The best MacBook and laptop deals to shop before prices increase

CNN

08-04-2025

Tariffs are beginning to go into effect this week, threatening to shake up the prices of consumer goods. I've already teamed up with my fellow Underscored deals experts to offer buying advice on your next big purchase, but I also wanted to spread more insight on laptops. Personal computers currently stand as some of the mostly likely electronics to be affected by the evolving situation. So, if you've been considering a new laptop upgrade — be it for work, school, gaming or personal use — now might be the time.
All of this uncertainty doesn't mean that you need to panic buy, nor do you need to pay full price. I have searched the web for all the best deals on Apple's latest MacBooks, portable gaming machines and everything in between. As the dust settles on the tariff situation and deals change, I'll be updating this post accordingly.
Apple is known for making pricey yet reliable laptops. My colleagues and I are constantly recommending the company's MacBooks over the competition: They offer solid performance out of the box that stays consistent even years after release. Loved by students, artists and editors like myself, MacBooks prove the age-old adage that you really do get what you pay for.
But you don't actually have to spend a fortune. These deals apply to many of the latest Apple products. There's a decent spread of price points to satisfy most budgets, all of which are discounted ahead of any effects from tariffs. As a reminder, tariffs only apply to products imported into the country starting now. Anything already on store shelves, like these MacBook deals, shouldn't be seeing a price hike just yet.
Apple 13-Inch MacBook Air M4
This may only be a $50 discount on Apple's newest MacBook Air, but it's also the deal that will last you the longest. If you're searching for a future-proof laptop that won't need to be replaced anytime soon, this is it. The MacBook Air M4 is also our current pick for the best laptop money can buy.
Apple 13-Inch MacBook Air M2
Apple's M2-powered MacBook Air provides an even better value for those who aren't as concerned about their laptop's performance several years down the road. Don't get me wrong, it's a reliable machine and an even better buy at $200 off, it just won't last as long as Apple's newer machine. Read our review
Apple 13-Inch MacBook Air M3 in Starlight
Save even more cash when you opt for last year's MacBook Air. This model comes with 16GB of memory and double the storage of the M4 model above. If you wanted the latest version with these specs, you'd pay $150 more than today's discount. This is one of the biggest price cuts you'll find on a MacBook right now. Read our review
Apple 14-Inch MacBook Pro M4
I use an upgraded version of the 14-inch MacBook Pro and appreciate the extra screen real estate it provides over the Airs. It's a trusty companion if you need more performance than those notebooks, offering a better GPU on top of its 16GB memory and 512GB SSD.
Apple 16-Inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro
Save $250 on the MacBook with the largest screen and best performance in Apple's lineup. Several retailers are marking down this high-end machine before tariffs increase its already steep price tag. If you prefer to use a laptop that runs Windows, there are some deals for you as well, including best-tested machines from Microsoft and Asus. These discounts help you secure a new machine before tariffs threaten to increase prices.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
My colleagues, Henry T. Casey and Mike Andronico, loved Microsoft's latest portable machine when they tested it themselves. China and Vietnam are the primary producers of Surface laptops, meaning tariffs will raise the $1,000 retail price once local stock runs out. Today's deal takes $200 off the baseline model ahead of time. Read our review
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
Gaming machines were some of the first casualties of stock shortages during the pandemic. I'm getting déjà vu from this tariffs situation, which may lead to the same results. Get ahead of the curve by saving $400 on the ROG Zephyrus G14 and its AMD Ryzen 9 processor, Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and OLED screen. Read our review
Lenovo 16-Inch Legion 7i Gaming Laptop
Other Lenovo laptops have wowed our editors in the past. This 16-inch gaming model delivers plenty of performance for AAA titles with its NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics and Intel i7 CPU. Plus, it's $400 off.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Laptop
This Dell laptop is powerful enough to tackle everyday tasks with its Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM. Even better, it has a huge 1TB SSD for storing all your photos and videos. This is a great buy for those who just want a reliable Windows machine and don't need state-of-the-art gaming tech.
Asus 16-Inch TUF A16 Gaming Laptop
A $400 discount on this Asus gaming machine ensures you can drop to Tilted Towers on a budget. Its portable design doesn't limit you to gaming at a stationary gaming rig either. This also matches the Black Friday price cut from November.
Dell 13-Inch XPS 13 Laptop
Last year's flagship Dell laptops went all-in on a controversial redesign, and now this 13-inch machine is $300 off. The XPS series delivers the closest thing to a MacBook for anyone who wants a Windows machine that still features a premium build. When the deals experts at Underscored are hunting down deals, we're searching through thousands of deals in savings events or shopping the clearance sections from major retailers to find the best ways to save. For this story, our editors cross-referenced our best-tested guides to find deals on Underscored's favorite products. We also looked at tariffs and considered their potential impacts, highlighting discounts on gear that may be most affected by the ongoing tariffs situation.
The deals editors at Underscored look out for your wallet daily, scouring sales every morning. We tap a range of techniques and consider a variety of factors to determine whether a deal is worthy of coverage, such as price history checks, available coupon codes and competitor pricing.
Our team, consisting of senior editor Rikka Altland, editor Jacqueline Saguin and associate editor Elena Matarazzo, is passionate about unearthing deals that we would be tempted to shop, and enjoy finding a great deal on a coveted item (especially one that's top-tested by our experts) because it means that we're helping our readers make savvy buying decisions.