By the end of the year, Apple will be releasing the first of its new Macs that use its own chips, not those from Intel. Those Macs will be able to run iPad and iPhone apps natively, and they’ll still offer compatibility with current Mac software while developers catch up and recompile all their programs for the new “Apple silicon.” That transition will continue throughout the Mac line for the next 2 years. If you can wait for these latest and greatest Macs, you should probably do so.
Read more: Should I buy a new MacBook now or wait for Apple silicon?
But what if you need a new Mac laptop now — say, if you’re going to college this year? Well, there’s 2 bits of good news: Apple will be supporting all the current Intel-powered Macs for years to come, and the current spate of Mac laptops are some of the best to date. Apple last month introduced a new version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro that features 10th-generation Intel processors and more storage at the same price as the previous version. And back in March, Apple rolled out the new MacBook Air, bringing back the most affordable MacBook’s attractive $999 starting price in the process. The oldest MacBooks in Apple current lineup are less than a year old; the 16-inch MacBook Pro was released in November of last year.
Rarely will you find discounts offered on every MacBook model, but that’s exactly where we find ourselves today. You can save $100 on most current MacBook Air and Pro models — and even more on pricier configurations. And there’s a big $300 discount on a previous-generation MacBook Air if you prize storage capacity more than the Magic keyboard found on all of the current MacBook models.
Can’t decide which one is best for you? Let us help you find the right MacBook.
MacBook discounts, compared
| Model | List price | Best price (current) | Best price (all-time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 2019 (256GB SSD) | $1,199 | $899 | $899 |
| MacBook Air 2020 (256GB SSD) | $999 | $899 | $899 |
| MacBook Air 2020 (512GB SSD) | $1,299 | $1,199 | $1,199 |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 (256GB SSD) | $1,299 | $1,199 | $1,199 |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 (512GB SSD) | $1,499 | $1,399 | $1,399 |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 (10th-gen Core i5) | $1,799 | $1,749 | $1,749 |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 (1TB SSD) | $1,999 | $1,799 | $1,799 |
| 16-inch MacBook Pro 2019 (512GB SSD) | $2,399 | $2,099 | $2,099 |
| 16-inch MacBook Pro 2019 (1TB SSD) | $2,799 | $2,549 | $2,499 |
A word of caution: Third-party retailers are still selling older MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, and, as always, it’s more important to pay careful attention to specs while shopping. It’s also worth noting that the Apple Store offers students an educational discount, which can trim hundreds of dollars from the price of a new laptop or tablet. Even better, the 2020 back to school offer lets students, parents and educators get free or discounted AirPods with qualifying Mac or iPad purchases, too.
Here are the best deals we’ve found for each MacBook Air and MacBook Pro model, regularly updated.
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The new baseline MacBook Air model features a Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD as well as the updated Magic Keyboard. The Intel Core i3 processor is newer but offers less power than the Core i5 that comes with the 2019 base model. It’s currently selling for $100 less than its list price at Amazon. Note that students may be eligible for an even better deal with the Apple Store’s educational discount.
Read our 2020 MacBook Air review.
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The step-up model of the 2019 MacBook Air carried a list price of $1,199 and supplies an eighth-gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. You miss out on the new Magic keyboard that replaces the old butterfly keyboard, but you can get it for $300 less than its list price from B&H Photo. At its current discount, it’s the same price as the discounted MacBook Air model that features the underpowered Core i3 chip. If performance is your priority, get the 2019 version. If the keyboard is everything to you, buy the 2020 MacBook Air.
Read our 2019 MacBook Air hands-on.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
More processing power and more room for storing files, photos and videos. The step-up model of the MacBook Air upgrades the CPU to a Core i5 chip and doubles the SSD capacity to 512GB. It’s also $100 off at Amazon.
Read our 2020 MacBook Air review.
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The baseline 13-inch MacBook Pro has a list price of $1,299 but is currently on sale at Amazon for $1,199. It features an eighth-gen 1.4GHz Core i5 processor along with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. It has twice the storage capacity of the baseline model from the previous-generation and ditches the butterfly keyboard for the new, Magic keyboard.
Read our 2020 MacBook Pro hands-on.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
The step-up 13-inch MacBook Pro model doubles the storage capacity to 512GB for an extra $200. It’s also $100 off at Amazon.
The top-end model of the three default configurations of the 13-inch MacBook Pro series carries a list price of $1,799 but is currently on sale at Adorama with a $50 discount. Unlike the lower-cost models, it features a tenth-gen Core i5 CPU while doubling the RAM to 16GB.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
If you take the $1,799 MacBook Pro model and double the storage capacity to a 1TB, it adds $200 to the bill. Amazon currently has that configuration on sale for $1,799, which amounts to a free storage upgrade. This is arguably be the best deal among all the MacBook discounts.
Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET
A greatest-hits compilation of MacBook features, the current 16-inch MacBook Pro features a bigger screen with a higher resolution; upgrades to processor, GPU, RAM and storage options; and a much-improved keyboard. It’s back to its lowest price ever at $2,099 with Amazon’s $300 discount. If you need (or, really, really want) Apple’s biggest, most powerful MacBook, now is the time to pounce.
Read our 16-inch MacBook Pro review.
Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET
You won’t save quite as much on the step-model of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which bumps up the CPU to an eight-core Core i9 chip and the GPU to the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M while also doubling the storage capacity to 1TB. Still, Amazon has it for $250 less than if you purchased it directly from Apple.
Read our 16-inch MacBook Pro review.
Watch this:
Hands-on with the 2020 MacBook Air
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