Apple's latest sale is here: Shop deals on MacBook Air and Pro models at Amazon and Walmart
I have considered the Apple MacBook Air one of the best deals in tech for a while now — I've had my own Air M1 for half a decade and it still runs smoothly. It's able to stream TV shows and music without a hitch. I can also do light photo editing and surf the web, all done by a laptop released in 2020. This isn't to say that there aren't better options out there, but if you only want to spend $629 on a new laptop within the Apple ecosystem you know you'll be in good hands with the M1 model.
This latest Apple sale also has deals on more updated models including the MacBook Air M2 ($799) and M3 ($899). You can also pick up the much more powerful MacBook Pro models with decent discounts. If you were on the fence about jumping into the Apple laptop line, this is a good time to grab a MacBook on sale.
The best Apple MacBook deals
Apple MacBook Air M2
If you travel or work remotely, this is one of the best laptops for the price. It's compact and lightweight. It also gets up to 18 hours of battery life — more than enough to go without a charge for a couple of days, in my experience. The M2 is currently 20% off, a great discount for a laptop that can easily work for years. It has 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and a bright liquid retina display.
The M1 MacBook Air was released in 2020, but still delivers great performance in a compact size. NBC Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez has used this model for years to tackle emails, spreadsheets, task management and streaming. I've also used this MacBook Air as my main laptop for five years. I'm able to stream shows and edit documents with very little issue. It's lightweight and portable and gets up to 18 hours of battery life, according to the brand. While it might not move as fast and have as many ports as other MacBooks, it is more than enough for most people's needs, especially at such a low price.
Apple MacBook Pro M4
'The M4 is an excellent all-round laptop that I would recommend to any creative professional. I can open dozens (read: way too many) tabs, hop on video calls and edit large video sequences in programs like Adobe Premiere Pro without the computer slowing down or getting too hot to handle,' says Rabinowitz. The screen is bright with vibrant colors and the highest resolution of any laptop on this list. It is slightly heavier and larger than the MacBook Air models, but you get better performance overall.
Apple MacBook Air M3
NBC Select staff have used different MacBook Air laptops for years. This M3 model is a good fit for anyone, outside of creative professionals and gamers. It has a high-resolution screen and a speedy processor. 'I can have tons of tabs open, tackle video calls and browse spreadsheets without slowing down,' says NBC Select reporter Harry Rabinowitz. This M3 version has a faster processor than the previous version and has 16GB of memory by default for even more speed.
Why trust NBC Select?
I am an editor at NBC Select who writes and edits stories on various topics including tech, fitness, home and more. I have covered major shopping holidays and other events for over five years. I've also tested and tried tech products for over five years including headphones, speakers and computers.
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