There are no two ways around it – MacBooks are expensive. It’s no great surprise, really – they’re all made of aluminum with frankly ridiculous screens, all powered by the unique and surprisingly powerful Apple silicon. But what if there were a cheaper, more affordable way to grab one of Apple’s somewhat ubiquitous machines? Look no further than the MacBook Prime Day deals.
While there is still some time before Amazon unleashes its Prime Day deals upon the world, we’re making sure that we’ve got all the best prices gathered together so you know what to expect when Prime Day arrives. We’ll keep this page updated as much as we can during the build-up to Prime Day, so make sure you’ve got this page on a permanent tab. Looking out for an iPad? We’ve a page for that – it’s our iPad Prime Day deals roundup! While you’re at it, don’t forget to check our other Prime Day hubs, there’s one for every Apple product! Take a look at our Prime Day Apple Watch deals for wrist-based savings, or for deals that sound really good we have a Prime Day AirPods Deals page too.
In the meantime, there are some great deals to be had right now – so if your old MacBook just went to the great tech heap in the sky and needs replacing right now, we’ve got some of the best deals on MacBooks available today.
It’s not long now – Amazon has confirmed that Prime Day 2022 will take place between July 12 and July 13. It’s closing in fast, so make sure you’ve got an idea of what you’re looking for when the deals start rolling in! If you’re not sure what deals there may be, keep it locked to iMore, and we’ll keep you up to date with all the best deals as and when they appear.
Yes, you will. The very best deals over the two days are reserved for Amazon’s Prime subscribers – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other deals to be snagged if you don’t have one. It’s always worth double-checking a product’s deal price, and if there’s nothing about Prime Day, then you’re all good to go. Prime Day has also become something of a retail staple, with a whole host of other online retailers hopping on board to offer discounts to customers who aren’t Prime members – so look out for the likes of Walmart, BestBuy, and Target who often try to better Amazon’s prices.
As said up top though, for the best deals that Prime Day has to offer on MacBooks you’re going to want a Prime Subscription – thankfully, it’s really easy to get signed up, and you can get a nice 30-day free trial to have a go and see what you think.
With 30 days of free Prime, you’ll get access to the deals, as well as Amazon Prime video and free next-day delivery – who knows, you might want to keep it!
Maybe? It depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re after a Macbook Air, then you could be looking at some reduction, but any of the more powerful options tend to see very small reductions – or none at all. Having said that, the MacBook Pro 16-inch is seeing a saving at the moment – so chances of more deals come Prime day are looking up!
Amazon has chopped $200 off the MacBook Pro 2021 16-inch, nearly bringing it in line with its lowest ever price. The 14-ich model remains at the full price of $2000.
It’s also worth bearing in mind this year that since the last prime day the Apple MacBook lineup has been shaken up quite a bit – the 2020 MacBook Pro remains on sale, but will receive a 2022 processor upgrade, and there’s now the new lineup of 2021 MacBook Pro models that are yet to see a price drop at Amazon. Beyond that, there’s Apple’s latest Macbook Air redesign, that’s neither out yet, nor has a solid release date – and if it comes out before the release date, will it even receive a reduction? It’s unlikely, but worth keeping an eye on just in case!
It’s very easy to call the MacBook Air 2020 the ‘entry level’ Macbook. It’s certainly the least expensive of the bunch, but even then it frequently tops out at over $1000 for a better-specced machine. There is a reason it’s so expensive though – it’s made of solid aluminum in a range of colors, it has a gorgeous Retina screen that’s great for photo and video editing, and its unexpectedly powerful M1 chip means that it can handle the kind of loads that both usually entail. It’s a very solid, and very portable Mac – at its thinnest point, it’s .16 of an inch. Given it’s potentially reaching the end of its run with the release of the new MacBook Air 2022, it’s possible we could see some discounts on it this Prime Day.
The Pro is designed for professionals, and as such has beefed up internals over its smaller sibling. There’s also the controversial touch bar – a long small screen that sits where the function row would be on an ordinary laptop keyboard. It’s a contextual menu – the graphics and options on the screen change depending on what program you’re using – for example, in Premiere Pro, it will feature a timeline scrubber or a color pallet. It’s very cool, and some users love it – others long for the tactility of a proper row of function keys. Either way, the MacBook Pro 2020 is a powerhouse of a machine, available with a 13-inch screen and some very nice RAM options. Like the MacBook Air 2020, it’s now being replaced with the very similar 2022 model – so keep an eye out for end-of-stock reductions.
In 2021, Apple released its stunning redesign of its MacBook Pro lineup. Reminiscent of older Pro Models, the 2021 Pro features bigger screen options (14-inch and 16-inch), upgraded versions of the M1 chip in the form of M1 Pro and the M1 Max, and then bolted one of the best audio systems found in a laptop into its all-aluminum chassis. All this does come at a price premium – the MacBook Pro 2021 starts at $2000 – so you’d best get saving, particularly given it’s not likely to see much of a reduction during Prime Day – or many other big sale days.
This Machine isn’t even out yet – and may not be before Prime Day even arrives! It’s a complete redesign of the old MacBook Air, featuring a design reminiscent of the new Pro, with sharper lines and more even tapering. There’s a new 13-inch screen in the lid, a new keyboard on the deck, and Apple’s brand new M2 chip under the hood – an exciting Macbook indeed. While we are unlikely to see any big MacBook Air 2022 deals, it’s worth looking out for other retailers who sometimes use Prime Day to grab some customers with deals on the hottest tech – and it doesn’t get much hotter than a brand new MacBook Air.
“So you’ve told me all about what’s in them” you say, staring blankly into your computer screen. “But I don’t really know what any of it means? Which MacBook is best for me?”. Let’s start with a question – what do you do with your laptop?
If you’re a casual user who likes to browse the internet, stream video and do some light photo editing, then the Macbook Air is perfect. It’s small and portable, but still powerful enough to do all your computing needs – especially if you’re watching something on Apple TV+, the speakers in its small chassis are surprisingly excellent.
If you’re a professional looking for something to edit photos and do a little light video editing, the MacBook Pro 2020 is the machine for you. It’s more powerful than the Air, so photo-editing software will run without a hitch, and it’s even capable of some surprisingly solid video editing should you dabble. The screen is big and bright, and its keyboard is leagues better than previous models. A solid choice for the professional on the move who doesn’t want to spend $2000 on a laptop. Another option could be the Macbook Air 2022 – it’s as powerful (if not more) than the Macbook Pro 2020, and more portable – but we still haven’t had a chance to play with one properly to tell how it performs. We’ll let you know as soon as we do!
For Power users and video editors, it’s the MacBook Pro 2021. It’s as powerful as a desktop, while still being eminently portable, with a new bigger, and brighter screen and incredibly proficient M1 Pro or Max SoC. It’ll handle almost anything you throw at it (yes, even some games – gaming on a Mac is becoming a thing!), and do it without breaking too much of a sweat. All that power does come with a price tag to match, however. It starts at $2000 for the base model, and rises from there, depending on what you want to put in it, to over $6000. Is it worth it? Yes. But only if you can afford it – So let’s hope for a MacBook Pro Prime Day deal! If you want a more detailed rundown of which MacBook is for you, take a quick look at our Best MacBooks of 2022 list – it’s way more detailed, and super useful when you’re trying to find a new MacBook.
