Deals: Apple's 16-Inch M1 Max MacBook Pro Gets Big $850 Discount on Amazon

[sw1tcher]

Apple didn't mentin anything about M3 during the WWDC, I'm now confused , should I buy M-B Air- M1 or M2, or wait until M3 comes out stupid Tim 😡

I don’t think we’ll see the M3 for at least a year at this point. Apple is pretty good at not upsetting previous buyers by introducing upgrades too quickly, so I don’t see them introducing M3 when the 15 inch M2 Air is so new. At the earliest they could announce M3 in November for sales in Spring of 2024, but I’d wager they won’t announce M3 until spring 2024 at the earliest.

I'm going to beat Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo to the punch by making the prediction that there will be an M3 iMac released later this year (late October/early November Apple event?) since the iMac is still on the M1 chip. Every other Mac has an M2.

Then M3 MacBook Air will follow early next year (February or March). That's how it was when the first M1 Macs came out. It was M1 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini during their One More Thing event in Nov. 2020. We didn't get M1 iMacs until April 2021 at the Spring Loaded event.

M2 MacBook Air was announced at WWDC 2022 (June 6). That's a 19 month gap between M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Air. If there's an M3 MacBook Air in early 2024 (February or March), that will be 20 to 21 month gap between M2 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Air.

The M2 MacBook Pro was announced in Jan 2023, that's why I'm expecting an M3 MacBook Air early next year. No special event for it, just a press release.

If Apple waits until next year for M3 iMac, that's like 3 years with no iMac refresh. Doesn't make sense.

 

[CWallace]

If Apple waits until next year for M3 iMac, that's like 3 years with no iMac refresh. Doesn't make sense.

All-in-One's might have the longest shelf-lives and replacement cycles since you replace everything when you upgrade. I have the feeling that M2 Max, Pro and Ultra were probably planned to be 2022 products and were pushed into 2023 due to COVID and supply chain issues. So Apple might have planned a 2023 M2 iMac, but now feel it is just better to wait until next Spring and skip M2 and go to M3.

 

[MrMojo1]

That's a suckers price, you can get a 2023 for the same amount with EDU

Many people aren't students and may not know anyone in school/university.

Does Apple actually check to see if you have a university email or have you scan a copy of your student ID or student schedule to verify education status to purchase?

The 16" MB Pro M1 Pro chip is listed at $2,398 [16-inch, M1 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD].

The Amazon prices for the M1 chip versions looks tempting for someone to get a MB Pro for the first time, no media work, just online and casual use with the occasional financial software for business, so it should last a few years?

Wait to see how the MB Air 15" performs once it's released and reviews are published and hopefully a comparison to the 16" MB Pro is included with the reviews.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Many people aren't students and may not know anyone in school/university.

Does Apple actually check to see if you have a university email or have you scan a copy of your student ID or student schedule to verify education status to purchase?

The 16" MB Pro M1 Pro chip is listed at $2,398 [16-inch, M1 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD].

The Amazon prices for the M1 chip versions looks tempting for someone to get a MB Pro for the first time, no media work, just online and casual use with the occasional financial software for business, so it should last a few years?

Wait to see how the MB Air 15" performs once it's released and reviews are published and hopefully a comparison to the 16" MB Pro is included with the reviews.

Apple doesn’t check student or teacher status. I always buy with edu discount if buying directly from Apple.

 

[MrMojo1]

Apple doesn’t check student or teacher status. I always buy with edu discount if buying directly from Apple.

Does that include buying in an Apple store then or only online with the educ. discount?

 

[TechnoMonk]

Does that include buying in an Apple store then or only online with the educ. discount?

You could reserve/buy online/app with edu discount and pick it up in Apple store. Apple store employees may ask for an ID if buying in store with edu discount, most of them don’t care. YMMV depending on the Apple store.

 

[Little Endian]

Apple doesn’t check student or teacher status. I always buy with edu discount if buying directly from Apple.

Yeah when I buy new directly from Apple I still get the EDU discount. Have not been in school for well over a decade. Apple does not check, even if they did I still have an active .edu email Address. Even if Apple attempted there is no easy way for Apple to enforce EDU pricing restrictions. Parents buy for their K-12/college students can get the discount saying it’s for their kid. Don’t have a kid just borrow your niece/nephew or find a younger friend.

Anyhow none of that matters just click on the EDU store and save. If you are going to buy with the Edu discount wait for the back to school or holiday gift card promos to maximize savings.

With that said there are better ways to save. Apple certified refurb is even cheaper yet and is good as new. Amazon and other 3rd parties often have specials on new units for lower than edu discounts. No reason to pay full price on Apple computers or iPads Unless you need a specific configuration or want one immediately after an update. 3rd parties usually start offering discounts in as little as a few weeks or at most a few months after an update. Last MBP I purchased was from Adorama back in 2018. Brand new just a couple months after release but $400 off list, free shipping and no sales tax.

