Cyber Monday MacBook deals 2021: what to expect

(Image credit: Apple)

This year's best Cyber Monday MacBook deals may be a few more weeks away on November 29, but that doesn't mean you can't still save big right now before going all in on the bigger Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in late November – and some of the deals we're seeing now look like they're nearly as good as the ones we're likely to see during the main event itself.

Last year, Cyber Monday was the largest single ecommerce day ever seen, with data from Adobe reporting that consumers spent a record $10.8 billion on Cyber Monday. This year, we're expecting even an even bigger surge in spending, and given the ongoing supply chain issues, retailers are likely to offer even better deals than expected in order to clear up inventory space they need for holiday merchandise. 

This is going to be an especially good deal ahead of Black Friday, as retailers who might have held back all their best Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook deals until the last minute might not have much choice given the supply pressures. 

These deals could start dropping much sooner than usual, and we're already starting to see better deals on M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models than we saw on Black Friday last year. 

Today's Best MacBook Deals in the US

While we wait for the best Cyber Monday MacBook deals to roll around, we're seeing some great prices on the latest MacBook models as well as some deep price cuts in the older, but still plenty powerful, Intel-based models from early-2020 and 2019.

It's also worth browsing older models for extra discounts, as you can usually find bigger specs available for a great price in previous generations in Cyber Monday MacBook deals. The 2019 15-inch MacBook Pro has been discontinued, but we still saw discounts popping up on the 2019 13-inch and 2019 MacBook Air as well.

Be sure to price check when shopping older models, however, as these costs are less rigid and you can sometimes pick up a better deal on a more recent release if you're shopping in the right place.

Today's Best Computer Deals in the UK

The US isn't the only region getting to enjoy some early MacBook deals ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some of the UK's biggest retailers are offering big saving on some of the best laptops ever made.

Cyber Monday MacBook deals 2021: our predictions

Even though Black Friday deals often get the most attention, Cyber Monday computer deals are some of the best sales you're going to find for a few reasons. 

First, Cyber Monday is the largest ecommerce day of the year, and traditionally has some of the best online deals of the holiday season – sometimes even better than Black Friday itself.

Second, since it is so heavily focused on ecommerce, the expectation is that the customer is more tech savvy, so they might be more interested in computer deals than the general public.

Finally, after the Black Friday rush, retailers will take stock of their inventories and see what the need to more aggressively price in order to move. If a Black Friday MacBook deal didn't find as many takers as expected, the retailers will sometimes cut the price on those products even more to increase sales.

So we definitely expect that Cyber Monday MacBook deals are going to be even better this year than 2020, which was a great year to get a MacBook.

When will Cyber Monday MacBook deals start in 2021?

Most of the early deals we are seeing right now are ahead of the main Black Friday event, but early Cyber Monday computer deals can start soon after Black Friday ends. We expect that there will be a number of early Cyber Monday computer deals on the preceding Saturday and Sunday, but the bulk of the best deals are going to be reserved for Cyber Monday itself.

Cyber Monday 2021 falls on November 29 this year, so that's the date to circle on your calendar (or set up an alert on your phone) if you want to find the best Cyber Monday computer deals.

Where are the best places to find MacBook Cyber Monday deals?

Amazon US tends to have the lowest prices on MacBooks. They often offer price matches against other retailers that are beating them on price, a great help for Amazon Prime subscribers who want to take advantage of the speedy next-day amazon delivery. Walmart offers good discounts matching Amazon on Apple computers, even sometimes offering a record low price before Amazon price matches.

Last year, B&H Photo was very competitive offering aggressive discounts on 2019 MacBooks, but they generally don’t price match with Amazon’s Macbook prices. 

Adorama also offered Macbooks normally with a $100 discount, but prices are better at Amazon and other retailers.

How to get the best Cyber Monday MacBook Deals on the day?

 Apple itself will rarely offer substantial discounts on their hardware, with MacBooks being an area they seem to be most stubborn on. Instead, you can expect to find the usual Apple gift cards or software bundles being included in the usual MacBook price over the Cyber Monday week. If you're looking for solid money off, you'd be better off checking in with the retailers. 

