I test laptops for a living. These are my favorite MacBook deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale.
Amazon's third annual Big Spring Sale runs through March 31. The event mainly revolves around seasonal essentials like cleaning supplies and outdoor gear, but it also prompts some good deals on must-have tech — including flagship Apple products like MacBooks. As Mashable's resident laptop expert, I'm on the case.
Apple actually just refreshed its MacBook lineup earlier this month, announcing updated MacBook Airs and Pros in addition to an all-new budget MacBook Neo. Most configurations of these new releases are seeing their very first (tiny) discounts during the Big Spring Sale, while their predecessors are priced to move at up to $300 off.
Keep in mind that Apple has discontinued its last-gen MacBooks, which means they'll only be available on the refurbished market once third-party retailers' inventories dry up. So, if you see a good deal on an M4 MacBook Air or Pro on Amazon this week, don't wait too long to add it to your cart. I think they'll sell out there long before this summer's Prime Day sale.
I'll continue to monitor Amazon's Big Spring Sale MacBook deals as the sale continues into next week, so check back if nothing catches your eye just yet. At least one model has gotten cheaper since the sale started on March 25, FYI. (That would be the base M5 MacBook Pro, which was $1,649 on Wednesday and $1,580 at the time of writing.) Note: Deals marked with a 🔥 have dropped to a record-low price.
Best MacBook Air deal
Why I like it
The M4 MacBook Air may be a last-gen laptop, but it's still an incredibly capable ultraportable. (In our testing, it proved much faster than much pricier Windows laptops.) It has the same 12MP Center Stage webcam, Liquid Retina display, and 18-hour battery life as its new M5 counterpart, which just offers slightly faster performance and newer wireless connectivity. This 13-inch configuration has 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage just like the M5 base model, which is going for $100 more.
Read Mashable's full review of the Apple MacBook Air (M4).
More MacBook Air deals
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $899
$999(save $100)Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $949
$1,199(save $250) 🔥Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,049
$1,099(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,099
$1,299(save $200) 🔥Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,149
$1,399(save $250) 🔥Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,249
$1,299(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,249
$1,299(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,299
$1,599(save $300) 🔥Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,449
$1,499(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,449
$1,499(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,649
$1,699(save $50) 🔥
Best MacBook Neo deal
Why I like it
Nine bucks off barely counts as a discount, but this is the best MacBook Neo deal I've seen outside of the Apple Store itself. (You can get $100 off there, but only if you're a college student, a parent of one, or school faculty.) This colorful little laptop has the same premium aluminum build as any other MacBook, and it boasts incredibly impressive single-core performance; in basic everyday tasks like web browsing, it's just as fast as an M4 MacBook Air. This particular model comes with Touch ID.
Read Mashable's full review of the Apple MacBook Neo.
Best MacBook Pro deal
Why I like it
A MacBook Pro has more ports and a brighter, smoother display than a MacBook Air. It's also better at handling heavier workloads (like video editing) over a long period of time since it has fans. I recommend it as an upgrade pick for power users like content creators and developers. This is the new base configuration of the M5 MacBook Pro; Apple just bumped it up from 512GB of storage. It's been cheaper on Amazon recently — $1,499 is its all-time low — but it's not currently cheaper anywhere else. Best Buy is selling it for full price.
Read Mashable's full review of the 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro (M5).
More MacBook Pro deals
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,799
$1,899(save $100)Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,799
$1,999(save $200)Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,149
$2,199(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro with 15-core CPU/16-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $2,549
$2,599(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,649
$2,699(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro with 18-core CPU/20-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $2,749.99
$2,799(save $49.01) 🔥Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $3,049
$3,099(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $3,549
$3,599(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $3,849
$3,899(save $50) 🔥Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 48GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $4,349
$4,399(save $50) 🔥