Deals: Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off M2 MacBook Air Models in Latest Sales

[MacRumors]

Amazon is discounting a large collection of M2 MacBook Air models today, including a new all-time low price on the 512GB model. All deals on the new MacBook Air notebooks can be found on Amazon, with B&H Photo matching sale prices for two configurations.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Starting with the 256GB M2 MacBook Air, this model is priced at $1,099.00, down from $1,199.00. Amazon has this notebook in three colors (Midnight, Space Gray, and Starlight), while B&H Photo has the sale in two colors (Silver and Space Gray).

M2 MacBook Air (256GB) for $1,099.00 ($100 OFF)​

The 512GB M2 MacBook Air is available for $1,349.00, down from $1,499.00. Amazon has this deal in three colors (Silver, Space Gray, and Starlight), and it's a new all-time low price on the 2022 512GB MacBook Air.

M2 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,349.00 ($150 OFF)​

You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.

Article Link: Deals: Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off M2 MacBook Air Models in Latest Sales

 

[eric89074]

8GB RAM = no

 

[ralph_sws]

M3 on the horizon 😉

 

[DidAppleGetLucky]

Good price ... the M2 512 costs 1849,00 € = 1780 USD in Europe ...

 

[Mr. Dee]

I suspect a lot people are holding onto their M1’s and even older Intel MacBook Air’s. For what most people do on a computer, in this economy, splurging 1,000 to 1,500 on a new laptop is not worth it.

Just last week, I scored a lot of 3 still in perfect condition 15 inch 2014 - 2015 MBP’s that were heading to ecycle. Restored my macOS Sierra Time Machine on one and so far impressed by how super fast it is. Got back my Photoshop CS6 btw.

Gonna upgrade it to Mojave and leave it that. Don’t know what I will do with the other two. Maybe install Mavericks on one and Monterrey on the other.

But it just goes to show a lot of this is planned obsolescence on Apple’s part. Apple could very well support every Mac sold in the last 10 to 12 years. The one I restored, I watched YouTube videos on it and it was buttery smooth.

 

[fhall1]

M3 on the horizon 😉

Not really - especially for the Airs

 

[CalMin]

8GB RAM = no

Depends what you're using it for.

I have a 16GB M1 Pro and an 8GB M2 Air. For general purpose computing (heavy MS Office use, browsing with a ton of tabs, email, Apple Photo editing) there is no difference between the two. The increased memory pressure does show up in Activity monitor, but the machine does not slow down at all.

Sure - the 8GB machine isn't suited for 8k video editing, running VMs, large hi-res photoshops, Logic Pro, but as an every day computer for general purpose computing it is excellent.

This 8GB fear mongering needs to stop. It's a perfectly fine amount of memory for this machine's target market.

 

[BSoares]

8GB RAM = no

Exactly. Sucks that the base config only has 8GB because almost all deals are on the base config and no one should be buying a Mac with only 8GB of RAM now.

 

[groove-agent]

Amazon would be the last place I’d buy a Mac from.

 

[macintologist]

Buying the M1Pro Macbook Pro 14" is a better deal on Amazon.

 

[bradman83]

Depends what you're using it for.

I have a 16GB M1 Pro and an 8GB M2 Air. For general purpose computing (heavy MS Office use, browsing with a ton of tabs, email, Apple Photo editing) there is no difference between the two. The increased memory pressure does show up in Activity monitor, but the machine does not slow down at all.

Sure - the 8GB machine isn't suited for 8k video editing, running VMs, large hi-res photoshops, Logic Pro, but as an every day computer for general purpose computing it is excellent.

This 8GB fear mongering needs to stop. It's a perfectly fine amount of memory for this machine's target market.

100% agree. My prior machine was an 8GB 2018 13" MBP and aside from running virtual machines in Parallels or RAM hungry games like Cities: Skylines I never felt any pressure on memory, even when using demanding apps like Photoshop and Lightroom. That's probably a testament to how fast SSD speeds have gotten, even on Intel Macs, that VM paging has a minimal impact. My current 16GB M1 Pro 14" should have ample memory to handle what I need it to for the next 5 years.

I do however wish Apple would offer some standard-build models with 16GB for their consumer machines. Right now the only way to get higher RAM amounts is through build-to-order from Apple directly; if you'd rather buy from a place like Amazon, Best Buy, or another third party (and take advantage sale savings or use an existing store financing promotion) then you're stuck with the base RAM configuration.

