Apple has officially started selling the 14-inch MacBook Pro. While that model isn’t likely to get major deals anytime soon, older models like the 13-inch and 16-inch are getting some sweet price cuts in the wake of the new release. On top of that, Black Friday deals have come in early this year. Chip shortages are bound to affect MacBook availability, so make sure to grab one now. MacBooks can be pricey compared to most Windows laptops and Chromebooks, though, but this roundup of the week’s best MacBook deals and sales can help you keep some of your hard-earned cash. If you love everything with an Apple logo and you’re hungry for more savings, then also check out these iPhone deals and iPad deals.
Today’s Best MacBook Deals
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro - Education Pricing
Exclusive discounts for students & teachers
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M1 CPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
$1,100 $1,200
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage)
$1,450 $1,919
MacBook Deals
In July 2019, Apple stopped selling the 12-inch MacBook on its website and in its stores, but you can still get it from third-party resellers. There are plenty of reasons to opt for it, too. Compared to the Air, not only is the MacBook’s screen smaller, but the device is also extremely thin and light. It hasn’t been updated since 2017, but it has the modern Mac look, including the large trackpad, butterfly-style keyboard, Retina display, and simplified port selection. Aside from a headphone jack, the laptop comes with just a single Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port. That means you can’t plug in a wired mouse and power at the same time, for example, unless you have an adapter.
The most recent version from 2017 received a bump to dual-core, seventh-generation Kaby Lake Intel processors. Like the MacBook Air, we found it to be fast enough to get through a normal day of productivity and web browsing. We’d recommend one of the newer MacBook Airs to most people, but for those who want the absolute smallest, most portable MacBook, this is your best option.
Amazon is currently selling the professionally Renewed and warranty-backed 2017 12-inch MacBook for as low as $485, which gets you an Intel Core m3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.
MacBook Air Deals
Before 2018, the MacBook Air hadn’t received a serious update for many years. The iconic silver look may have been revolutionary in 2012, but its thick bezels and lower-resolution screen had become outdated over the years. There have thankfully been a couple of revisions since then, but we can still recommend this reasonably recent 2017 model to people who have basic everyday needs and don’t want to shell out for a Pro. Its Intel Core processor and 8GB RAM will ensure it won’t feel too long in the tooth in 2020, even if it isn’t sporting the upgrades of the newer units. It’s also the cheapest way into the MacBook ecosystem, and that alone makes it worth your consideration.
If you’re in the market for a slightly older model and are willing to buy refurbished (in nearly like-new condition and backed by a warranty since it’s Amazon Renewed) so you can save some cash, the 2017 MacBook Air below is going for around $395 including delivery at the moment — a steal at this price.
In the middle of 2019, Apple gave the MacBook Air a complete makeover, bringing it up to speed with the rest of its MacBooks. These 2019 and 2020 revisions have a new look — thinner bezels, a smaller chassis, higher-resolution display, USB-C, as well as new color options like gold and space gray. The new MacBook Air also has some of the mainstays of modern Apple laptops such as the low-travel keyboard, oversized trackpad, and Touch ID fingerprint scanner.
The Air saw some hardware updates in 2020 too, including the addition of the newer 10th-gen Intel Core CPUs as well as the introduction of Apple’s own new M1 processor. We found it more than capable of handling day-to-day tasks, just don’t expect to be editing 4K video on it. That said, that MI CPU is pretty amazing and punches well above its weight. It has the best battery life of all the MacBooks, and also comes with the lowest starting price of around $1,000 right now.
If you’re in the market for a new M1 MacBook Air, then you can currently can enjoy a welcome discount off the usual price that knocks it down to $800 at checkout. This deal gets you the superb new M1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD — perfect specs for an everyday laptop.
16-inch MacBook Pro Deals
It had been rumored for months, but there was still a sense of excitement when Apple finally unveiled the new 16-inch MacBook Pro in October 2021. Many of the speculated features — the updated M1X chips, mini-LED displays, and no Touch Bar — proved to be correct.
That means this is probably the biggest upgrade to the MacBook Pro line since it was redesigned in 2019. This is a powerful new machine. During the launch event, Apple claimed the CPU in their new chips, the M1 Pro and M1 Max, can deliver up to 70% faster performance. If you’re a pro and need power, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is the one to get.
