Best MacBook Air Deals

Best MacBook Air deals for December 2024

• Blowout deal: 13" M2, 8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $769 ($230 off)
• Every M3 Air is up to $250 off
• 15" M3 (retail configurations) dip to as low as $1,099 at Amazon
• 15" M2, 16GB Memory, 1TB SSD: $1,399.99 ($500 off)
• Walmart is blowing out Apple's M1 Air - now $599

In this up-to-date guide, we track the best MacBook Air discounts for December 2024 from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo and Adorama.

MacBook sales are always changing. AppleInsider makes it easy for you to get the best deal on your purchase by tracking prices from popular vendors in one place. If you're shopping for a new Apple laptop, you'll want to bookmark this page and check back from time to time.

The Air is a top choice for buyers looking for a lightweight laptop at a budget-friendly price. It provides a balance of performance and portability, giving you the ability to save money over a tricked-out MacBook Pro.

M3 MacBook Air

Apple updated the MacBook Air lineup with the M3 processor in March 2024. It replaced both the 15-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 at the same price points.

Apple's M3 MacBook Air

The MacBook Air with M3 is technically a spec bump, but the M3 is a significant chipset upgrade — especially for those coming from M1. It brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing to graphics software and games, plus better performance with streaming apps like Netflix and YouTube.

The M3 chip is built with the 3nm process and has an 8-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU, and support for up to 24GB of unified memory.

Otherwise, the 2024 MacBook Air models are nearly identical to their M2 counterparts. They have Liquid Retina Displays and uniform thin cases available in Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver.

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M1 has finally been removed from the lineup, replaced by the 13-inch model with M2.

MacBook Air 15-inch with Apple M2 chip

The 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 was released in June 2023 and was quickly superseded by the M3 models. Each 15-inch laptop with M2 features a 10-core GPU, 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone, 1080p FaceTime HD camera and two Thunderbolt 4 ports.

There's a lot to love about Apple's latest 15-inch Air.

The standard model is equipped with 8GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD, but configure-to-order (CTO) models can be upgraded to 16GB of RAM or 24GB of memory and up to 2TB of storage.

Apple no longer sells the 15-inch MacBook Air with M2, but existing inventory (in new condition) is available at a discount from Apple resellers while supplies last.

M2 MacBook Air 13-inch

The M2 MacBook Air is faster than the M1 model with a redesigned chassis. The iconic tapered edge has been replaced with a thin, flat, and uniform case available in four colors.

The 13-inch model is the best size for many users.

The M2 has faster CPU cores and more GPU cores than the M1 it replaces. The M2 CPU clocks about 18% faster and the GPU about 35% faster.

The display has also increased in size slightly to 13.6-inches, and it has Apple's iconic notch holding a 1080p webcam. The Liquid Retina Display is as bright and colorful as ever with 500 nits of brightness and a P3 color gamut.

Other 13-inch MBA features include:

• 13.6-inch display
• 2560 x 1664 resolution at 224 ppi
• 8GB RAM, configurable to 24GB
• Up to 2TB SSD
• True Tone
• Touch ID
• MagSafe
• Redesigned, thinner body
• Starlight, Midnight, silver, space gray color options
• Retail price starts at $999

Apple announced the M2 13-inch during the 2022 WWDC keynote. It is still sold new for $999, replacing the older M1 model.

M1 MacBook Air 13-inch

The late 2020 model with Apple Silicon was a big leap over its Intel predecessor. The M1 processor made it 3.5x faster with 5x faster graphics. The updated model also added up to six hours of extra battery life. Today, Apple still sells the M1 13-inch, with it currently positioned as the company's cheapest entry point into a MacBook.

The late 2020 MBA with M1 processor

The M1 chip's balance of power and efficiency allows the Air to be fanless, offering silent performance. The big-little layout of the eight-core processor also makes it light on power consumption. However, it can kick in the performance cores when necessary. The efficiency cores by themselves outperform the Intel Core-i3 processor.

Apart from those internal upgrades, the M1 laptop looks exactly like the Intel model it replaced. That includes the improved Magic Keyboard that finally fixed the problems in Apple's old butterfly keys.

Other M1 Air features include:

• 13.3-inch display
• 2560 x 1600 resolution at 227 ppi
• 8GB RAM, configurable to 16GB
• True Tone
• Touch ID
• Physical row of Function keys
• Aluminum unibody build
• gold, silver, space gray color options
• Retail price started at $999

Released in November 2020, the M1 option is on sale regularly at Apple Authorized Resellers, making it the cheapest entry point into the MacBook line. Apple no longer offers this model new, but Walmart began selling the standard configuration for $699 in March 2024.

Exclusive coupons

Promo code markdowns are in effect on every 15-inch laptop.

AppleInsider readers can get up to $204 off every MacBook Air with the following exclusive promo code deals.

Adorama

Shop through this special pricing activation link and enter exclusive coupon code APINSIDER in the same browsing session to save up to $204 on every Air.

Which MacBook is most affordable?

The M1 13-inch is the most affordable entry point into Apple's MacBook Air line. While retailing for $999, the base MacBook Air 13-inch is now available at Walmart for $699.

What is the downside of a MacBook Air?

Professional users needing a daily driver for high-performance tasks like video editing, graphic design, and running programs that tend to utilize a high volume of memory will likely want to select a MacBook Pro when searching for a laptop in the Apple ecosystem.

The MacBook Pro line offers additional ports, higher GPU options, additional RAM upgrades and even a larger amount of configurable storage. Every M2 Pro and M2 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro and even closeout M1 Pro and M1 Max models can be found at a discount in our Mac Price Guide, and the AppleInsider Deals Teams compiles a list of the best MacBook Pro deals that's updated regularly.

Where to find the best discounts

Apple

Unless you're a college student or military, don't expect discounts directly from Apple

Don't expect to see MacBook Air sales at Apple's online or physical stores. The closest Apple gets to sales are gift-card bundles for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The company doesn't offer standard discount prices on any of its products.

However, the company does offer $100 off Macs for eligible college students through its Education Store. Military veterans can also take 10% off their orders. Both methods require ID verification.

You can order refurbished MacBooks from Apple. These models are in like-new condition and carry a standard warranty and return policy. They offer decent savings compared to their new counterparts.

If you have an Apple Store near you, they may price-match local competitors selling Macs for less.

Aside from these exceptions, you're more likely to find the best prices at other stores.

Apple Resellers

Apple's retail partners offer a great value compared to purchasing at full price.

Apple's official resellers frequently offer discounts on Apple devices, including models of the MacBook Air for sale. Top retailers to watch include Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo and Adorama.

AppleInsider also partners with Apple Authorized Resellers for exclusive discount codes. You can track the best MacBook Air deals both on this page and in our Mac Price Guide.