 

[rp2011]

No one should buys these. Get a base M1 for basic tasks, or a base M1 MacBook Pro 14" for everyone else. This iteration has no reason to exist but for those who want to waste money foolishly.

 

[CalMin]

100% agree. My prior machine was an 8GB 2018 13" MBP and aside from running virtual machines in Parallels or RAM hungry games like Cities: Skylines I never felt any pressure on memory, even when using demanding apps like Photoshop and Lightroom. That's probably a testament to how fast SSD speeds have gotten, even on Intel Macs, that VM paging has a minimal impact. My current 16GB M1 Pro 14" should have ample memory to handle what I need it to for the next 5 years.

I do however wish Apple would offer some standard-build models with 16GB for their consumer machines. Right now the only way to get higher RAM amounts is through build-to-order from Apple directly; if you'd rather buy from a place like Amazon, Best Buy, or another third party (and take advantage sale savings or use an existing store financing promotion) then you're stuck with the base RAM configuration.

For us techies that run Activity Monitor (I run it pretty much all the time) we start to worry when we yellow memory pressure and panic when we see red memory pressure. However, despite some really heavy multitasking, I haven't experienced any slowdowns.

I think that is why Apple feels confident shipping mainly 8GB configurations in the consumer machines. Almost nothing you can do under 'normal' computing scenarios will get the machine to feel anything less than snappy. Sure memory pressure might be in the red, but I simply don't experience any glitches.

Most of my family and friends are 'normal' users. They just don't need more than 8GB RAM. They might have gotten unnecessarily upsold if that was offered as standard rather than BTO.

I think a lot of folks on these forums see yellow and red memory pressure and conclude that they might need more RAM. That's a reasonable conclusion, but if I had to evaluate the machine on pure performance, I have never been able to push Apple Silicon to a point where it felt slow because of too little RAM.

On the issue of future-proofing, well sure that's a choice you can make. Fact is by the time these machines feel slow due to RAM, they will also feel slow due to CPU and it will be time for something new anyway...

 

[CalMin]

No one should buys these. Get a base M1 for basic tasks, or a base M1 MacBook Pro 14" for everyone else. This iteration has no reason to exist but for those who want to waste money foolishly.

Better screen, better webcam, MagSafe. All things worth paying for IMO. But I agree thate no-one needs any of them, they are more like luxury items. The base M1 is still a superb computer for everyone.

 

[rp2011]

Better screen, better webcam, MagSafe. All things worth paying for IMO. But I agree thate no-one needs any of them, they are more like luxury items. The base M1 is still a superb computer for everyone.

Yes, but the base model is worse performance-wise with its single NAND memory than the previous one, which defeats all the bells and whistles. It defeats purpose of a good value base model for those who need the best bang for the buck and go for the base model. And the higher end M2 MacBook Air models are by far a worse value proposition in every way compared to the base 14" MacBook Pro, which are also on sale at most places.

 

[CalMin]

Yes, but the base model is worse performance-wise with its single NAND memory than the previous one, which defeats all the bells and whistles. It defeats purpose of a good value base model for those who need the best bang for the buck and go for the base model. And the higher end M2 MacBook Air models are by far a worse value proposition in every way compared to the base 14" MacBook Pro, which are also on sale at most places.

This single NAND drama makes me laugh. I have the base M2 Air and it is no slower than my M1 Pro for most daily computing tasks. Sure, it benchmarks slower (as shown by every YouTuber in the world) but the real-world experience is different to the benchmark numbers. It's more than fast enough for general purpose computing. Anyone that tells you otherwise bought the wrong computer - if they are using it for Multicam 8k video editing and serious creative work then, of course, it's inadequate.

Point is, the M1 and the M2 are both fit for purpose and a personal choice based on need and budget. Both are excellent choices for someone shopping in this category. Should you trade SSD speed for a better chassis? That's up to the purchaser.

Agree totally that the 14" M1 Pro is a better value than a loaded M2 Air. Especially when on sale. However, frankly, the M1 Pro is overkill for general purpose computing. It's for creatives and professionals that need the extra computing horsepower. I have a 14" M1 Pro (16GB / 1TB) and it's a beast. The best computer I have ever owned, but 90% of the things I do are done equally well on an 8GB M2 Air.

