The M2 MacBook Air just got a permanent price drop following the announcement of the M3 Air
A brand new price: As of March 4, the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air is now starting at $999, a price drop from its previous $1,099. This $100 difference is thanks to the release of the M3 MacBook Air.
Apple finally dropped the new M3 MacBook Air as predicted, but for more frugally-minded Apple fans, the more exciting drop might be that of the M2 Air's price.
Following the release of the latest generation of ultra-thin Apple laptops, the M2 MacBook Air's starting price has reduced from $1,099 to $999 for a model with 8GB of memory and 256GB of built-in storage. This marks the second price drop in this Air's lifespan, which initially came on the market for $1,199, prior to the release of the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air.
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At the time of writing, the only way you can grab the $999 pricing for the M2 is by shopping at the Apple Store (formerly, the 2020-released M1 MacBook Air was priced at $999 at the Apple Store). Amazon's stock of M2 Airs is sold out and Best Buy still has the laptop at its former price point of $1,099.
What are the major differences between the M2 and M3 MacBook Air?
While we can't say whether it's worth springing the extra $200 for the newer M3 model as we've yet to hands-on test the new MacBook for ourselves, we can give you a quick rundown of the major differences.
Like the M2 Air, the M3 Air is available in both a 13-inch and 15-inch version and looks identical to the previous generation.
Where you'll see the most change is from internal specs: Apple says that M3 chip is 60 percent faster than the M1, though according to Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder, "Apple doesn't compare with the M2 chip, likely because the differences aren't that big." Schroeder also reported that the the new chip will also bring a 16-core Neural Engine, faster WiFi, and the ability to connect the MacBook to two external displays (though only with the laptop's lid shut).
For those interested in the M3 MacBook Air, it's available for pre-order now at the Apple Store, with the 13-inch model starting at $1,099 and the 15-inch at $1,299, following the same pricing structure that the M2 line had before it. The laptops will officially be available March 8.
What MacBooks have been newly discontinued?
It's had a great run, but the M1 MacBook Air is finally discontinued, with Apple quietly removing it from its online store following the M3 announcement. The M1 laptop was released in Nov. 2020 and remains our favorite budget MacBook, especially as it's often been on sale for just $750 since last year's Prime Day.
Though it's no longer on Apple's website, you can still find the M1 Air (for that $750 price tag) available at Amazon and Best Buy, but you'll likely want to get it sooner rather than later — we don't expect to see it restocked for much longer.
The 13-inch M2 Air is getting a price cut, but it looks like the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air is getting cut period. The larger laptop is no longer available on Apple's website, with your only option for the bigger display being the upgraded M3 model.
With that said, you can still grab it from Best Buy, and for $200 off on three different configurations, with the lowest being available for $1,099. At the time of writing, it's completely sold out at Amazon.
Bethany Allard is a Los Angeles-based shopping reporter at Mashable covering beauty tech, dating, sex and relationships, and headphones. That basically means she puts her hair through a lot, scrolls through a lot of dating apps, and rotates through a lot of different headphones. In addition to testing out and rounding up the best products, she also covers deals for Mashable, paying an especially obsessive amount of attention to Apple deals and prices. That knowledge comes in handy when she's covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, which she's now done for three years at Mashable.
