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Best back-to-school MacBook deals: Save on MacBook Air and Pro

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There’s few times of the year better to buy a new laptop than when school is around the corner. With so many people looking for new computers for the school year, there’s always some great savings to be found. Apple makes some of the best laptops on the market. Its MacBook lineup offers a range of features at different price points, and while Apple’s prices tend to lean a little higher than many of the other best laptop brands, some great discounts on Apple laptops can be yours right now. We’ve tracked down the best back-to-school MacBook deals taking place. From the MacBook Air to the high-end MacBook Pros, we’ve tracked down the best savings you can find. Read onward for more details.

MacBook Air M1 (2020) — $899, was $999

Apple MacBook Air M1 open, on a table.
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The first incarnation of the new Apple processor in a MacBook came in the Apple MacBook Air M1, which is still now a few years later still an incredibly capable laptop. The M1 chip is both powerful and efficient, which is what allows such a slim laptop to be able to handle certain professional-grade tasks. This is the base model, which comes in with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid state drive. This should be plenty for most uses, and Apple manages to squeeze the most out of all if its laptops’ specs. The MacBook Air M1 is a great laptop for both students and professionals, as it’s designed to make work, play, and creating easier and more exciting.

MacBook Pro M2 13-inch (2022) — $1,099, was $1,299

Apple 13-inch Macbook Pro with M2 chip.

For users looking to get into a laptop with Apple’s new in-house processor, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is a good option. It’s less expensive than the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, in part because it utilizes the entry level M2 chip, and in part because it utilizes the previous generation MacBook Pro body. It still has everything most users will be looking for in a laptop, with the M2 processor providing ample performance and efficiency. This 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB of storage space. It gets up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge, allowing you to go for days at a time between charges whether you spend them in the classroom, in the office, or working remotely from a coffee shop.

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MacBook Pro M2 Pro 14-inch (2023) — $1,799, was $1,999

The new macbook pro 2021.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is the model you want if you’re looking for a laptop that sports Apple’s newest MacBook Pro design and still gives you a nice balance of performance, portability, and affordability. This laptop has the Apple M2 Pro processor, which provides enough performance even for the needs of most professional users. Some benefits of stepping up to the 14-inch model include its larger 14-inch screen, advanced camera and audio with a 1080p Facetime HD camera, and a six-speaker sound system that includes Spatial Audio. All of these make the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip a fun laptop to work on, and it can fit nicely into the life of both students and working professionals.

MacBook Pro M2 Pro 16-inch (2023) — $2,249, was $2,499

A person sitting at a desk using a MacBook Pro on their lap.

If you’re looking for the Apple MacBook Pro with the largest display, this 16-inch model is the one you’re looking for. This particular build comes with the M2 Pro processor, which is a big step up from the base M2 processor and provides more performance, which many people looking for a larger laptop are also looking for. This 16-inch model provides room for a larger battery and thus longer life, with the 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 able to reac 22 hours of usse on a single charge. The 16.2-inch screen is probably the biggest step up over other MacBook models. It provides over 1,000 nits of brightness that will come in handy if you’re working in bright spaces, and extreme dynamic range that content creators and weekend binge watchers will really be able to take advantage of.

MacBook Pro M2 Max 14-inch (2023) — $2,899, was $3,099

A person sitting in a vehicle using a MacBook Pro on their lap.

Despite there being a larger 16-inch model of the MacBook Pro, Apple doesn’t hold anything back with this 14-inch model. It has the high-end M2 Max processor, which is the most powerful processor you can get in an Apple laptop. While it’s powerful enough to take on things like video editing, photo editing, and even high-end visual effects, it’s still capable of up to 18 hours of battery life between charges. The beautiful 14.2-inch display makes doing creative work an immersive experience, and because this screen comes in at two inches less than the larger MacBook Pro, it’s more portable and easier to tote from place to place. The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M2 Max is a good laptop option if you love Apple software, need some portability, and want to take on some high-end computing tasks.

MacBook Pro M2 Max 16-inch (2023) — $3,249, was $3,499

A woman using a MacBook Pro in a studio.

