An impressive piece of machinery,
Timothy Beck Werth wrote of the M5 MacBook Air. Right now, shoppers can grab Apple’s latest laptop with steep early Black Friday price cuts.
Retailers Cut Prices on 13-Inch and 15-Inch Air Models
Major retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo rolled out early Black Friday discounts ahead of the holiday shopping season. The base 13-inch MacBook Air featuring the M5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage dropped to $1,099.99, marking a $200 savings from its recent price, according to The Verge. The larger 15-inch model with matching memory and storage specs is similarly discounted by $200 to $1,299.99 across the same major retail outlets. B&H Photo, Best Buy, and Amazon are all offering the 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM setup for $1,299.99 across a wide selection of colors.
Throughout the week, Amazon is cutting $199 off almost every M5 MacBook Air configuration, matching the lowest post-price-increase rates previously recorded for the device. The 13-inch 512GB version now begins at $1,099.99, while the 15-inch 512GB variant starts at $1,299.99.
Regarding the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air variations, costs begin at $1,299.00 for the 16GB/512GB configuration, representing a drop from its previous $1,499.00 rate. Shoppers can additionally secure the 16GB/1TB tier at a reduced rate of $1,549.00 instead of $1,799.00, marking a $250 discount and a record-low price point for Black Friday.
For buyers looking for more local capacity, configurations equipped with a full 1TB of storage see even larger price drops. Amazon and Best Buy trimmed $250 off both the 13-inch and 15-inch variants with 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSDs, landing at $1,349 and $1,549 respectively, according to Mashable. CNET Senior Editor Matt Elliott noted in his evaluation that The M5 Air adds generation-over-generation performance gains, with the M5 model outpacing the previous M4 Air on both the single- and multicore tests of Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2024.
Elliott also highlighted the machine’s thin, light and rigid aluminum design.
Additionally, tech editor Timothy Beck Werth called it an impressive piece of machinery with a premium, lightweight design, a fantastic display, and a ridiculously fast processor.
The 13-inch 16GB RAM / 1TB storage MacBook Air has dropped from $1,599 to $1,349, while the 15-inch model has been reduced from its typical $1,799 price to $1,549. Other configurations of Apple’s ultraportable are all $200 off. Apple’s 2026 MacBook Air features the Apple M5 chip, which keeps the laptop cool and performance-ready over time without the fan acting up, and is built for multitasking from WFH workers to in-office troopers.
Best early Black Friday Apple deals: HomeView, MacBook Air $250 off, Apple Watch Ultra $250 off, AirPods, more https://t.co/HRfUWPhpRv
The Air offers better value in numerous ways, providing faster performance with double the RAM, a speedier CPU with more cores, twice as much storage, better speakers, a backlit keyboard, and a larger, higher-resolution screen compared to the newer MacBook Neo.
How Pro Series Deals Compare
While the MacBook Air lineup claims discounts up to $250, Apple’s professional-tier portables also feature early holiday price adjustments. Best Buy slashed $200 off the base 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro, bringing its price down to $1,799 from its regular price of $1,999. That professional configuration is still the best option for users who want the processing power of the Pro line without spending cash on higher-end models that run several thousand dollars. The base model features Apple’s M5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.
Another model provides the power of the M5 with storage for $1,599, which is $250 off its regular price of $1,799. Additional hardware promotions are available from retailers, including the M5 Max Mac Studio featuring 36GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD discounted to $2,299.00 from $2,499.00, alongside the standard M6 Mac mini listed at $779, which provides a $120 savings off the standard cost.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 has dropped to $699.99 on Amazon from $799.00, while Best Buy offers a collection of previous-generation Apple Watch Ultra 3 models for $549.00 down from $799.00.
Early Black Friday Apple deals: MacBook Air $250 off, HomeView, Apple Watch Ultra $250 off, AirPods, more https://t.co/5SOtkVtbwF by @justinkahnmusic
Secure Apple Hardware Offers Before Black Friday
With Black Friday officially scheduled for November 27, 2026, market analysts recommend securing these hardware offers early. Last year, discounts on Apple portables did not exceed $250, and in 2024 Amazon offered $255 off a couple of models, suggesting current early-bird prices match or rival the best reductions expected later in the month. Retailers warn that inventory on specific colorways and high-demand configurations remains dependent on stock levels, and promotional bonuses such as gift cards may expire before the official shopping holiday arrives.
Early Black Friday pricing on Apple hardware was scheduled to go live on Friday, November 7, with discounts across nearly every product line, reflecting the retail strategy of clearing out inventory to make room for new models with upcoming chipsets ahead of the release of new Mac Minis and MacBook Pros in the fall and MacBook Air models in the spring.
Earlier coverage: Retailers Offer Early Black Friday Deals on AirPods and MacBooks
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More https://t.co/0VvlwIfX1h pic.twitter.com/Gy2h8s8Jhk
