Deals: Apple's 512GB 15-Inch MacBook Air Drops to New Record Low Price of $1,249 ($250 Off) [Updated]

[MrMojo1]

"Apple 2023 MacBook Air Laptop with M2 chip: 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage..."

What's the point of almost always marking down the 8Gb memory version?
It's not selling so why make it, particularly if it's just to market to some price point.
It's shameful to have in 2023!

 

[CalMin]

3-5 years is nothing in terms of lifespan for a Mac. Have fun in 5 years with 8GB of RAM! We will have to agree to disagree on this one.

The timeframe is at the heart of our disagreement. I think 8GB is fine for today for most users of a MacBook Air class device. You are looking ahead 5-10 years and sure things move on, but by then the M5 will be out and we will be looking there for performance (and probably complaining that 16GB base is a travesty!).

Most MacBook Air users need something to book airline seats, look up restaurants, do their taxes, organize their vacation photos, write letters, spreadsheets etc. 8GB is fine for this and will be fine in 5-years time. Sure - things might be slower in 5-years time but they will be quite usable.

It's kind of like using a 2015 4GB MacBook Air today. Is it slow? Yes - does my wife's cousin care a damn about this? No! She loves it and won't part with it until it dies. She can do her email just fine on it. (I hate the thing and periodically have to fix something on it).

This isn't just an opinion. It is based on my ACTUAL purchase and use of the M2 Air. I bought a used base 8/256 M2 as a second computer for couch surfing. I wasn't expecting much - since all the reviews talk about lack of RAM and slow SSD. It has, however, blown me away with just how fast and capable it is. For 90% of the stuff I do, it's comparable to my M1Pro 16GB/1TB. I do a lot of multitasking, tons of tabs, short video projects, Python coding, and always have a ton apps open. The only thing that might hint at a memory issue is activity monitor, however, the system is fast, responsive and pleasant to use even when memory pressure is yellow or red.

Hey - look. IT'S NOT MY MONEY - why do I even comment? Well, it's because people keep saying that 8GB sucks and shouldn't exist. That it's a money grab by Apple and it won't last long. THIS SIMPLY ISN'T TRUE. The 8GB machine is fast capable and will last most users for YEARS. If you don't think it's enough for you then spend the $200. It will, however, be a waste of money for most people because they won't need it.

 

[azentropy]

8GB is fine for most normal computing workloads. The 16GB isn’t a standard configuration for the M2 Air unfortunately so they won’t generally appear in offers from retailers.

This is a killer deal for this laptop.

The number of people who "8GB is fine for" is dwindling.
I'm still ok with the "base" model of 8GB, but the step-up version which is now 8/512 should have moved to 16GB. Then regular retailers could sell a version with 16GB instead of having to go BTO or a speciality Apple shop.

I used my base M1 MBA this past week while on vacation traveling instead of taking my MBP14 and it was great. But that was because my uses were more limited.

 

[Mac_The_Ripper]

The timeframe is at the heart of our disagreement. I think 8GB is fine for today for most users of a MacBook Air class device. You are looking ahead 5-10 years and sure things move on, but by then the M5 will be out and we will be looking there for performance (and probably complaining that 16GB base is a travesty!).

Most MacBook Air users need something to book airline seats, look up restaurants, do their taxes, organize their vacation photos, write letters, spreadsheets etc. 8GB is fine for this and will be fine in 5-years time. Sure - things might be slower in 5-years time but they will be quite usable.

It's kind of like using a 2015 4GB MacBook Air today. Is it slow? Yes - does my wife's cousin care a damn about this? No! She loves it and won't part with it until it dies. She can do her email just fine on it. (I hate the thing and periodically have to fix something on it).

This isn't just an opinion. It is based on my ACTUAL purchase and use of the M2 Air. I bought a used base 8/256 M2 as a second computer for couch surfing. I wasn't expecting much - since all the reviews talk about lack of RAM and slow SSD. It has, however, blown me away with just how fast and capable it is. For 90% of the stuff I do, it's comparable to my M1Pro 16GB/1TB. I do a lot of multitasking, tons of tabs, short video projects, Python coding, and always have a ton apps open. The only thing that might hint at a memory issue is activity monitor, however, the system is fast, responsive and pleasant to use even when memory pressure is yellow or red.

Hey - look. IT'S NOT MY MONEY - why do I even comment? Well, it's because people keep saying that 8GB sucks and shouldn't exist. That it's a money grab by Apple and it won't last long. THIS SIMPLY ISN'T TRUE. The 8GB machine is fast capable and will last most users for YEARS. If you don't think it's enough for you then spend the $200. It will, however, be a waste of money for most people because they won't need it.