Professionals who make their living with their laptop should consider this loaded version of the Apple MacBook Pro. This is the 16-inch model, and it comes with the Apple M2 Max processor, which is the most powerful processor you can get in a MacBook pro. It’s a 12-core processor with 38 GPU cores, all of which provide ample performance for high end tasks like video editing, color grading, and even visual effects. This, of course, makes it capable of any more common day-to-day tasks you may want to throw at it, and use of an Apple laptop does get you access to all of your favorite apps from the Apple software ecosystem. You can compare the MacBook Pro M2 Max and M2 Pro if you aren’t sure which processor is best for your needs, or even check out our MacBook Pro M2 Pro/M2 Max buying guide.

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Andrew Morrisey
Andrew Morrisey
Andrew Morrisey is an independent writer and filmmaker. His interest in storytelling and its many mediums led to an interest…
This fantastic MacBook Air deal ends at midnight
A MacBook Air on a desk with an open book in front of it.

There's only a matter of hours until all the Prime Day deals end for another year. However, that does still leave you enough time to buy the Apple MacBook Air M1 while it remains at its lowest-ever price at Amazon. Right now, you can buy it for $750 saving you $249 or 25% off the usual price of $999. It's a great entry point for anyone looking to buy a new MacBook and easily one of the best Prime Day MacBook deals. While it might not have the latest M2 chip, the M1 chip remains exceptional and more than powerful enough for most people. You're really not missing out on much given the price difference involved. Here's a quick look at what else you need to know before you hit the buy button. Remember -- you really haven't got long left to do so.

Why you should buy the Apple MacBook Air M1
Back when it was first launched, we described the Apple MacBook Air M1 as "fast, fanless, and absolutely fantastic". It remains all of those things. We've broken down the differences between the M2 and M1 and while the newer chip is better, it's less of a substantial difference than you'd think.

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Restored Apple MacBook Air and Airpods with mouse and black cas

There's a growing industry of refurbished and restored electronics, and while that usually doesn't engender a lot of faith from consumers, they're well worth considering if you're on a tight budget. Luckily, there are a lot of great deals for refurbished products during the Walmart Prime Day sale, such as this MacBook Air bundle. You can grab for $299 rather than the usual $399, but you might want first to consider a couple of different options. It's important to note, though, that this deal is only going available for Walmart Plus subscribers, but you can grab a , which is a great deal in and of itself.

Why you shouldn't buy this MacBook Air
The biggest issue with this MacBook Air is that it's quite outdated for several years, and it can't even run the latest MacOS 14, so you're going to be missing out on a lot of features. Since this is a version of the Macbook Air that was discontinued after 2017, you're likely getting a 7th Gen Intel i5, at best, and more likely, it's a 6th Gen. There's also the issue that the 1.6Ghz CPU version of the Macbook air was part of the 2010-2017 run that had performance issues due to overheating and the CPU having to be throttled. While these aren't massive issues, especially since you're getting generic earbuds and a mouse bundled in, it's not an ideal deal if you're looking for something more modern that will stand the test of time.

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Best Prime Day MacBook deals: Save on MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
Digital Trends Best Prime Day MacBook Deals

Prime Day deals are underway in mere hours, and there are some great MacBook deals included. If you're looking to save big on a new MacBook, this is your chance. There are sales across the internet with retailers other than Amazon getting involved with the sales event, including Walmart and Best Buy. Keen to see how you can save? We've done all the hard work for you and picked out the best MacBook deals around for this special time of year.
Today's best Prime Day MacBook deals
Apple MacBook Air 2020 (M1, 13-inch, 256GB SSD) -- $750, was $999

The 2020 Apple MacBook Air is powered by Apple's M1 chip, and nearly three years later, it's still a powerful laptop that will be able to keep up with all the tasks that you have to accomplish each day. The device is equipped with a gorgeous 13.3-inch Retina display, and it's worth buying it just for that alone since you'll be spending hours at a time staring at the screen. The 2020 Apple MacBook Air also features a 256GB SSD for storage, 8GB of RAM, and a battery that can last up to 18 hours on a single charge.

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