Black Friday MacBook deals: today's sales and our advice | TechRadar
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Black Friday MacBook deals 2022: MacBook Air and MacBook Pro on sale
Early deals on Apple laptops are live now!
Early Black Friday MacBook deals are here, and we're less than a week out from the big day itself.
Although Black Friday 2022 isn't technically here just yet (it lands on November 25), now is the perfect time to pick up a new MacBook - there are loads of early Black Friday deals live now.
MacBooks are still among the best laptops money can buy right now, and with Black Friday price cuts, they are even more tempting. As well as the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro M2 models, the 2020 MacBook Air M1 remains a brilliant choice and it's now more affordable than ever.
Meanwhile, the high-end 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pros have been getting price cuts as well ahead of Black Friday. If you're a content creator, video editor, or musician, these are brilliant portable workstations that are well worth investing in.
We're following all the best Black Friday laptop deals of the season as they happen, including Black Friday gaming laptop deals, Black Friday Chromebook deals, and other Black Friday PC deals as they roll out, but if your heart is set on a gorgeous new MacBook, don't worry, we have you covered with all the best early Black Friday Apple deals we've found so far.
- UK readers: Jump to Black Friday deals
Black Friday MacBook sales (US): Quick Links
The best early Black Friday MacBook deals in the US
Apple MacBook Air (M1): was $999.99 now $799.99 at Best BuyThere might be a new MacBook Air model on the market this year, but the 2020 MacBook Air with M1 chip is still one of the best laptops around, and you can get 20% off this 8GB memory and 256GB SSD storage configuration right now at Best Buy.
Apple MacBook Air (M1) | $999 $799.99 at AmazonThe 2020 Apple MacBook Air with M1 chip is one of the best laptops ever made, so finding it on sale makes it even better. You can get 10% off the entry-level configuration with 8GB memory and 256GB of SSD storage with this Amazon deal.
MacBook Air M2: was $1,199 now $1,049 at Best BuyBest Buy has the latest MacBook Air M2 for its lowest-ever price. The cheaper M1 model may be better for most, but this newer model does come with the added power of Apple's M2 chip that will chew through all computing tasks. For creative professionals, it's a laptop deal that can't be beaten today.
MacBook Air M2: was $1,199now $1,049 at B&H PhotoB&H Photo always has some great deals on MacBooks, and it has the new MacBook Air M2 an all-time low price. Being more expensive than its predecessor, getting this entry-level MacBook Air with 8GB memory and 256GB SSD for $150 less than its retail is a great bargain, especially when you consider this one is powered by the all new M2 chip.
Apple MacBook Air (M2) | $1,199 $1,049.99 at AmazonThe new MacBook Air with M2 chip made quite a splash when it was announced at WWDC 2022, and Apple's latest certainly doesn't disappoint. It easily made out list of the best laptops of the year, and right now you can get the base configuration with 8GB memory and 256GB storage for just $1,099 at Amazon – an 8% savings off the retail price.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M1 Pro): was $1,999 now $1,599 at Best BuyThis huge early Black Friday deal at Best Buy brings the stunning MacBook Pro 14 down to its lowest-ever price. While still a little on the pricey side, this machine is a fantastic option for creative and productivity applications thanks to its combination of a powerful M1 Pro processor, gorgeous display, and fantastic premium design.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Pro): was $2,699 now $2,199 at Best BuyThe MacBook Pro 16-inch is considered the premiere creative professional's device, and while it is still priced to match it's target audience, even the a professional graphic designer or sound engineer would like to save some money if they can. Fortunately, with this Best Buy deal, you can get the 16GB memory an 1TB storage model for a whopping $500 off.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M1 Pro) | $1,999 $1,599.99 at AmazonThe Apple MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip is one of the best creative workstations on the market and it has a premium price to match. Fortunately, you can save a good bit of money on this 14-inch MacBook Pro model with M1 Pro chip, 16GB memory, and 512GB storage over at Amazon for a 7% discount.