If the price was the same, you'd take the 16GB machine all day long. That is part of my point. Apple should be selling 16GB base models in 2023. Otherwise, you are basically saying that paying an additional $200 for the 16GB model is fair. It's not, because most other companies offer 16GB (or more) on machines that cost $1299 and up. More often than not they offer 16GB base machines for far less. Again, it is 2023 not 2015. Most Mac owners own their machines for well over 5 years. In 2023 8GB of RAM should not be the base because in less than 5 years the current MBA will be slow, even for light work. You do realize that apps and OSs are using more and more RAM each year right?

And it is penny pinching on Apple's part. Just like removing the charging brick from new iPhones. They do this to help save the environment, right? Meanwhile the friendly folks working at the Apple store and on apple.com will point you in the direction of purchasing a charging brick that...wait for it...comes in retail box packaging! Or you can have one shipped to your door by Amazon, that comes in a nice cardboard box, along with the retail packaging.

 

[4odomi]

Amazon has all-time low prices on Apple's new 15.3-inch MacBook Air notebooks, with the highlight of the sale being a new $250 discount on the 512GB model. You can get the 512GB 15.3-inch MacBook Air for $1,249.00, down from $1,499.00.

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

This sale is available in all four colors: Space Gray, Midnight, Starlight, and Silver. All models are in stock and have an estimated delivery date between September 24 and September 28. These notebooks debuted in June and this is a new all-time low price on the 512GB model.

15-inch MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,249.00 ($250 OFF)​

Additionally, Amazon has the 256GB 15.3-inch MacBook Air on sale for $1,099.00, down from $1,299.00. This one is available in two colors (Midnight and Starlight), and has an estimated delivery date between September 24 and September 28 as well.

15-inch MacBook Air (256GB) for $1,099.00 ($200 OFF)​

The new MacBook Air features a large 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, M2 processor, six-speaker system, two Thunderbolt ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and MagSafe. The 15.3-inch MacBook Air is mostly similar to the 2022 13.6-inch MacBook Air, but there are some key differences that we highlighted in our buyer's guide.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Article Link: Deals: Apple's 512GB 15-Inch MacBook Air Drops to New Record Low Price of $1,249 ($250 Off)

It's what it should have been from day one!

 

[4odomi]

If only this included 16GB of RAM, which should be standard by now. Cook and his endless penny pinching!

To be fair if this config was available from Apple and you were able to add the additional RAM, I would be happy to pay the $200 extra.
As far as most people are concerned, they don't need the 16gb RAM and for those people this is a killer deal! (should have been this price from day one)

 

[4odomi]

The timeframe is at the heart of our disagreement. I think 8GB is fine for today for most users of a MacBook Air class device. You are looking ahead 5-10 years and sure things move on, but by then the M5 will be out and we will be looking there for performance (and probably complaining that 16GB base is a travesty!).

Most MacBook Air users need something to book airline seats, look up restaurants, do their taxes, organize their vacation photos, write letters, spreadsheets etc. 8GB is fine for this and will be fine in 5-years time. Sure - things might be slower in 5-years time but they will be quite usable.

It's kind of like using a 2015 4GB MacBook Air today. Is it slow? Yes - does my wife's cousin care a damn about this? No! She loves it and won't part with it until it dies. She can do her email just fine on it. (I hate the thing and periodically have to fix something on it).

This isn't just an opinion. It is based on my ACTUAL purchase and use of the M2 Air. I bought a used base 8/256 M2 as a second computer for couch surfing. I wasn't expecting much - since all the reviews talk about lack of RAM and slow SSD. It has, however, blown me away with just how fast and capable it is. For 90% of the stuff I do, it's comparable to my M1Pro 16GB/1TB. I do a lot of multitasking, tons of tabs, short video projects, Python coding, and always have a ton apps open. The only thing that might hint at a memory issue is activity monitor, however, the system is fast, responsive and pleasant to use even when memory pressure is yellow or red.

Hey - look. IT'S NOT MY MONEY - why do I even comment? Well, it's because people keep saying that 8GB sucks and shouldn't exist. That it's a money grab by Apple and it won't last long. THIS SIMPLY ISN'T TRUE. The 8GB machine is fast capable and will last most users for YEARS. If you don't think it's enough for you then spend the $200. It will, however, be a waste of money for most people because they won't need it.

I agree with you totally on RAM, but the slow 256gb SSD's have no place in any Mac....so this is a killer deal.

