The best MacBook deals: Big savings on Apple’s best

Be sure to catch these savings on Apple MacBooks

The best MacBook deals

by Kyle Purves |
Updated on

While plenty of brilliant laptops are out there, it's worth broadening your options and looking at some MacBook deals. If you're more comfortable with Apple's range of devices, you can definitely find a quality MacBook at a nice discount.

MacBooks are often a bit pricier than their peers, so you may not find one as affordable as a good laptop deal, but that also means that when there is a deal, you're making a significant saving. It's not just old models either; you can save a pretty penny on plenty of recent MacBook designs.

The best MacBook deals at a glance:

Best overall MacBook deal: APPLE MacBook Air 15.3 Inch - View on Ao.com

Best MacBook deal for storage: APPLE MacBook Pro 14 Inch - View on Currys

Best budget MacBook deal: Apple MacBook Air Laptop 16 Inch - View on Amazon

MacBooks appear to be quite similar to each other at first glance, but there are some differences to keep an eye out for. Some will have better storage options or amounts of RAM, and of course, battery life is always worth keeping in mind.

To help you find the right MacBook deal for you, we've made a list of some of our favourites. We've looked at their pros, cons, and essential specs, so you can be sure each one has something to offer.

The best MacBook deals:

All prices are correct at the time of writing. Prices, stock and deals are subject to change without notice.

Best overall MacBook deal

APPLE MacBook Air 15.3 InchCurrys/Apple
Price: $1,089 (was £1,269)

ao.com

This 15.3-inch MacBook Air is an excellent all-rounder suited for almost anything. It's up there as one of the best MacBooks in terms of screen and audio quality, thanks to its combination of powerful speakers and bright display. The storage capacity isn't as great as others on our list, but it's still decent.

By using the Touch ID, you lock and unlock your MacBook with just your fingerprint. Not only does this save you the trouble of remembering a unique password, but it's also quick and convenient.

Pros

  • Brilliant set of speakers
  • Touch ID makes using it even easier
  • Rich display and screen quality

Cons

  • Better options exist for storage capacity
  • Performance
    5.0
  • Build
    5.0
  • Battery
    4.5
  • Features
    4.5
  • Value
    5.0
CPUApple M2 Chip
GPU10-core GPU
RAM8 GB
Storage256 GB SSD
Display15.3 Inches
Battery lifeUp to 18 hours
Dimensions11.5 x 340.4 x 237.6 mm (H x W x D)
Weight1.51kg
  • Customer review: "Excellent laptop in every way. Silent operation, no fans. Premium machine."

Best MacBook deal for storage

APPLE MacBook Pro 14Currys/Apple
Price: $1,899 (was £2,572)

www.currys.co.uk

If the storage of the last MacBook seemed too limiting, consider this Pro model. It has a one-terabyte SSD, which is fantastic for any laptop, but especially nice to see with a deal like this. Since the webcam quality is so good too, we think this is the ideal MacBook for remote workers who often need to handle large files.

We also appreciate the available ports and connections of this MacBook. It has three Thunderbolt connections, so you should have no trouble pairing it with a compatible mouse and keyboard. Plus, the HDMI means you can use an extra monitor with it.

Pros

  • One terabyte of storage is fantastic for a laptop
  • Great webcam quality
  • Good set of ports and connections

Cons

  • Build could be better
  • Performance
    5.0
  • Build
    4.0
  • Battery
    4.5
  • Features
    4.5
  • Value
    4.0
CPUApple M2 Pro chip
GPU19-core GPU
RAM16 GB
Storage1 TB SSD
Display14 Inches
Battery lifeUp to 18 hours
Dimensions15.5 x 312.6 x 221.2 mm (H x W x D)
Weight1.6kg
  • Customer review: "Fast reliable well built. As you would expect from Apple. Improvement Points: A firmer lid hinge."

Best budget MacBook deal

Deals are a great way to save money, but if you're looking for the most affordable savings, this MacBook Air is it. It's not quite as powerful or full of features as the most expensive models, but it's certainly no slouch.

The stand-out feature of this MacBook is its ventilation. The fans will have no difficulty keeping it cool, even during the hottest of days. Plus, despite their power, it actually runs relatively quietly.

Pros

  • Amazing value
  • Brilliant ventilation
  • Quiet to operate

Cons

  • Not as powerful as more recent models
  • Performance
    4.5
  • Build
    4.5
  • Battery
    4.5
  • Features
    4.0
  • Value
    0.0
CPUApple M1 chip
GPU7-core GPU
RAM8 GB
Storage256 GB
Display13.3 Inches
Battery lifeUp to 18 hours
Dimensions16.1 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm (H x W x D)
Weight1.29kg
  • Customer review: "The MacBook is fanless and thus is silent. Also, it hardly ever gets warm. It's actual magic! The only time it got warm was when I was rendering a lot of videos in a short amount of time. Even then it wasn't hot. Just slightly warm."