BLACK FRIDAY MACBOOK SALES (UK): QUICK LINKS
The best early Black Friday MacBook deals in the UK
MacBook Air (M1, 2020): was £999 now £877 at AmazonStock for the MacBook Air M1 is now more stable and we're seeing some better discounts as we head towards Black Friday. This configuration offers 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD, which is a solid spec for all your computing needs. Today's price is the best we've seen in months, so it's a great time to buy.
Apple MacBook Air M2: was £1,249 now £1,119 at Amazon
Another discount on a recently-released M2 MacBook, this time the Air version with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB drive. At 10% off, this sale is fairly modest, but saving over a hundred quid on a brand-new MacBook Air equipped with Apple's latest processor is still a sound deal in our books.
MacBook Air M2: was £1,449 now £1,399 at BoxBox has the new MacBook Air M2 for £50 off right now, which might not be the biggest discount around, but given the popularity of the new MacBook Air, finding one with any discount at all is a bargain. Powered by the new Apple M2 chip, this configuration comes with 8GB memory, 512GB storage, and the new midnight colourway.
MacBook Air M2: was £1,249 now £1,109 at AmazonYou can get the new MacBook Air with M2 chip for 11% off right now at Amazon and enjoy one of the best laptops ever made. Featuring speedy performance, excellent battery life, and a new, gorgeous redesign, this model comes with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and the discount at Amazon applies to every colour option, including the new midnight and starlight colourways.
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2): was £1,349 now £1,195 at Amazon
In a bit of a twist, we're actually seeing some discounts on the new M2 model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro! It's not the hugest price cut, but we're stoked to see an M2 MacBook Pro go on sale this Black Friday, so if you're after a lightweight professional laptop that will stand the test of time, this is the one to pick.
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2): was £1,348 £1,199.97 at Laptops DirectNew and improved for 2022, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is the perfect balance between performance and portability, especially thanks to the new Apple M2 chip under the lid. This is the entry-level configuration, so you'll also be getting 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD, but this is more than enough for the professional on the go, but be quick, this deal is selling out fast!
M1 Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021): was £1,899 now £1,725 at Amazon
If you prefer the comfortable middle ground between big-screen and compact, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the way to go. This model is very middle-of-the-road in terms of hardware specs too, with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD supporting the M1 Pro chip at its core.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch (M1 Pro): was £1,898 now £1,749 at Laptops DirectYou can snag one of the most powerful creative workstations on the market today with the MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip right now for £149 off the retail price at Laptops Direct. In addition to the powerful new Apple silicon, you also get 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage to help power through those creative workloads like video editing and animation.
M1 Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021): was £2,399 now £2,129 at Amazon
If you're after a big-boy MacBook Pro, the 16-inch model from last year with the M1 Pro chip has a modest discount right now. That big screen is perfect for creative work or office productivity, so keep an eye on the pricing of this one. Already we've seen a decent price cut ahead of Black Friday, and it's a very good choice for content creators. For most people, however, it's overkill, and you'd be better off with the cheaper MacBook Air.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M1 Max (2021): was £3,299 now £3,017.97 at LaptopsDirect
This is the high-spec version of the 16-inch 2021 MacBook Pro, equipped with an M1 Max CPU, 32GB of RAM, and a hefty 1TB drive. It's expensive, but if you're looking for a premium model, this is the biggest and best MacBook we can see on sale right now.
BLACK FRIDAY MACBOOK SALES (AU): QUICK LINKS
The best early Black Friday MacBook deals in Australia
2022 MacBook Air 13-inch (M2 / 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD): AU$1,899 AU$1,717 on Amazon
Save AU$182 - A 10% discount seems standard these days for MacBooks on Amazon... actually that's a good deal. Whether a bigger discount will be forthcoming will depend largely on stocks when Black Friday finally comes knocking. So if you don't want to risk it, and you're keen on a powerful MacBook, this latest Air will do the trick.