 

[memo90061]

Apple is known to be stingy with storage/ram.

 

[Siliconguy]

Smells of desperation. I told you guys a 15” Air is a fail. What was needed was a 2 lb laptop, and a fix for whatever is causing people eye strain and headaches since the introduction of M. Instead we got a garbage laptop that nobody wants.

Calling it a garbage laptop is a step too far, but the basic point is right. If you want an Air you want light and battery life. If you are doing things that need the big screen then you most likely need Pro level power anyway. So what market Apple thought they were addressing is a great question.

 

[Siliconguy]

Apple is known to be stingy with storage/ram.

You are supposed to stash it all in the cloud and trust Apple to not riffle through it for advertising purposes or to look for anything the California elite think is offensive and will forward to the police, or simply close your account without warning.

 

[Siliconguy]

Agree. My wife and I have a base M1 MBA, with two users enabled with Fast User Switching. You know the only issue we have? Running out of storage with the 256GB hard drive. RAM has literally never been an issue. (It’s difficult for me to figure out what is eating our storage, which with a little effort I could probably solve anyway.) We are both your prototypical MBA users, though I will still use it for work stuff (Accounting) whenever I can snatch it away.

Windows has WinDirStat which was very helpful in finding out what was clogging my had drive. The Mac has equivalents. Look for the biggest boxes. Here is one;

GrandPerspective is a small utility application for macOS that graphically shows the disk usage within a file system. It can help you to manage your disk, as you can easily spot which files and folders take up the most space. It uses a so called tree map for visualisation. Each file is shown as a rectangle with an area proportional to the file's size. Files in the same folder appear together, but their placement is otherwise arbitrary.

 

[4odomi]

If the price was the same, you'd take the 16GB machine all day long. That is part of my point. Apple should be selling 16GB base models in 2023. Otherwise, you are basically saying that paying an additional $200 for the 16GB model is fair. It's not, because most other companies offer 16GB (or more) on machines that cost $1299 and up. More often than not they offer 16GB base machines for far less. Again, it is 2023 not 2015. Most Mac owners own there machines for well over 5 years. In 2023 8GB of RAM should not be the base because in less than 5 years the current MBA will be slow, even for light work. You do realize that apps and OSs are using more and more RAM each year right?

And it is penny pinching on Apple's part. Just like removing the charging brick from new iPhones. They do this to help save the environment, right? Meanwhile the friendly folks working at the Apple store and on apple.com will point you in the direction of purchasing a charging brick that...wait for it...comes in retail box packaging! Or you can have one shipped to your door by Amazon, that comes in a nice cardboard box, along with the retail packaging.

Theoretically you're right at least half right 😊 and Apples en friendly approach is just bigger profit margins wrapped up in optics & PR.
However, I consider my self a normal user, not a pro user, my 13" M1 MacBook Pro is almost 3 years old, I've been through 3 different operating systems and it's still as fast as when I bought it, the RAM on M chips is far more efficient than then standard RAM (I would guesstimate 8gb = 12gb equivalent PC's or pre M1 Macs)
The 256gb SSD is a different matter, although not problematic yet.
I would say for users like me, the limitation of the SSD at 256gb is far bigger than 8gb of RAM
This offer from Amazon is a killer deal.
Having said all that, when I upgrade next year or maybe the year after, my minimum config, will be 16gb & 512gb and it's more than likely going to be either 14" or 16" Pro

 

[Mac_The_Ripper]

Theoretically you're right at least half right 😊 and Apples en friendly approach is just bigger profit margins wrapped up in optics & PR.
However, I consider my self a normal user, not a pro user, my 13" M1 MacBook Pro is almost 3 years old, I've been through 3 different operating systems and it's still as fast as when I bought it, the RAM on M chips is far more efficient than then standard RAM (I would guesstimate 8gb = 12gb equivalent PC's or pre M1 Macs)
The 256gb SSD is a different matter, although not problematic yet.
I would say for users like me, the limitation of the SSD at 256gb is far bigger than 8gb of RAM
This offer from Amazon is a killer deal.
Having said all that, when I upgrade next year or maybe the year after, my minimum config, will be 16gb & 512gb and it's more than likely going to be either 14" or 16" Pro

We can agree on the SSD being undersized on the base model. Hey, common ground! That is what it's all about. 🙂

 

[switz]

Ten years or so ago, one could nearly replace and upgrade the entire machine - memory, storage, video card and even CPUs in the SE30 days. Today, there is virtually nothing user upgradeable in the field in any Mac except the Mac Pro tower. So I have fully loaded each new device as a hedge against time. The last Intel mini one could upgrade the memory to 64GB from OWC for a much lower cost than the Apple memory. The M2 mini Pro can be upgraded to 32GB from 16GB of ram for $400. One can drop an additional $2,200 for 8TB of storage plus another $100 for the 10Gb ethernet adapter.

