Now is the best time ever to buy a MacBook Air - the M1 starts at $699 and the M2 at just $849

Apple MacBook Air M1 and M2 on yellow background with lowest price text overlay

(Image credit: Future)

Now is quite possibly the best time ever for MacBook deals. Not only have you got the older (but still excellent) MacBook Air M1 on sale for as low as $699 at Walmart, but you can now get the newer MacBook Air M2 for just $849 at Amazon (was $999).

While arguably the older machine remains the best bang-for-your-buck choice here, today's deal on the M2 at Amazon beats the previous record-low price by $50. This price is even cheaper than the one from Black Friday, which makes this an incredibly solid lineup of MacBook deals.

Overall, you've got some superb options if you're looking for a MacBook on a budget. Both these machines are incredibly capable, lightweight and feature battery life that's still unbeaten amongst their piers.

Of the two, the newer M2 model is the slicker-looking machine thanks to its slimmer bezels, but the M1 is by no means ugly as it still features the gorgeous full aluminum design that MacBooks are known for.

Today's record-beating MacBook deals

Apple MacBook Air M2: was $999 now $849 at Amazon
Processor: Apple M2
RAM: 8GB
SSD: 256GB

The excellent MacBook Air M2 has tumbled down to a new record-low price at Amazon. At $849, this machine is a solid buy and one of the best laptops available today thanks to its speedy M2 chipset, great display, and almost unbeatable battery life. It's a little pricier than the M1 model below but it could be a good upgrade if you've got more cash to spend and want a slightly more powerful and modern-looking machine. This deal is also available at Best Buy for the same price.

Apple MacBook Air M3 — (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Both the M2 and M1 are older machines now but they're still exceptionally capable for most tasks in 2024. The M2 has a slight edge in performance but the M1 is still great if you're looking to cover the basics or simply need a solid work machine.

For us, the main selling point of the M2 is the refreshed design. In particular, the display has much slimmer bezels, which lends to a much more modern look overall versus the M1's slightly dated design. If that's not worth $150 to you, however, then the M1's display is still great for everyday use and content.

If you want to read about either machine in more detail, you can check out our Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review or our Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review.

Alex is TechRadar's deals editor, specializing in getting our readers the bang bang for the buck on the tech that we know and love. He's a dab hand at covering retailer events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day having over seven years of e-commerce experience at Future PLC; including bylines at our sister sites T3 and GamesRadar. Alex's expertise touches on most areas of TechRadar but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his love for street and travel photography, at home working on music, or down at the local climbing gym.