2021 14-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro / 16GB / 512GB SSD): AU$2999 AU$2,697 on Amazon
Save AU$302 - Not a massive discount, but at least it's 10% off the RRP of the 2021 powerhouse with the M1 Pro chip. 14 inches is also a sweet spot when it comes to a MacBook Pro's screen, so it's portable and powerful. Price look OK? Then Amazon has some stock right now.
2022 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2 / 8GB / 512GB SSD): AU$2,299 AU$2,097 on Amazon
Save AU$202 - We really have no idea of we'll see better discounts than the usual 7%-10% on MacBooks. We're hoping we do, but until then this 9% discount on the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro might be enticing.
Should you wait for a Black Friday MacBook deal?
With Black Friday a few days away, you might be torn about whether to wait for Black Friday MacBook deals or to go ahead and buy one now. It's genuinely a tough question, especially in today's economic environment. Laptop prices generally do fall in November, sometimes quite substantially.
If you don't need a new MacBook right now, it really could make financial sense to wait for the Black Friday sales to drop in a couple of months. That said, Black Friday MacBook deals aren't the kinds of Black Friday laptop deals that see the biggest price cuts. Generally, you might save an extra $50 to $100 over the deals you can find right now, but you're not going to necessarily see the kinds of $500 to $700 price cuts that we see on a lot of other laptops.
What's more, if your current device is outdated, waiting another couple of months for an extra $50 savings off some of the MacBook deals you can get right now might be too much for a lot of people. If you're in that position, then you really don't need to wait and you can feel great about the savings you can get right now and put your mind at ease rather than try to find stock during the hectic holiday shopping season.
Buying advice: 3 of the best MacBooks to watch for on Black Friday
The new best laptop of 2022
The new Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is the best laptop you can currently buy, improving on Apple's previous mode in a range of important ways. It's got a brand-new design that gives it a more modern feel, while making it thinner and lighter, and is powered by the powerful new M2 chip. However, it is more expensive than the previous model - by quite a bit, so if you're looking for something more affordable, consider the still-excellent MacBook Air (M1, 2020), which will likely come down in price for Black Friday 2022. Read more: MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review
- Great new design
- Long battery life
Against
- More expensive than previously
- New colors are a bit tame
The best MacBook for professionals
The MacBook Pro 14-inch is Apple's journeyman work laptop, powered by the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. While not as hefty as the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but more powerful than the MacBook Pro 13-inch, this MacBook strikes a solid balance between power and portability at a fairly accessible price (for a MacBook), and so it should have some solid deals during Black Friday 2022. Read more: Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) review
- Brilliant performance
- Best screen on a laptop
- Long battery life
Against
- Screen may be a bit small for some
- Overkill for regular users
The best MacBook for most people
While the new MacBook Air with M2 might be hogging a lot of the limelight, the MacBook Air with M1 keeps chugging away, providing great performance in a highly-portable form factor without breaking your bank account. As a "last-gen" model, this MacBook Air is likely to be more aggressively discounted during Black Friday 2022, which is great news for most people, since this is still the best laptop for most people, especially those turned off by the price of the newer MacBooks. Read more: Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020) review
- Battery life is great
- Silent in use
- Keyboard remains very good
Against
- No new design
- Fanless design could impact performance
MacBook specs to look for on Black Friday
(Image credit: Future)
When you start pouring over Black Friday MacBook deals in the next couple of weeks, it's important to keep a few specs in mind: namely the size, processor, amount of unified memory, and the storage capacity.
The size is pretty self-explanitory. The bigger the laptop, the bigger the display will be, allowing you more room to work. This is especially important if you're looking to multitask and have more than one app or window open at a time.