I was shocked that the M2 specs in many models only have WiFi 6 vs WiFi 6E. Netgear is now selling WiFi 7 home ethernet and WiFi systems 10GB will soon be the ethernet standard and our local cable company is starting to mention 10Gb service over copper wires vs fiber optic.

 

[tonyr6]

I just bought the 512 gb version on Monday because I was afraid the price was going up. So I lost out on $50. Still a great laptop. Way faster and cooler than my MBP 16" Intel 2019 with the same storage which was much heavier and much hotter just doing basic tasks. I also paid more than twice the amount for it. I since going to give it to my father. I am giving my windows desktop to my mother. I am done with windows. I love macos. Much easier and more stable.

 

[CalMin]

Ten years or so ago, one could nearly replace and upgrade the entire machine - memory, storage, video card and even CPUs in the SE30 days. Today, there is virtually nothing user upgradeable in the field in any Mac except the Mac Pro tower. So I have fully loaded each new device as a hedge against time. The last Intel mini one could upgrade the memory to 64GB from OWC for a much lower cost than the Apple memory. The M2 mini Pro can be upgraded to 32GB from 16GB of ram for $400. One can drop an additional $2,200 for 8TB of storage plus another $100 for the 10Gb ethernet adapter.

I was shocked that the M2 specs in many models only have WiFi 6 vs WiFi 6E. Netgear is now selling WiFi 7 home ethernet and WiFi systems 10GB will soon be the ethernet standard and our local cable company is starting to mention 10Gb service over copper wires vs fiber optic.

I miss those days too. I used to buy the RAM and HDD space I wanted at the time of purchase, and then upgraded components when my needs changed or to extend the life of the machine. I even did a scary upgrade of the iLamp to to add a faster Airport card.

Those days are now gone. We have sleek, but sealed devices with a shorter usable life it seems.

 

[tonyr6]

Really what is up with all the complaining about only having 8 GB of RAM. My 2019 MBP had 16 GB of RAM and it was slower than my new Air with only 8 GB. Get over it. Silicon Macs handle RAM differently. It's not like Intel or Windows. Stop complaining. These are great deals.

 

[Mac_The_Ripper]

Baldur's Gate 3 is coming out for the Mac. Guess what the recommended requirements are? M1 Pro and 16GB of RAM. You're welcome 😊

 

[CalMin]

Really what is up with all the complaining about only having 8 GB of RAM. My 2019 MBP had 16 GB of RAM and it was slower than my new Air with only 8 GB. Get over it. Silicon Macs handle RAM differently. It's not like Intel or Windows. Stop complaining. These are great deals.

I think the forums have split into two camps. 8GB haters and 8GB supporters. I'm in the latter, and all I can really say is that based on actual daily use 8GB works really well for everything that most casual computer users need. Now, will some future version of MacOS break that? Probably, but by then we will all be done with the M2 generation of Apple silicon as well.

16GB is needed for Intel and Windows and Mac users who need to do more intense creative work. My gaming PC came with 32GB and it felt slow even launching Outlook. The 8GB Air really flies.

Yes, I have. Daily for work actually. After a month of use I requested a new machine with 16GB. World of difference. I work in IT and most of what I do is browser based cloud\virtualization stuff so all real work is being done on the server side of things. The 8GB machine couldn't handle web, e-mail, office, teams etc. all being used at the same time and deliver a satisfactory result.

I'd have to respectfully disagree with your assessment on this. My big issue, for home use, is I tend to keep Macs 6-10 years. 8GB will in no way shape or form be acceptable a few years down the road and it's simply obnoxious of Apple to ship a machine of this caliber with anything less than 16-32 as a base.

I really can't explain why your experience was so poor. The base M2 Air (8/256) handles web, email, office, Teams with ease for me. I mostly use Safari, Brave and Edge (but not Chrome), but everything else is like butter. And I run tons of windows and tabs - across 4 or 5 virtual desktops. I am, however, very stubborn about Rosetta apps and ONLY run universal apps on my Apple Silicon machines.

It's funny you mention that 16-32 should be the base config. I hear the same on the MacBook Pro forums about 16GB vs. 32GB and I can't explain that either.

