Apple introduced new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros on Tuesday that feature the company’s new M2 Pro and M2 Max processors. The new models share the same design and starting prices as their predecessors, but Apple promises better performance and longer battery life with the new chips that replace the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in the previous versions.
The new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $1,999, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $2,499. The new machines are available now, and orders will start shipping on Jan. 24. The previous M1 Pro MacBook Pro models are still available at Amazon and other online retailers. You can save $300 or more on the 14- and 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pros at Amazon right now.
The next-newest MacBooks in Apple’s lineup are the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro based on the M2 chip, which were released last summer. The updated MacBook Air is bigger than the previous model, and a bit faster as well. Along with a bigger 13.6-inch display and M2 processor, however, comes a higher price. Gone is the $999 starting price; the new M2 MacBook Air line starts at $1,199. The updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip starts at the same $1,299 list price as the previous generation.
You can save $200 on the M2 MacBook Air at Best Buy — we’ve not seen it for less than its current $999 price. And you can spend even less to get the previous-generation MacBook Air with the M1 chip and 13.3-inch display for $899 at Amazon — a savings of $100.
US pricing for Apple MacBooks
While Amazon, Adorama and Best Buy have the best prices at the moment, one benefit to paying full price and buying from Apple is that you can customize the machine and add more RAM or a higher-capacity solid-state drive. The models sold by Amazon and other retailers are fixed configurations.
Want to go the refurbished route? You can find refurbished MacBooks on Apple’s Certified Refurbished Mac page. Refurb inventory changes rapidly so you may not always see the latest MacBook Air or Pro listed. It’s worth keeping an eye out, however, because you can lock in substantial savings, up to $200. Rick Broida, CNET’s Cheapskate emeritus, is a big fan of refurbs, particularly Apple’s — which are often as good as new.
It’s also worth noting that the Apple Store offers students an educational discount, which can trim hundreds of dollars from the price of a new laptop or tablet.
Keep reading to see the best MacBook laptop deals currently available for Apple’s current and previous-generation MacBooks. We update this list periodically.
MacBook discounts, compared
| Model w/ CPU (and storage capacity) | List price | Best price (current) | Best price (all-time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air w/ M1 chip (256GB) | $999 | $899 | $750 |
| MacBook Air w/ M1 chip (512GB) | $1,199 | $1,199 | $1,000 |
| MacBook Air w/ M2 chip (256GB) | $1,199 | $999 | $999 |
| MacBook Air w/ M2 chip (512GB) | $1,499 | $1,299 | $1,299 |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ M2 chip (256GB) | $1,299 | $1,149 | $1,099 |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ M2 chip (512GB) | $1,499 | $1,349 | $1,299 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro w/ M1 Pro chip (512GB) | $1,999 | $1,899 | $1,500 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro w/ M1 Pro chip (1TB) | $2,499 | $2,144 | $2,000 |
| 16-inch Macbook Pro w/ M1 Pro chip (512GB) | $2,499 | $2,199 | $2,000 |
| 16-inch Macbook Pro w/ M1 Pro chip (1TB) | $2,699 | $2,399 | $2,200 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro w/ M2 Pro chip (512GB) | $1,999 | $1,999 | $1,999 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro w/ M2 Pro chip (1TB) | $2,499 | $2,499 | $2,499 |
| 16-inch Macbook Pro w/ M2 Pro chip (512GB) | $2,499 | $2,499 | $2,499 |
| 16-inch Macbook Pro w/ M2 Pro chip (1TB) | $2,699 | $2,699 | $2,699 |
*Note that “all-time” means the best price that we’ve seen at an Apple-authorized retailer in the product’s lifetime. Prices change frequently and may differ between color variants.
