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“Never pay full price for a MacBook Air” seems to be the takeaway from recent Apple launches. Apple unveiled its updated lineup of M3-powered MacBook Air laptops in early March, and all the M3s saw their first discounts three weeks later. The M3, M2, and M1 MacBook Airs are all discounted and are at some of their lowest prices according to price-tracking tools. If you’re on a budget, you can always go for the older M2 and M1 laptops, which are still great laptops in 2024.
The best deal on the M3 MacBook Air
MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop 8GB Memory – 256GB SSD
$799.00
at Best Buy
$999.00
Save $200.00
$799.00
at Best Buy
$999.00
Save $200.00
MacBook Air 13-inch 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD
$899.00
at Amazon
$1,099.00
Save $200.00
$899.00
at Amazon
$1,099.00
Save $200.00
MacBook Air 13-inch 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage
$1,099.00
at Amazon
$1,299.00
Save $200.00
$1,099.00
at Amazon
$1,299.00
Save $200.00
MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD
$1,099.00
at Amazon
$1,299.00
Save $200.00
$1,099.00
at Amazon
$1,299.00
Save $200.00
The new M3 MacBook Air has corrected one of the biggest complaints about the M2’s hard drive, ultimately making it 33% faster at write speeds and 82% faster at read speeds. Both the 15-inch and 13-inch M3 base models start with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but the 16GB RAM version is not that much more expensive starting at $899 (originally $1,099) and will give you much better value for your money. This is the best deal and the best bang for your buck on a new M3 MacBook Air. Any of them will get you the usual backlit keyboard, 1080p HD web camera, and Touch ID, along with dual-monitor support, which used to be a MacBook Pro-only feature. You can read more about it on PCMag’s “excellent” review.
The best deal on the M2 MacBook Air
2022’s M2 MacBook Air laptop is also on sale; currently $749.99 (originally $999) after you use the $49.01 on-page coupon for the 13.6-inch 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD model, the lowest price this laptop has ever been. This is the best M2 you can buy as far as value for your money (surprisingly matching the price of the 8GB RAM version), and as tech editor Jake Peterson explains, it could be the last laptop you’ll ever buy. It has the same RAM and storage as the M3, but there are some key differences between the two machines you should be aware of. If, however, you have $150 to spare, the upgrade to the 16GB M3 is a good deal as well.
The best deal on the M1 MacBook Air
The 2020 M1 MacBook Air has also dropped in price and is perhaps the best all-around value for an entry-level laptop right now. Walmart has the M1 MacBook Air 13.3-inch laptop for $649 (it cost $999.99 prior to the launch of the M3), which is the lowest price I’ve seen after checking price-comparison tools.
This M1 from 2020 has 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage with about 18 hours of battery life. If you’re wondering if the M1 is relevant in 2024, Lifehacker’s Senior Technology Editor Jake Peterson notes the M1 is still a fantastic computer even three years after its release. Yes, its specs pale in comparison to the new M3 chip and all of its new features, but the M1 is still enough for most people.