The number of people who "8GB is fine for" is dwindling.
I'm still ok with the "base" model of 8GB, but the step-up version which is now 8/512 should have moved to 16GB. Then regular retailers could sell a version with 16GB instead of having to go BTO or a speciality Apple shop.

I used my base M1 MBA this past week while on vacation traveling instead of taking my MBP14 and it was great. But that was because my uses were more limited.

There's a reason that the step up version of the machine is 8/512 and not 16/256. Every single time I have been approached by a family member having trouble with their Mac, it's because they ran out of SSD space. They never come to me because they are low on RAM. They always run out of SSD first.

For them, extra RAM would be a waste, but SSD would be money well spent. If they are not sophisticated enough to know they need 16GB, then it's probably more RAM than they need. Us nerds, want better specs, but most normal people could not care less about 8GB vs 16GB RAM and probably couldn't tell.

Again - the MBA market is similar to the iMac market. Casual users for who need a computer to do computer stuff. The thing doesn't even have a fan! Email, photos, productivity work fine with 8GB.

If the price was the same, you'd take the 16GB machine all day long. That is part of my point. Apple should be selling 16GB base models in 2023. Otherwise, you are basically saying that paying an additional $200 for the 16GB model is fair. It's not, because most other companies offer 16GB (or more) on machines that cost $1299 and up. More often than not they offer 16GB base machines for far less. Again, it is 2023 not 2015. Most Mac owners own their machines for well over 5 years. In 2023 8GB of RAM should not be the base because in less than 5 years the current MBA will be slow, even for light work. You do realize that apps and OSs are using more and more RAM each year right?

And it is penny pinching on Apple's part. Just like removing the charging brick from new iPhones. They do this to help save the environment, right? Meanwhile the friendly folks working at the Apple store and on apple.com will point you in the direction of purchasing a charging brick that...wait for it...comes in retail box packaging! Or you can have one shipped to your door by Amazon, that comes in a nice cardboard box, along with the retail packaging.

If the price was the same then of course! Why wouldn't I want a BMW for Honda money!

I don't think that $200 for 16GB is particularly fair, but then I would only pay for it if I needed. It's actually a waste of money if it's never needed. A most people don't need it.

Sure OS and apps, get bigger every year, but they also need more CPU and GPU. And in 5-years time, when the M2 is long in the tooth, OS and apps will run better with faster CPU, GPU, RAM and SSD. Doesn't mean that we need today or anytime soon if what you're doing is general computer productivity.

I agree with you totally on RAM, but the slow 256gb SSD's have no place in any Mac....so this is a killer deal.

The 256GB SSD benchmarks less, I know that. I just can't tell the difference in daily use between the 256GB SSD in the M2 Air and the 1TB on my M1Pro. I am sure that some YouTube torture test could tell me I am wrong, but it makes no difference when doing email, web, photos, MS Office. The only reason to get the 512GB is because you need more space. If you're handling big files all day (which show up the slower SSD) then you would be better served with a large SSD. I rarely do massive file transfers on the M2 Air because it's not the machine to be doing intensive creative work.

 

[svish]

Good deal. Had just bought a 15" Air few days back. Fantastic MacBook.

 

[azentropy]

There's a reason that the step up version of the machine is 8/512 and not 16/256. Every single time I have been approached by a family member having trouble with their Mac, it's because they ran out of SSD space. They never come to me because they are low on RAM. They always run out of SSD first.

Of course, my point was that the step up version should have moved to 16/512 long ago. Even if it became a $300 jump instead of $200 jump just so standard retailers could stock the MBAs, iMacs, and the non-pro Mac mini versions with 16GB.

 

[CalMin]

Of course, my point was that the step up version should have moved to 16/512 long ago. Even if it became a $300 jump instead of $200 jump just so standard retailers could stock the MBAs, iMacs, and the non-pro Mac mini versions with 16GB.

Apple is very savvy about the pricing ladder and $300 would be too big an increment. I've found that no matter what you do, the next step of $100-200 is always very tempting. That's by design and is truly evil.

Fun fact - Apple doesn't advertise this, but if you ask about getting 16GB Air in the Apple Store, they actually usually have them in stock. But they never stock 16/512 (that's always BTO) they only stock 16/1TB which pushes you really high of you're not patient enough or can't wait for a BTO device i.e. into MBP territory.

However, I am standing by my point that 8/512 is logical because 8GB is fine for the majority of MBA users. People stepping up tend to need more space for photos and files. Those that need 16GB tend to know that they need 16GB because of the apps they use. I get the future-proofing argument, I don't advocate for because for most people most of the time it's just wasting cash. People generally run out of SSD space before they run out of RAM.