 

[TallManNY]

These two things can both be true: (1) a 8Gb M1 or M2 Air will run great today for nearly all uses and (2) pretty much everyone should buy these computers with 16gb minimum. These are potentially 10 year machines. And the history of Mac OS is that being RAM constrained with often be what really makes the computer not very usable as it gets older.

 

[BSoares]

These two things can both be true: (1) a 8Gb M1 or M2 Air will run great today for nearly all uses and (2) pretty much everyone should buy these computers with 16gb minimum. These are potentially 10 year machines. And the history of Mac OS is that being RAM constrained with often be what really makes the computer not very usable as it gets older.

That's my thought too. 8GB might be ok for now, but every Mac I've owned lasted close to 10 years. I highly doubt that 8GB of RAM will be enough in a few years. RAM is cheap these days, I don't understand why Apple puts just 8GB as standard.

 

[Doodah7]

Amazon would be the last place I’d buy a Mac from.

What a weird attitude you have!! If it is several hundred dollars cheaper, you would rather be the ultimate fanboy and buy from Apple? Your money I suppose…

 

[CalMin]

These two things can both be true: (1) a 8Gb M1 or M2 Air will run great today for nearly all uses and (2) pretty much everyone should buy these computers with 16gb minimum. These are potentially 10 year machines. And the history of Mac OS is that being RAM constrained with often be what really makes the computer not very usable as it gets older.

That's my thought too. 8GB might be ok for now, but every Mac I've owned lasted close to 10 years. I highly doubt that 8GB of RAM will be enough in a few years. RAM is cheap these days, I don't understand why Apple puts just 8GB as standard.

Don't get me wrong. I do think that 16GB is better than 8GB, but it's not needed for most people, and most people don't buy them for 10-years. For them, by the time they need more RAM, they will be looking to update to an M3, M4, M5 MacBook and all the features that they offer.

Just to be clear - I don't disagree with the points you make. My responses above were really aimed at the person who said that 8GB = No. There has been a lot of discussion on the forums about how 8GB and the slow SSD make this a poor machine and that's just not true. I got mine as a secondary couch computer and didn't expect much from it. I thought I would keep it for a bit and then give it to a school age relative. But I am genuinely surprised at just how good it is, how fast it is, and how capable it is. In truth, I could use it as my main machine (although would need more than 256GB if it was my only Mac).

I don't think it's a disservice to post about my actual hands-on experience for those who think that they might not be able to spend the extra on the 16GB RAM that they might not need. It's a machine that I would recommend to anybody who just needs a good laptop for 'normal people' computing needs. For those with heavier weight computing needs (and those folks generally know who they are) a base M2 is a great choice - especially if there's a discount!

 

[rp2011]

This single NAND drama makes me laugh. I have the base M2 Air and it is no slower than my M1 Pro for most daily computing tasks. Sure, it benchmarks slower

Yeah well it is slower and people do notice the difference. If it makes you laugh, well cool, but for a lot of folks on a budget trying to get the most bang for the buck it is no laughing matter.

 

[CalMin]

Yeah well it is slower and people do notice the difference. It ,makes laugh, well cool, but for a lot of folks on a budget trying to get the most bang for the buck it is no laughing matter.

Hey look, if the performance difference is meaningful to you then by all means skip this machine. My point is that in real world use, the difference is barely noticeable, no matter what the YouTubers say. I actually own this machine and I have compared it to my my 14" M1 Pro - and the actual difference in daily use is inconsequential.

I laugh about it only because YouTubers created drama out of this in order to get clicks and views. I love MaxTech and all the others, they are entertaining, but they got thousands of views by hyping this.

Folks that need a faster machine should get a faster machine. The 'slower' in this case is like saying a BMW is slower than a Ferrari. Sure, that might be true, but it doesn't mean that the BMW is junk, it's just slower than the Ferrari. It's still a great car for most people. And the base M2 Air is still a great laptop for most people.

 

[svish]

Good discounts on M2 MacBook Air!!

 

[TallManNY]

Don't get me wrong. I do think that 16GB is better than 8GB, but it's not needed for most people, and most people don't buy them for 10-years. For them, by the time they need more RAM, they will be looking to update to an M3, M4, M5 MacBook and all the features that they offer.

