Best Black Friday MacBook Deals 2021: Cheapest Prices Today

Black Friday is finally here (and we’re more than halfway through it already) and some nice Black Friday MacBook deals have rolled in, so there are great bargains out there if you’re looking to save big on the latest M1 MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. We’ve rounded up a couple of the best Black Friday deals going on at the moment, and we’ve also cast an even wider net to catch all the top Black Friday laptop deals as well. Read on while we guide you through what you need to know about the Black Friday MacBook deals and which ones you should buy right now.

If you still need help figuring out which MacBook is best for you, check out our guide to help you decide which MacBook you should buy on Black Friday.

Best Black Friday MacBook deals

• 2020 MacBook Air M1 — $850, was $1,000
• 2020 MacBook Pro M1 — $1,199, was $1,299

2020 MacBook Air M1 — $850, was $1,000

Why buy:

• Lightweight design
• Great battery life
• Powerful processor
• Plenty of storage

The 2020 MacBook Air is effectively the Mac starter kit, and we mean that in a good way. Well-priced and with plenty to love, it’s ideal if you’re new to Macs or simply looking to upgrade from an existing Mac system. With a great keyboard, excellent build quality, and far superior performance than past models, it’s a great choice even if it’s not quite the latest MacBook Air anymore. Our MacBook Air buying guide lays out everything you need to know about picking out a MacBook Air, but we also have a breakdown of other things you need to know before buying one of the best MacBooks.

In the case of this MacBook Air, you get the Apple M1 processor, which provides superior performance compared to Intel-based MacBooks. This also means you get to reap the benefit of better battery management, as this laptop will last you up to 18 hours. That means there’s no need to find a power source throughout the working day and beyond for most users. You’d think that would mean inferior speed, but the M1 chip delivers up to 3.5-times faster performance than the previous generation of MacBook Airs. Somehow, it does all that with a fanless design that lets it run super quietly while still remaining very cool.

The benefits of the 2020 MacBook Air don’t stop there, either. You also get a stunning 13.3-inch Retina display that looks fantastic. Text is sharp and clear, while colors look incredibly vibrant. It’s the kind of experience that will make you question how you put up with regular HD screens beforehand. You also get a convenient FaceTime HD camera, Touch ID support — so you can log in easily with a touch of your finger — and a backlit keyboard. Everything about the MacBook Air is attractively designed, so it’s a really stylish system that’s ideal for working, studying, or simply relaxing at home.

2020 MacBook Pro — $1,199, was $1,299

Why buy:

• Fast performance
• Sleek design
• Great screen
• Extensive battery life

The 2020 MacBook Pro 13-inch M1 is a delightful MacBook to use. It offers fantastic performance, equally exceptional battery life, a gorgeous display, great speakers, and a comfortable keyboard. It’s the kind of device that you’ll wonder how you lived without, but make sure to look through our MacBook Pro 13 buying guide, so you know what to expect. Best of all, it should last you a number of years, as is often the case with most MacBook systems.

At its heart, the MacBook Pro has an Apple-designed M1 chip that represents a huge leap in performance for Apple systems. Its 8-core CPU delivers up to 2.8-times faster performance than previous generations of the MacBook Pro. Its GPU, though, provides up to five times faster graphics, making it ideal for video editing, photo editing, and even some light gaming. Combined with that is a 16-core Neural Engine that provides advanced machine learning for all-around superior performance. Despite all that power, you somehow still get to enjoy up to 20 hours of battery life — the longest ever seen on a Mac laptop. It’s the kind of battery life that means you’re likely to not need to recharge it for a couple of days at a time, which is sure to be useful.

The MacBook Pro continues to be smart and convenient. It has a decent amount of storage — 256GB to be exact — along with 8GB of memory, so it can multitask pretty well. Its 13.3-inch Retina display is predictably gorgeous. With 500 nits of brightness, you’re guaranteed vibrant colors and incredible image detail. It’s a real game-changer, especially if you plan on doing a lot of creative work on the system. There’s also a FaceTime HD camera for taking video calls for work or pleasure. Even the MacBook Pro’s keyboard feels great and is comfortable to tap on for extended periods of time. It also includes a Touch Bar at the top of the keyboard for personalized interactions with specific apps. Simply put, everything about the MacBook Pro is incredibly convenient and simple to use. It’s just what you need for both work and fun.

Should you shop the best Black Friday MacBook deals or wait until Cyber Monday?

Yes, in a word. If you see a great deal, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t snap it up during Black Friday. Right now, there are some extensive stock shortages globally due to ongoing chip shortages, so MacBooks and pretty much all other technology are tough to find, especially on sale. Besides the fact that the sale may end quickly, stock might simply run out, meaning you’ll miss out on a great deal. If the deal you see suits your budget and needs, don’t miss out — buy it. You’re likely to actually receive it in time for the holidays. Wait any longer and your order might get pushed back substantially.

Cyber Monday is often more of a rerun of the best Black Friday MacBook deals. You’ll often see the same deals run into Cyber Monday, but that’s far from guaranteed. Wait too long, and there’s no guarantee that the discount will still be there on Cyber Monday or that there will even still be stock of what you’re looking for. Remember, if you do happen to see your purchase cheaper on Cyber Monday — though, it’s honestly unlikely — you still have options. You can choose to cancel your order or even return the item if it’s already been shipped. Just make sure that anything you do decide to buy on Cyber Monday will actually arrive in time for the holidays, or it might not be worth your while. A good deal is only a good deal if you actually get the item reasonably soon after you order it. Otherwise, you might feel like you’re missing out.

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