If you're in the US, it will be worth remembering that B&H went all out last year on their Cyber Monday MacBook deals so keep an eye on them. If you're in the UK, be sure to check out Laptops Direct for MacBook deals similar to last year's savings. Make sure you're also keeping tabs on all the usual suspects as well; Amazon as well as Best Buy and Walmart in the US and Currys, John Lewis, and Argos in the UK.

Tips for buying a MacBook on Cyber Monday

The key to getting the best Cyber Monday MacBook deal is going to come down to a couple of factors:

1. Know what you're looking for before Cyber Monday
Retailers are going to be throwing a lot of great deals at you on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but not all of them are going to be the best deals for your need. Knowing what you need ahead of time will help you resist the wrong kinds of deals and score the Cyber Monday MacBook deal you're really looking for.

2. Look for MacBooks that suit your needs ahead of time
The best way to get the perfect Cyber Monday MacBook deal is to scout ahead and see what prices for the kind of MacBook you're looking for are doing right now. If you're seeing a lot of early MacBook deals offering less than $100/£100 off, then you'll know that when you see the same model going for $250/£250 off, you'll see it for the deal that it is and know that it's time to buy.

3. Add some wiggle room to your budget when researching MacBook options
If you set a maximum budget of $1,200/£1,200 for your Cyber Monday MacBook purchase, look at configurations that cost about a couple hundred more than that. On Cyber Monday, MacBooks that might be out of your price range now are going to see big price cuts and could unexpectedly fall into your budget.

4. Be ready to commit to a purchase
When you spot a great deal, you might not have a lot of time to consider it (which is why you should do the considering now). Many deals are time-limited and stock this year might be less than anticipated, so there's no guarantee that you're going to get a better price later. If you can get your new MacBook for a great price – even if it's not the best possible price – you feel great about your purchase regardless.

5. Follow TechRadar on Cyber Monday for all the latest deals
We promise we're not being cheeky here. We're going all hands on deck for Black Friday and Cyber Monday to track down the best deals that our computer experts feel are genuinely worth your time and which ones you need to pass on, and we'll scouring all of the retailers and bringing you regular updates on the best deals we find. You can also follow our TechRadar Deals Twitter account for up to the minute deals updates throughout Cyber Monday.

3 Top Cyber Monday MacBook Deals to Watch

When it comes to Cyber Monday MacBook deals, the biggest surprise last year was the Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020). It had only launched a few weeks prior to Cyber Monday, but we saw some great deals anyway, including as much as $150 off in some places.

Now, with the launch of the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021, we definitely expect to see more of the same this year as well as even steeper price cuts this time around. 

The new MacBook Pro 16-inch with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips is now available, which means you'll want to decide whether you go for a potentially cheaper price point with the previous generation or what looks like a stark performance upgrade with Apple's own chip. 

Last year's MacBook Pro with the M1 chip certainly delivers on Apple's promise of a revolutionary experience. Performance sees a considerable boost from the new M1 hardware, even running legacy apps designed for previous Intel machines. Things still look pretty similar from the outside, but you're running a serious powerful machine here, with a price that even manages to undercut other high end ultrabooks in value. 

The brand-new MacBook Pro 14-inch is easily the best productivity laptop you can buy in 2021. For creative professionals such as photographers, video editors and music producers, the MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) is a dream to use, thanks to a choice between powerful new M1 Pro or M1 Max chips that can handle even the most intensive workloads with ease.

Not only that, but its Liquid Retina XDR display with mini-LED technology is absolutely stunning, and the best screen you can get on a laptop right now. Add in a 1080p webcam and boosted port selection, and you have a brilliant business and productivity laptop. It won't be for everyone – the price and power will be too much for most people's needs – but if you want a killer laptop to do creative work on, this is the laptop to get. For everyone else, check out the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) instead.

So why do we think this brand-new, not-even-a-month-old MacBook Pro could see a price cut this year? After retailers surprised us all last year with great Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook deals on then-brand-new, not-even-a-month-old M1-powered MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, we're hoping for a repeat this year on Apple's latest offering as well.

• Don't want to wait until Cyber Monday? Check out these great MacBook deals available right now or see more Apple devices on sale with our Apple Black Friday deals guide.