When to Buy a MacBook: The Complete Pricing Calendar

Why This Article Exists

A member of the BuyGetRewards Editorial Staff once purchased a MacBook Pro at full price on a Tuesday in October. Three days later, Apple announced a new model and the previous generation dropped by $200. The staff member does not discuss this incident. We discuss it on their behalf, as a public service.

MacBook pricing follows seasonal patterns. These patterns are documented nowhere in their entirety. They are now documented here.

The Month-by-Month Calendar

January: Post-Holiday Clearance

Expected discount: $50-$150 off MSRP

Retailers clear holiday inventory. Best Buy and Amazon typically offer $50-$100 off current-generation MacBooks throughout January. Refurbished stock from holiday returns hits Apple's refurbished store around January 15-20. This is not the best time to buy, but it is not the worst. It is, in the parlance of our analysis, "acceptable."

February: The Doldrums

Expected discount: $0-$50 off MSRP

February is the least interesting month for MacBook deals. Prices return to near-MSRP. Retailers are between promotional cycles. The Editorial Staff recommends patience. Patience costs nothing and frequently pays dividends. We are aware this sounds like a fortune cookie. We stand by it.

March: New Model Announcement Window

Expected discount: $100-$300 off outgoing models

Apple has announced new MacBook Air models in March in three of the past four years (2022, 2024, 2025). When a new model is announced, the previous generation immediately drops $100-$200 at third-party retailers. Apple's own store discontinues the old model, but Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H sell remaining stock at significant discounts. In March 2025, the M3 MacBook Air dropped to $899 within 48 hours of the M4 announcement. This is the single most predictable deal of the year.

Strategy: If you do not need the newest model — and the Editorial Staff gently submits that you probably do not — March is an excellent time to buy the previous generation.

April-May: Stability

Expected discount: $50-$100 off MSRP

Prices stabilize. Occasional Amazon lightning deals appear for 4-8 hours, typically $50-$100 off. These are worth catching but not worth planning your life around.

June: Prime Day Preview

Expected discount: $50-$100 off MSRP, increasing toward month end

Amazon begins pre-Prime Day pricing in late June. MacBook discounts of $50-$100 appear as "early deals." Best Buy and Walmart match selectively. The Editorial Staff recommends waiting for the actual Prime Day event unless the pre-event price matches historical Prime Day lows, which it occasionally does.

July: Prime Day

Expected discount: $100-$200 off MSRP

Amazon Prime Day (typically mid-July) consistently delivers $100-$150 off current-generation MacBooks. In July 2025, the MacBook Air M4 13-inch base model hit $949 — a $150 discount. The 15-inch hit $1,049. Best Buy matches Amazon's Prime Day pricing in real-time, a practice they call "competitive pricing" and we call "copying Amazon's homework."

Historical Prime Day MacBook Air prices:

2023 (M2): $899 ($200 off MSRP)
2024 (M3): $949 ($150 off MSRP)
2025 (M4): $849 ($150 off MSRP)

Prime Day is the second-best buying window of the year.

August-September: Back to School

Expected discount: Apple gift card promotion + education pricing

Apple's Back to School promotion runs from approximately mid-June through late September. The current offer: a $150 Apple Gift Card with any MacBook purchase through Apple's education store. Combined with the education pricing discount ($50-$100 off MSRP), the effective savings reach $200-$250.

You must be a student, educator, parent of a student, or someone who falls into one of Apple's other eligible categories. The verification process is... let us say, less rigorous than one might expect. We make no recommendation regarding the verification process. We merely observe that it exists.

October: New MacBook Pro Window

Expected discount: $100-$300 off outgoing Pro models

Apple typically announces new MacBook Pro models in October or November. The pattern mirrors March: outgoing models drop immediately. If you are shopping for a MacBook Pro specifically, October is your month. MacBook Air pricing is largely unaffected.

November: Black Friday

Expected discount: $150-$250 off MSRP

Black Friday is the best single day for MacBook deals. Period.

Historical Black Friday MacBook Air prices:

2023 (M2): $799 ($300 off MSRP)
2024 (M3): $849 ($250 off MSRP)
2025 (M4): $749 ($250 off MSRP)

The $749 MacBook Air M4 on Black Friday 2025 was the lowest verified price for that model to date. Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart all converged on this price within hours of each other. B&H matched by end of day. It was the closest thing to retailer solidarity we have ever witnessed.

Black Friday deals typically begin on the Monday before Thanksgiving and extend through Cyber Monday. The best prices appear on Thanksgiving Day itself and Black Friday morning.

December: Cyber Week Hangover

Expected discount: $100-$200 off MSRP, declining

Deals persist through early December but weaken. By December 15, prices return to near-MSRP. Last-minute holiday shoppers pay a premium. The Editorial Staff does not shop last-minute. We shop according to the calendar. This calendar.

The Optimal Strategy

If you can wait: Buy on Black Friday. Savings of $200-$250 on current-generation models are virtually guaranteed.

If you need one now: Check Amazon and B&H daily. Set a CamelCamelCamel price alert at your target price. The MacBook Air M4 at $849 or below is a strong buy at any time of year.

If you are flexible on generation: Buy in March when the new model launches and the previous generation drops $150-$250.

If you are a student: Buy during Back to School (June-September) and stack the education discount with the gift card promotion.

A Final Note

We maintain a price-tracking spreadsheet that is updated daily. It has 547 rows and counting. We have considered publishing it. We have decided against it, partly because the formatting is inconsistent and partly because some cells contain notes like "why did Walmart do this" and "Best Buy appears to be having a moment," which are not suitable for public consumption.

The deals on our deals page reflect this tracking. They are, we believe, correct.

-- The BuyGetRewards Editorial Staff