TL;DR: The cheapest MacBook deals on day three of Prime Day include a $599 M1 MacBook Air at Walmart and a $699 M2 MacBook Air at Best Buy.
Yes, but I'd add a final shop card labeled "Our top pick" or something like that and use the M4
There's no denying the laptop deals at Amazon on Prime Day are good — particularly the $849 M4 MacBook Air. But if you're an Apple user looking for something a bit more budget-friendly, we encourage you to look elsewhere. The cheapest MacBook deals on Prime Day aren't at Amazon.
While the M4 is the latest and greatest in the MacBook lineup, it's not the only model still on shelves. If you don't mind going back a couple generations, you can save a significant amount. The base model M1 MacBook Air is down to just $599 from $649 at Walmart, while the base model M2 MacBook Air is only $100 more at Best Buy. In the words of Mashable's resident laptop expert, "While they're definitely not my first picks, the M1 and M2 models could be great options for students on a budget."
There are a few essential things to note to inform your purchase decision. First of all, the M1 is one of the most award-winning laptops of all time. It was the introduction of the M Series of Apple Silicon and basically brought forth a new era of MacBooks. However, it is pretty darn old at this point, originally making its debut in 2020. Not to mention, it only packs 8GB of RAM, while newer models come with 16GB at the base level. Still, at the end of the day, it's the absolute lowest price you can get on a new Apple laptop during Prime Day. Grab it at Walmart for only $599 in gold, silver, or space gray.
The M2 MacBook Air debuted in 2022 with a slightly new design and boosted power. Its display is about 0.3 inches bigger, while it weighs slightly less. It packs 16GB of RAM at the base level, a new MagSafe charging port, and an even better keyboard, making it our top choice for a budget MacBook overall. On Prime Day, you can pick it up at Best Buy — which is holding its "Black Friday in July" sale — for only $699. That's $100 off its list price and only $100 more than the M1 model. If you have a little bit of extra money to blow, we'd recommend scooping up the M2 over the M1.
Nowadays, Amazon only carries the full M4 series of MacBooks. If you're looking for something cheaper, head to Best Buy or Walmart for the older (but still great!) generation laptops.
Our favorite MacBook deal at Amazon