You can order the new 16-inch MacBook Pro right now, and they just started shipping in late October. The retail price is $2,499, and you get a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Upgraded models are available at $2,699 and $3,499.
14-inch MacBook Pro Deals
Apple announced their newest laptop size at the Apple “Unleashed” Event in October 2021. The new 14-inch is an upgrade from the 13-inch model, with enough differences that Apple will continue to sell the 13-inch for the time being. Apple has removed the Touch Bar on the 14-inch (and the new 16-inch) in favor of a more classic row of function keys. This new model is all about power.
The base model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro is available for order now, and it retails at $2,000. It includes an 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The enhanced power comes from Apple’s newly designed M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. Apple boasted a 70% increase in performance between their M1 chip and the new Pro and Max versions. The Max chip will probably only be useful to video editors and game designers, but everyone will notice the increased speed of the Pro.
The new 14-inch comes with some standard redesigns. The edges of the laptop are now flat and squared off instead of rounded like previous models. The display is 3024 x 1964 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch (ppi). There’s a new notch in the top of the screen, which is bound to turn some users off. If you aren’t sure which model you want, compare the 14-inch vs. 16-inch MacBook Pros.
13-inch MacBook Pro Deals
With its more powerful specs, the MacBook Pro represents the top of the MacBook lineup. These are laptops for people who want to run heavy applications such as Photoshop or Lightroom — or even just for people who want to multitask like nobody’s business. However, there are several important distinctions you should be aware of, even concerning the 13-inch models.
The newer 13-inch MacBook Pro still has the Touch Bar that Apple removed in their most recent laptops. The Touch Bar is a slim OLED touchscreen that takes the place of the function keys and is purpose-built for navigating MacOS and its software — but it’s admittedly not for everyone, so if you’d prefer a MacBook Pro without it, then you’ll have to opt for a last-gen model from 2017 or earlier or the newest generation of 2021 models.
Right now, you can score has this refurbished 13-inch non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro in renewed condition from 2017. For $530, you get an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, and two Thunderbolt 3 ports. It’s a great deal if you want to save yourself some cash by going without the Touch Bar.
Apple updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro in 2019 to come with the latest-generation Intel processors, with slight speed bumps to both the base clock and Turbo Boost speeds. With the MacBook Pro 16 on the market now, prices of last-gen and smaller-sized MacBook Pro models have been slashed.
You can now save hundreds on the 13-inch MacBook Pro complete with Touch Bar from early 2020 by buying this nicely specced unit at $300 discount that brings its price down to $1,000. That gives you a quad-core Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256B SSD. The new 2020 and 2021 MacBook Pro with M1 chips were recently released and we’ll be posting any worthy discounts for those as they appear, but if you want a deal, then buying this still-excellent Intel Core model is the surest way to save right now.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro was given a couple refreshes for 2020. Although innovative, Apple isn’t exactly a company known for re-inventing the wheel — it typically sticks to a good design once it’s found it — and the first 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro update wasn’t an exception to this rule, featuring a very similar overall aesthetic to previous models (outdated bezels and all) with some modest hardware updates under the hood. One major noteworthy upgrade is the new Magic Keyboard, which is fantastic. It’s comfortable, it’s quiet, and it even has a proper escape key this time around. The second update, however, added Apple’s fantastic new M1 CPU to the lineup.
This model packs that eight-core M1 CPU along with 8GB of RAM and a snappy 256GB SSD, pairing what are pretty much ideal specs for an everyday laptop with the sort of quality you’d typically associate with the Pro line. You can grab the new 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro for $1,200, which is one of the better prices we’ve seen for this new model.
Looking for more tech deals? Find gaming laptops, Chromebook deals, and much more on our curated deals page.
Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.
Editors' Recommendations
- 2021’s best TVs for under $1,000
- Best Black Friday robot vacuum deals 2021: Cheapest prices today
- A broader range of ARM-based PCs could be coming soon to take on Apple M1 Macs
- Best Black Friday Deals 2021: What to buy TODAY
- iMac Pro 2021: Here’s everything we know so far
