Unveiled: Apple Introduces the Budget-Friendly M2 MacBook Air at a Steal for $799 Before Prime Day Extravaganza - Insights From ZDNet

Exclusive: Apple Unveils Budget-Friendly M2 MacBook Air at $799 Before Prime Day Blowout In-Depth Look

ZDNET

We’re falling into fall, and in the tech world, that means we’ve seen lots of new product launches, announcements, and best of all, deals. Case in point: right now, the M2 Apple MacBook Air is on sale for just $799 at Amazon. That’s 20% off and the lowest price we’ve seen for this laptop since Best Buy offered it for the same rate back in July.

Also: The best early October Prime Day deals to shop now

With new Apple products recently launched and the holiday season on the horizon, it’s no surprise we’re seeing such competitive sales, but this one deserves particular mention. Plus, this deal is already hot, even several days ahead of October Prime Day .

Also: October Prime Day 2024: Everything you need to know

2022’s version of the lightweight powerhouse is still a solid machine two years later, with competitive specs that go up against much newer laptops on the market right now. In fact, this laptop was ZDNET’s product of the year when it was released in 2022, punching well above its weight in terms of performance and quickly becoming a favorite for professionals looking for power and portability.

M2 MacBook Air 2022 for $799 (Save $200 at Amazon) $799 at Amazon

The 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air has an 8- and 10-core GPU and an impressive 18 hours of battery life. The 8GB or 16GB of RAM can also be paired with up to 1TB of storage, to future-proof the machine.

Apple’s MacBook Air series are also perhaps one of the most popular ultraportable laptop families among consumers (and our pick for best overall ultraportable), having set an entirely new bar for performance with the introduction of Apple’s Silicon chips in 2020, and only improving since then. If you’re looking for a secondary laptop you can take with you for travel or on the go, it doesn’t get much lighter than the M2 MacBook Air.

Also: Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review: Sleeker, faster - and more expensive

Apple released its M3 MacBook Air lineup only nine months after the 15-inch M2 version was first announced in June 2023, marking what is likely to be a rapid succession of upgrades in the industry as a whole within the next few years.

This makes now a great time to spring for a new MacBook Air. Thinner yet with a larger screen than previous versions, the 2022 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air also comes with a vibrant screen with up to 500-nits of brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate, a 1080p FaceTime webcam, two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, and the coveted 3.5mm headphone jack. It also comes in four iconic color tones: Midnight, Silver, Space Gray, and Starlight.

AI-powered laptops are the future, and right now, manufacturers are putting their attention into developing cutting-edge tech that harnesses these capabilities into new machines.

Many folks don’t need top-of-the-line AI integration just yet. The reality is that day-to-day workflows for most people are still reliant on powerful, reliable laptops that can tackle whatever you throw at it, and the M2 MacBook Air is a machine that fulfills exactly that need, while being light as air.

When will this deal expire?

Deals are subject to sell-out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We’re sorry if you’ve missed out on this deal, but don’t fret – we’re constantly finding new chances to score savings and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com .