I don’t care if you hate Apple – I’m going to sell you a MacBook Air in the next 6 hours

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The end of Prime Day is nigh – it ends at midnight tonight, July 17 – so in the last few hours I've set myself a challenge: to sell you a MacBook Air.

To be clear, I'm not doing this because I'll make money. While TechRadar does earn commissions from some sales, I just get paid a regular wage to write about all things computing.

So, why am I so intent on selling you a MacBook Air? Could it be because after two days of solid deals writing and not enough sleep, I'm slightly delirious? Perhaps.

Actually, it's because I genuinely think the MacBook Air deals below are the best Prime Day laptop deals out there. Not just because there has been some hefty price cuts, but because the MacBook Air is easily one of the best laptops you can buy – and that's true even if you think you're no fan of Apple.

I've always preferred Windows devices, but the M1 MacBook, launched in 2020, changed that. If you think Apple is all style over substance, then the recent MacBook Air models should change your mind. The M series of chips, based on ARM and designed by Apple, are excellent performers for day-to-day tasks, and even for more intensive tasks like video editing.

Thanks to the M1, M2, and newer M3 chips being so energy efficient, modern MacBook Airs are fanless, so they're almost completely silent when in use. And, this means battery life is also excellent, far outlasting many Windows 11 laptops.

Apple can also sometimes be accused of hawking over-priced devices just because it can. The $3,500 Vision Pro certainly didn't help with that perception, but the MacBook Air is the opposite. Even without sales, the MacBook Air offers exceptional value for money. The M2 MacBook Air can be had for under $1,000 / £1,000, yet it outperforms pretty much any Windows laptop at that price point. Meanwhile, traditional competitors like the Dell XPS 13 are quite a bit more expensive. And on Prime Day, thanks to some serious price cuts, all modern generations of the MacBook Air offer even better value for money.

So, as we approach the end of Prime Day 2024, put your anti-Apple bias aside (if you have any) and take a look at these brilliant MacBook Air deals – I guarantee that you'll be glad you did.

Today's best MacBook Air deals

US MacBook Air deals

Apple MacBook Air M1 (2020): was $999 now $649 at Walmart
Display - 13 inches
Processor - Apple M1
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - macOS

Walmart is offering the MacBook Air M1 for a new record-low price of $649, which is a steal for the device that sat atop our best laptop guide for many months. It may be a little dated now, but this is still a powerful Apple device that holds up well in 2024. It can handle the computing needs of most users: be that work, browsing, video calls and even some creative tasks such as video and photo editing. Just be aware that Apple has ceased production on this model, so while it's still being supported, it may be your last chance to snag one of the best laptop deals ever before it disappears from the digital shelves for good.

MacBook Air M2 (2022): was $999 now $799 at Amazon
Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M2
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - macOS

Don't miss this great MacBook Air M2 deal from Amazon. Even though a newer M3 version is available, we concluded that this is still one of the best laptops you can buy in our MacBook Air M2 review, thanks to the stylish design, clear display, impressive performance, and long 18-hour battery life. For those needing a premium powerhouse for creative apps such as photo editing, video editing, and more intense workloads, this is worth the investment.

MacBook Air M3 (2024): was $1,099 now $849.99 at Amazon
Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - macOS

Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Air with the M3 chip has received a surprise Prime Day price cut from Amazon, dropping the price by $200 to $898. Why is this a surprise? Well, Apple products don't often get big price cuts, especially so soon after they've launched, so this opportunity to get the M3 MacBook Air, which is one of the best laptops we've ever tested, for under $1,000 is an offer most people should not refuse. It's fast, stylish, and long-lasting, and you'd be hard-pushed to find a better laptop at this new, lower price – especially as you can get a further $50 off by applying the coupon on the offer page.

MacBook Air M3 (2024): was $1,299 now $1,049 at Amazon
Display - 15.3 inches
Processor - Apple M3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - macOS

Apple's larger model of its recent MacBook Air laptop has gotten an incredible Prime Day price cut. With $200 now knocked off, plus a further $50 if you apply the coupon on the page, the 15-inch MacBook Air, with the M3 chip, is now a much more tempting purchase – and it's good to see an offer like this so soon after the laptop launched. The 15-inch version is a great pick if you like the look of the MacBook Air but want a bigger screen to work on, though that does mean that it's not quite as portable as the 13-inch model, which has also had a $200 price cut.

MacBook Air 15-inch, 8GB (M2): was $1,299 now $999 at Best Buy
Display - 15.3 inches
Processor - Apple M2
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - macOS
It may essentially be just a larger version of the MacBook Air 13-inch, but if that's what you want then that's what you get – and you can now get it at a reduced price. In our MacBook Air 15-inch review we praised the display, performance, design and speaker array, although we did think the jump in size hurt one of the MacBook Air's portability. Nevertheless, this is still an impressive laptop at a good price following this new $299 discount.

UK MacBook Air deals

If you're a Windows 11 user looking who's for a new laptop that's under $1,000 / £1,000, the MacBook Air is definitely worth considering.

Sure, macOS takes a bit of getting used to, but it's a solid operating system that rarely crashes. Also, unlike Windows 11, there aren't an increasing number of adverts and pop-ups appearing in macOS, and yearly updates are free.

You might not love Apple, but if you're getting sick of Windows 11, Prime Day is a great excuse to jump ship with a MacBook Air. You only have a few hours left to make that jump at these prices, however...

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the US

Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks from $14.99
Apple: AirPods and iPads from $69
Audible: three months free
Back to school: essentials and tech from $5
Gaming: free PC games until July 16
Headphones: cheapest-ever AirPods
Kitchen: coffee makers from $24.99
Kindle: three months Kindle Unlimited
Laptops: deals from $179.99
Music Unlimited: five months free
Smart home: up to 61% off cameras
Tablets: Fire tablets from $54.99
TVs: cheap TVs from $64.99
Vacuums: Shark from $149.99

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

Amazon Devices: up to 66% off
Audible: three months free
Books: from 99p
Cars: dash cams from £31.99
Fans: deals from £15
Gaming: free PC games until July 16
Headphones: from £7.99
Health: electric toothbrushes from £16.99
Kitchen: air fryers from £29.99
Laptops: devices from £149
Music Unlimited: five months free
Phones: Samsung and Motorola from £83.99
Tablets: £110 off Honor Pad 8
TVs: cheap TVs from £139.99
Video: movies and TV shows from £1.99

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.