With every new Apple product launch, deals slowly crop up over time – and the MacBook lineup is no exception. The best deals tend to come after a model is no longer the latest and greatest, and there’s currently an unbeatable M3 MacBook Air deal that’s hard to pass up on, and once it sells out, there likely won’t be any more to go around.
Apple released the new M4 MacBook Air in March, and since then, retailers have been trying to move inventory of older M3 models. For the most part, they have cleared out of most of them, but there’s one lingering model left – and it’s quite a good deal.
Over the past few days, the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air with 512GB of storage and 24GB of unified memory has been on sale for a remarkably low price: $1199.
To put it into perspective, that matches the retail price of the base model M4 15-inch MacBook Air, which’ll come with half the storage and less unified memory. To get the same configuration with an M4 chip, you’d have to pay $400 more directly from Apple.
Granted, there are sales on that model too – so it’ll run you $200 more to get the M4 chip. Still, $200 in savings is nothing to scoff at.
M3 vs M4
What do you give up with the M3 model, exactly?
The biggest loss will be in the webcam department. The M4 MacBook Air equips a 12MP Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage, whereas you’ll still have a typical 1080p webcam on the M3 model. You also gain support for Thunderbolt 4 with the M4 model, whereas M3 packs USB 4.
Main difference here being that the M4 model can support two external displays while the MacBook is open, whereas the M3 model requires the MacBook lid to be closed while using two external displays. If you only use one external display, then it won’t matter which model you pick.
And of course, the M3 chip will be a little bit slower. M4 chips are roughly 10-20% faster than M3 chips.
Why this model
Well, first and foremost – having extra storage is always a plus. 256GB can easily be quite tight for a lot of users, and with this deal you get double that amount of storage.
The bigger benefit, though, is the amount of unified memory. Whether you’re a heavy Chrome user, a developer, a college student, or a creative professional – having more memory is always a big plus.
If running AI models on device interests you, having 24GB is also remarkably helpful in that regard. With the recent GPT-OSS model launch, outputs are noticeably faster with more memory, even though they advertise it to run well on a 16GB device.
Overall, this MacBook is a great all-around machine. You get up to 18 hours of battery life thanks to Apple silicon, Apple Intelligence support, a bright 500 nit display, and excellent speakers. If you’re interested in scooping up this great deal, you can find it on Amazon for $1199.
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