It’s the holiday weekend, and we’re in between the retail extravaganzas of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For many, it’s the last chance to pick up usually out-of-reach hardware, like Apple’s MacBook laptops, at low prices.
Apple’s Reluctant MacBook Offers
Apple’s hardware has always been highly priced and prized. Deals on MacBook are always popular with consumers, and the new M4 MacBook Pro laptops released at the end of October have created a sense of urgency to find a holiday deal. Amazon has been offering discounts of up to $300 depending on the specs of the MacBook Pro you choose.
Apple is following its own tradition of offering sales vouchers that can be used in the App Store and Apple Store to provide "free" software and accessories while the price of the MacBook Pro remains stable.
Yet, consumers should be wary that these deals will still be more expensive than the next generation of M4 MacBook Air. Except, Apple won’t be launching that model until March 2025.
The Power Of The MacBook Air
The new MacBook Pro laptops with the M4 chipset have been well received, highlighting the leap forward that the chipset has made. Compared to the M3 model, the M4 MacBook Pro benchmarks show about 20% higher CPU and 25% higher GPU performance. This M4 chipset will be at the heart of the MacBook Air, so this consumer-focused laptop will also see the same leap forward.
In previous years, the core difference between the Air and the Pro has been the addition of active cooling on the MacBook Pro. This offers a slight jump in performance, but those who need all-out performance for their MacBooks aren’t looking for a ten- to twelve-percent jump, but the more significant jumps offered by the M4 Pro and M4 Max chipsets.
Those who need the power will skip over the m4 MacBook Pro to look further up the portfolio.
The Different MacBook Pricing Options
This increases the price difference between the M4 MacBook Pro and the M4 MacBook Air. While the M4 Air hasn't been released yet, the previous price difference between the M3 Air and M3 Pro was about $500 (between the two entry-level models), compared to $300 for a MacBook with similar RAM and storage directly from Apple.
There is one caveat. Apple has added several new hardware features to the M4 MacBook Pro, including a new nano-texture on the display, a brighter display, a third Thunderbolt port, and the addition of Space Black as a color option. There's no indication that Apple will bring these features to the M4 MacBook Air, but the regular Mxx Air and Pro laptops have offered the same design and hardware additions in previous years.
Still, the M4 MacBook Air should offer a similar level of ports, a similar hardware design, and the new M4 chipset, which will deliver more power and performance than any other consumer-focused Apple laptop currently on the market. If you must buy a new MacBook during the holiday sales, be aware that Apple plans to launch a cheaper, faster MacBook Air soon.
