The 15-Inch MacBook Air Is On Sale for Both Casual and Power Users
The 15-inch MacBook Air filled a gap in Apple's product lineup: Previously, if you wanted a larger MacBook, you had to spring for the pricier MacBook Pro line, even if you didn't need all the other bells and whistles that came with that "Pro" moniker. Otherwise, you were stuck with a 13-inch machine. By offering a 15-inch version of the Air, Apple gives non-Pro users an option to expand their screen real estate without breaking the bank for unnecessary upgrades.
That said, the 15-inch Air isn't cheap: Apple still charges $1,299 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you want to upgrade to more memory or storage, that raises the price even more. If you are interested in picking up one of these larger MacBook Airs, you're in luck: They're currently on sale, alongside Amazon's October Prime Day.
There are two configurations I want to highlight here. The first is the 15-inch MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. This is the ideal rig for both power users who need more memory and storage out of their laptop, but also for anyone concerned with longevity. Apple's base model machines with 8GB of RAM are perfectly usable in 2024, and may continue to run well for some time to come. But it's likely that, at some point, 8GB of memory isn't going to cut it, and you'll notice more slow-downs and freeze-ups due to lack of available RAM. If you do a lot with your MacBook at once, you may notice these issues today, not in the future. I definitely put my M1 iMac's 16GB of RAM to test, with all my open Chrome and Safari tabs and background tasks. Not to mention, if you save a lot of files on your Mac, instead of in the cloud, you may run out of that 256GB of storage quite quick.
Normally, this version of the MacBook Air would cost $1,699, but Amazon has it on sale for $1,424, which is 16% off. From what I can tell, Amazon has had it on sale in the past for $1,499, sometimes $1,449, but this is a new low—at least recently.
All that said, for many users, 8GB of RAM works just fine, as does 256GB of storage (especially if you're strategic about how you store your files). Aside from the smaller RAM and storage allotment, this is an identical machine to the 16GB/512GB configuration. You get the same 15.3-inch display, 1080p webcam, M3 chip, dual USB-4 ports, and MagSafe charger. And, since this is an Air, it's a reasonably light 3.3 pounds for the form factor. Amazon has this machine 20% off, which means it's marked down from $1,299 to $1,044. That's a great price for a 15-inch thin and light laptop, never mind a MacBook.
Now, these aren't technically Prime Big Deal Days deals. These machines just happen to be on sale at the same time as Amazon's October Prime Day sale. That said, that works out well: Even if you aren't a Prime member, you can take advantage of either configuration's discount.