People often think Apple’s products are way overpriced and they are if you pay full price for them. Find the deals and Apple‘s products don‘t cost much more than comparable competitor products.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Yeah when I buy new directly from Apple I still get the EDU discount. Have not been in school for well over a decade. Apple does not check, even if they did I still have an active .edu email Address. Even if Apple attempted there is no easy way for Apple to enforce EDU pricing restrictions. Parents buy for their K-12/college students can get the discount saying it’s for their kid. Don’t have a kid just borrow your niece/nephew or find a younger friend.

Anyhow none of that matters just click on the EDU store and save. If you are going to buy with the Edu discount wait for the back to school or holiday gift card promos to maximize savings.

With that said there are better ways to save. Apple certified refurb is even cheaper yet and is good as new. Amazon and other 3rd parties often have specials on new units for lower than edu discounts. No reason to pay full price on Apple computers or iPads Unless you need a specific configuration or want one immediately after an update. 3rd parties usually start offering discounts in as little as a few weeks or at most a few months after an update. Last MBP I purchased was from Adorama back in 2018. Brand new just a couple months after release but $400 off list, free shipping and no sales tax.

People often think Apple’s products are way overpriced and they are if you pay full price for them. Find the deals and Apple‘s products don‘t cost much more than comparable competitor products.

I don’t buy from third party retailers on Amazon, or even BH. I have heard enough horror stories. I like Apple refurb/edu/ Costco or micro center. Costco is the best though, great deals with 90 day return policy.

 

[Little Endian]

For a New York minute I was contemplating purchasing the 16 inch one but looks like it’s sold out already but you can get a used one for even cheaper at $2298. But then again Amazon is selling the 2023 16 inch for $250 off brand new as well. I’ll just wait for a better deal.

 

[Little Endian]

I don’t buy from third party retailers on Amazon, or even BH. I have heard enough horror stories. I like Apple refurb/edu/ Costco or micro center. Costco is the best though, great deals with 90 day return policy.

Bestbuy is another option if you want to buy in person yet want the Amazon price. Bestbuy will happily price match as long as it is shipped and sold from Amazon directly. 60 day return policy if you are a total tech member. As far as longer term support or hardware issues go it shouldn’t matter where you purchase from especially if you get Apple care.

 

[AlexJaye]

Somehow it's still incredibly overpriced.

 

[svish]

Good discount for those wanting a 1TB SSD

 

[acconda81]

I got mine from laptop direct months ago for same price, but noticed that have got up again on their site. love the !6" along with the much more efficient cooling from the larger chassis. back in the day of 2013 I had 15" MacBook that was about the same footprint at this 16" I went over to PC for a while and came back. the much better screen on the pro vs air is worth the dollar for sure.

 

[Mr. Dee]

If they really wait until spring to update the iMac that would be almost 4 years. It would be awkward to update it to M2 in the fall too. It would also be awkward to update the 13 inch Air, MBP and iMac to M3 but leave out the 15 inch. The iMac is relatively outdated at this point though.

 

[SR 7]

$1,000 discount and still making them profit.

People told me prices had to be high because of the R&D cost lolll!!! Fools.

Apple gouging it’s customers with these atrocious costs.

Imagine how many they haven’t sold that they had to drop it by $1,000.

 

[dumastudetto]

A laptop like this will last you good 10 years so buying it now will save you a bunch of money and you will be able to throw things at it for years. Of course, if you are gonna be making stuff for Vision Pro and going down the AI rabbit hole, then yeah, always getting the latest and greatest will serve you well. I'm still loving my M1 MBP from 2020 and won't be looking at another MacBook until 2025/2026.

The MBP 2021 will be two years into macOS support in October. You are probably looking at 4 major macOS updates from here + 2 years of security updates for the last-supported major upgrade.

I think the 5-6 years you have planned for your 2020 model is right where Apple thinks most people should be.

 

[Mr. Dee]

The MBP 2021 will be two years into macOS support in October. You are probably looking at 4 major macOS updates from here + 2 years of security updates for the last-supported major upgrade.

I think the 5-6 years you have planned for your 2020 model is right where Apple thinks most people should be.

I think Apple Silicon changes that though. The macOS updates are getting less demanding features as you can obviously see in Sonoma. A lot of it is artificial requirements too, since OCLP is getting Ventura to work on non-supported Macs as far back as 2013.

 

[dumastudetto]

I think Apple Silicon changes that though. The macOS updates are getting less demanding features as you can obviously see in Sonoma. A lot of it is artificial requirements too, since OCLP is getting Ventura to work on non-supported Macs as far back as 2013.

I don't think Apple's interest in extending support for older Macs will change tbh. iPhones and iPads get around the same length of software support.