The chip that powers the MacBook is probably the most important factor. We would stick to the new Apple silicon-based MacBooks from 2020 or later, but if you are going to get an Intel-powered MacBook, try to go for those released in 2019 or 2020. As for the M-series chips, if you aren't a professional user who is expecting to do heavy, resource intensive workloads like video editing, the M1 or M2 chip will be more than enough for your needs. If you are one of those creative pros looking for a new MacBook, then you probably already know what kind of chip you need, but needless to say, you'll get better performance out of the M1 Max than the M1 Pro, though both will be more than suitable for the needs of most pro users.
Unified memory is Apple's fancy way of saying RAM, though it's not a straight apples-to-apples comparison. What is straight-forward though is the amount of memory you'll need. If you're a more casual-to-general purpose user whose most demanding applications will be spreadsheets, word processing, or accounting software, then 8GB of memory will be enough for your needs. If you're a professional user running compute-heavy workloads like 3D modeling, we definitely recommend 16GB memory.
When it comes to storage, the best portable SSD can more than make up for on-device storage capacity. If you need to skimp on one of the specs on your new MacBook, the storage capacity is fairly easily rectified with portable or cloud storage, so 256GB will be more than enough for anyone other than creative professionals.
Black Friday MacBook deals: our predictions
(Image credit: Future)
When will the best Black Friday MacBook deals start in 2022?
Black Friday is November 25 this year, but there are going to be some really great discounts well ahead of the day itself. Normally, the biggest price cuts on MacBooks will be on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But retailers have been pushing these price cuts further and further back to the beginning of Thanksgiving week, and more recently, nearly every major retailer has been slashing prices all November long.
The best of these early Black Friday MacBook deals are going to start towards late October and early November, and if last year was any judge, prices during these early sales are going to be about as good as they'll get all month long, Black Friday included.
Computer prices start dropping in October, with the lowest prices coming in the entire month of November, according to Adobe. (Image credit: Adobe)
Where will the best Black Friday MacBook deals be?
Of course, you'll find all the best Black Friday laptop deals here as soon as they drop. However, some retailers are better than others for laptop discounts, and it can be helpful to know which online stores are good for what.
We've listed the retailers we recommend shopping at for laptop deals over Black Friday - they're worth browsing in the run-up, to get a feel for current, pre-deal pricing on any machines you're interested in.
US:
Amazon: Great deals on all MacBooks (opens in new tab)
Best Buy: $500 off on select MacBook models (opens in new tab)
B&H Photo: Great discounts on Pro models (opens in new tab)
Newegg: Good for older Intel MacBooks (opens in new tab)
Walmart: Save $150 on an M1 MacBook Air (opens in new tab)
UK:
Amazon: New MacBooks start at £70 off (opens in new tab)
Argos: In-store pickup on MacBook models (opens in new tab)
Box: Save £250 on MacBook Pro models (opens in new tab)
Currys: £80 off latest M2 MacBook Air (opens in new tab)
Ebuyer: MacBooks start as low as £960 (opens in new tab)
Laptops Direct: Up to £329 off latest MacBooks (opens in new tab)
How good will this year's Black Friday MacBook deals be?
We haven't seen online retailers match 2020's deep discounts and record-low prices during Black Friday 2021 and this year's Prime Day event, unfortunately. That's likely because of 2021's massive demand and this year's high inflation rates.
The good news, however, is that retailers might be getting desperate to entice shoppers. As people are now less inclined to spend, especially since they're paying much more on essentials like food and gas, online stores are seeing their sales hurting. That means that they might take advantage of Black Friday to encourage people to spend by offering excellent discounts – or perhaps deals that are better than last year.
We're not sure how much of this will affect MacBook deals, however, since Apple tends to be much more insulated from these kinds of demand shocks than other companies, but retailers can't just pretend that everyone will be satisfied with the traditional discount we've seen in the past couple of years.
We definitely expect to see M1 models to have better discounts than the M2 ones though, and possibly more substantial discounts than normal.
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