (1TB SSD): $2,000
The baseline model of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro lists for $2,499 and features a 10-core M1 Pro chip, a 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512B SSD. There are two step-up models: The $2,699 model upgrades the storage to a 1TB SSD, and the $3,499 model features the M1 Max chip, a 32-core GPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display packs 3,456×2,234 pixels.
You can save $300 on the 512GB model and $400 on the 1TB model of the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
You’re receiving price alerts for Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)