Best MacBook deals
Dan Ackerman/CNET
The MacBook Air from 2020 features Apple’s M1 processor, which has an eight-core CPU, a seven-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. The M1 MacBook Air starts at $999 from Apple and features 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. It lacks the Touch Bar (which could be viewed as a positive), and does have a 13.3-inch Retina display, Touch ID and the Magic keyboard. The step-up model costs $1,199 from Apple and doubles the solid-state storage to 512GB. You can save $100 on the 256GB model at Amazon and Adorama right now.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
In addition to receiving the second-gen Apple silicon chip, the M2 MacBook Air boasts a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display and is available in two new colors: starlight and midnight. It also ditches the Air’s tapered wedge shape and now looks more like the squared-off, slablike Pro models. The webcam has also been upgraded to a 1080p resolution for better video calls. At Apple, the M2 Air starts at $1,199, which is $200 more than the previous model. It features an M2 processor with an eight-core CPU and eight-core GPU, 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. The step-up $1,499 model has an M2 chip with an eight-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 8GB of memory and a 512GB SSD.
The baseline 256GB model is selling at its lowest price yet at Best Buy — only $999. You can also save $200 on the 512GB model at Best Buy.
Read our M2 Apple MacBook Air review.
Apple
Aside from the new M2 chip, the updated 13-inch MacBook Pro remains mostly unchanged from the previous iteration. It’s now the only laptop in the updated Apple lineup that has the generally disliked Touch Bar. It also lacks the new MagSafe charger and offers the same two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports for both charging and peripherals. Pricing remains the same as the previous series. The baseline model costs $1,299 and features 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. The step-up $1,499 model doubles the SSD to 512GB.
You can save $150 on either the 256GB or 512GB model at Amazon and B&H — that’s $50 more than the lowest price we’ve seen for it.
Read our 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The baseline model of the previous-generation 14-inch MacBook Pro costs $1,999 and features an M1 Pro chip (eight-core CPU, 14-core GPU), 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The $2,499 step-up model features a higher-power version of the chip with 10 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display has a 3,024×1,964-pixel resolution.
You can save $100 on the baseline model at Amazon right now, which is only a fraction of the $400 price break at Best Buy last week. We’d wait for a larger discount to return or spend the extra $100 for the new M2 Pro machine. Need more storage? The M1 Pro model with a 1TB SSD is a good deal at its current $354 discount at Amazon.
Read our 14-inch M1 MacBook Pro review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The baseline model of the previous-generation 16-inch MacBook Pro lists for $2,499 and features an M1 Pro chip (10-core CPU, 16-core GPU), 16GB of RAM and a 512B SSD. There are two step-up models: The $2,699 model upgrades the storage to a 1TB SSD, and the $3,499 model features the M1 Max chip, which bumps up to a 32-core GPU, as well as 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display packs 3,456×2,234 pixels.
You can save $300 on the 512GB model at Amazon. The 1TB model is also $300 off.
Read our 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro review.
Apple
The baseline model of the new 14-inch MacBook Pro costs $1,999 and features Apple’s latest M2 Pro processor (10-core CPU and 16-core GPU), 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The step-up model costs $2,499 and doubles the storage to 1TB while featuring an M2 Pro with a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU. There’s also an M2 Max model that costs $3,099 with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The M2 Max is a 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU processor.
Apple says the performance from the M2 Pro chip is up to 40% faster than the previous M1 Pro in Photoshop image processing, and that the M2 Max can do effects rendering in Cinema 4D and color grading in DaVinci Resolve up to 30% faster than the M1 Max. Apple promises the battery will last up to 22 hours, which the company says is “the longest battery life ever in a Mac.” The MacBook Pro also adds Wi-Fi 6E, up from Wi-Fi 6, and an HDMI connection that now supports 8K displays up to 60Hz and 4K displays up to 240Hz.
Apple
The baseline model of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro costs $2,499 and features Apple’s latest M2 Pro processor (12-core CPU and 19-core GPU), 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The step-up model costs $2,699 and doubles the storage to 1TB. There’s also an M2 Max model that costs $3,499 with a 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU M2 Max processor, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
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