Best M1 MacBook deal

Apple MacBook Pro 16 Inch M1LaptopsDirect/Apple
Price: $1,599.97 (was £1,900.97)

www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

This MacBook has an M1 processor but is still on par with its peers. The build quality is brilliant. The bezels around the screen are nice and thin, so you can easily get absorbed in videos and shows. The screen also has a refresh rate of 120Hz, so motion always looks smooth.

The keyboard is backlit, which means it's a great choice for those with limited light in their room or those struggling to tell the keys apart at a glance.

Pros

  • Thin bezels
  • Backlit keyboard
  • Consistent 120Hz refresh rate

Cons

  • Shorter battery life than other options
  • Performance
    4.5
  • Build
    5.0
  • Battery
    4.0
  • Features
    4.0
  • Value
    4.5
CPUM1 Pro M1 Processor
GPU16-Core
RAM16 GB
Storage512 GB SSD
Display16 Inches
Battery life14 hrs
Dimensions20 x 360 x 250 mm (H x W x D)
Weight2.1kg
  • Customer review: "Overall a very premium, great laptop. Great for pros and normal use. Has an all-day battery life, that even lasts the 2nd day, and works seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem. Would recommend, if you can afford it."

Best M2 MacBook deal

APPLE MacBook Pro 16 Inch (2023) - M2 ProApple
Price: $2,189 (was £2,699)

www.johnlewis.com

With 22 hours of battery life, this M2 MacBook Pro is ultra-dependable. It's a bit bulkier than others, but that's the only downside. In return, you get a powerful machine that can go a few days of average use without needing a charge. It makes for a good travel MacBook if you don't mind the weight.

Since the GPU has 19 cores, it's capable of taking on difficult tasks. If you often need to render large videos, you can count on this model. It also has 16GB of RAM, which always helps out.

Pros

  • Impressive battery life
  • Great RAM
  • High number of cores means it's good for rendering

Cons

  • Not the lightest
  • Performance
    5.0
  • Build
    4.0
  • Battery
    5.0
  • Features
    4.5
  • Value
    4.0
CPUApple M2 Pro chip
GPU19-core GPU
RAM16 GB
Storage512 GB SSD
Display16 Inches
Battery lifeUp to 22 hours 
Dimensions16.8 x 355.7 x 248 mm (H x W x D)
Weight2.15kg
  • Customer review: "Phenomenal product, best screen quality I have ever seen on a laptop with excellent build quality. The speakers are best in class as well."

Best M3 MacBook deal

APPLE MacBook Pro 14 Inch (2023) - M3Apple
Price: $1,570 (was £1,699)

www.very.co.uk

An M3 processor is a great feature of this MacBook Pro. It runs very smoothly, seemingly never slowing down and is always prepared to minimise load times. As for its other specs, a 512GB SSD and 10-core GPU definitely make it versatile.

Where this model really shines is in its screen quality, quite literally. It can reach a peak brightness of 1600 nits, more than 1000 over most TVs, so whatever the lighting conditions are around you, you'll be able to see what it's displaying clearly. This is further enhanced by the excellent contrast, which is also on par with many TVs.

Pros

  • Very impressive 1600 nits peak brightness
  • Runs consistently well with minimal load times
  • Great contrast and colours

Cons

  • Wish the keyboard was a bit bigger
  • Performance
    5.0
  • Build
    4.0
  • Battery
    5.0
  • Features
    4.5
  • Value
    4.5
CPUApple M3 chip
GPU10-core GPU
RAM8 GB
Storage512 GB SSD
Display14 Inches
Battery lifeUp to 22 hours
Dimensions15.5 x 312.6 x 221.2 mm (H x W x D)
Weight1.55kg
  • Customer review: "Good purchase which will last me a long time."

FAQs

What are M1, M2, and M3?

The different Ms refer to the chipset of the MacBook, which entails its CPU and GPU. As a general rule, each subsequent number version is better, but an M1 is still a perfectly fine option. The M2 is fairly similar in terms of CPU performance to the M1, but the M3 is a fair step up in terms of speed and overall ability. As such, if you need to do anything intensive on a processor, such as rendering large projects, you'll want to go with an M3.

The different GPUs also have varying amounts of cores. In most cases, the more cores, the better, especially if you want to have multiple windows and apps open at once.

What makes a MacBook different from a laptop?

The main difference between Apple MacBooks and laptops is their operating system. MacBooks run on variations of MacOS, whereas the majority of laptops run on Windows. You can also find Chromebooks which run on ChromeOS. These different systems are the main way we interact with our devices, and you'll get a general feel for how much you like it after using it for a while. MacOS is pretty good, making it easy to keep files organised and find apps. It does have a few compatibility issues, as to be expected of any Apple product, but that's become increasingly less of an issue as time goes on.

Kyle Purvesis a Commercial Content Writer for What’s The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.

They’re well-versed in reviewing a variety of tech products, with a soft spot for speakers and earphones. They’re also no stranger to hunting down the best savings, always wanting to get the best deal possible. Outside of work, they can often be found playing through an RPG, listening to Japanese noise rock, or trying to catch up with their ever-expanding list of shows and anime to watch. If possible, they try to play Dungeons and Dragons a couple of times a week, but getting six adults to be free at the same time is easier said than done.

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