Just to be clear - I don't disagree with the points you make. My responses above were really aimed at the person who said that 8GB = No. There has been a lot of discussion on the forums about how 8GB and the slow SSD make this a poor machine and that's just not true. I got mine as a secondary couch computer and didn't expect much from it. I thought I would keep it for a bit and then give it to a school age relative. But I am genuinely surprised at just how good it is, how fast it is, and how capable it is. In truth, I could use it as my main machine (although would need more than 256GB if it was my only Mac).

I don't think it's a disservice to post about my actual hands-on experience for those who think that they might not be able to spend the extra on the 16GB RAM that they might not need. It's a machine that I would recommend to anybody who just needs a good laptop for 'normal people' computing needs. For those with heavier weight computing needs (and those folks generally know who they are) a base M2 is a great choice - especially if there's a discount!

I have to respectfully disagree. I've had lots of Macs through the years. And I have many friends with them who don't use their Macs for anything particularly tough. Myself and others I know don't change up their computers very often. The need to upgrade is often driven by the Mac "running slow" as opposed to either some other part failing or some use case that only a more modern computer will solve. In the past, I would often tell friends to upgrade their RAM. Sometimes I'd do it for them. And I've also upgraded the RAM on my own Macs through the years (including recently on my 2018 mini, which I took from 8gb to 32gb). This invariably got the Mac to run faster to the point where it was acceptable and then happily used for several additional years.

This issue isn't about running today's software, it is running Apple's Mac OS that comes out four, five or even six years after the Mac in question was introduced. But since we can't do RAM upgrades, the advice I give and which I think is the right advice is to buy upgraded/more RAM now. The result will likely be several additional years of use out of the Mac. Alternatively it may be significantly better resale value as the person buying it at that time will pay more for those expected serval additional years of use. Looking at all of Apples M laptops, my advice is to spend the $200 and get it with the RAM at 16gb. I think that will result in slightly better performance now for most users from time to time and, much more importantly, dramatically better performance at some point several years from now. If the future of Mac OS and other software is like the last ten years, there will be a point in time in the future where the 8gb M1 and M2 Macs are basically unusable (or slow the point of being unpleasant to use), but the 16gb M1 and M2 Macs are still fully functional for many day to day uses.

 

[CalMin]

I have to respectfully disagree. I've had lots of Macs through the years. And I have many friends with them who don't use their Macs for anything particularly tough. Myself and others I know don't change up their computers very often. The need to upgrade is often driven by the Mac "running slow" as opposed to either some other part failing or some use case that only a more modern computer will solve. In the past, I would often tell friends to upgrade their RAM. Sometimes I'd do it for them. And I've also upgraded the RAM on my own Macs through the years (including recently on my 2018 mini, which I took from 8gb to 32gb). This invariably got the Mac to run faster to the point where it was acceptable and then happily used for several additional years.

This issue isn't about running today's software, it is running Apple's Mac OS that comes out four, five or even six years after the Mac in question was introduced. But since we can't do RAM upgrades, the advice I give and which I think is the right advice is to buy upgraded/more RAM now. The result will likely be several additional years of use out of the Mac. Alternatively it may be significantly better resale value as the person buying it at that time will pay more for those expected serval additional years of use. Looking at all of Apples M laptops, my advice is to spend the $200 and get it with the RAM at 16gb. I think that will result in slightly better performance now for most users from time to time and, much more importantly, dramatically better performance at some point several years from now. If the future of Mac OS and other software is like the last ten years, there will be a point in time in the future where the 8gb M1 and M2 Macs are basically unusable (or slow the point of being unpleasant to use), but the 16gb M1 and M2 Macs are still fully functional for many day to day uses.

These are all good points and well taken. I agree that more RAM and more SSD space for that matter can help you run a machine for many years if you can tolerate the fact that the machine will age out with it's CPU. I would never discourage anyone from buying a higher spec machine if their budget permitted.

I used to do the same upgrades back in the day. I always bought today's RAM and HDD, knowing that I could upgrade for tomorrow's needs later on. But the fact is that for me, more RAM never really felt like an upgrade for a 5+ year old machine. It just went from slow to kind of slow i.e. it ran better, but not really faster.

I suppose I've gotten fatigued with all the negativity around "the base M2 Air" with it's "lack of RAM" and "Slow SSD". It's a great laptop. It holds it's own against my M1 Pro, so it irks me when folks that don't have one, talk about it's poor performance. My experience is just the opposite.