Apple’s latest lineup of MacBook Pro models is the most powerful crop of laptops that the company has ever created. But if you dive into the benchmarks a bit, the M3 MacBook Pro line isn’t really all that much more powerful than the M2 MacBook Pro lineup from Apple. With that in mind, and since the previous-generation models are all on sale with discounts of up to $300 off, it’s definitely a good idea to save some cash and pick up an M2 model right now.
Prices start at $1,049.99 instead of $1,299 for the M2 MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Or, if you want to upgrade to the 512GB model, you’ll still save $300.
Apple’s compact Mac mini M2 is currently on sale for just $499, which is close to the lowest price ever. The newest Mac mini may very well be the fastest compact computer on the market right now. And it’s thanks in most part to the M-series Apple chips that power this sleek desktop.
Of course, people looking for a new laptop will find the same powerful Apple silicon in Apple’s MacBook Pro laptops. What many people don’t realize, however, is that Apple’s M3 chips aren’t much faster or more powerful than the previous-generation M2 chips. And in terms of efficiency, there aren’t any notable gains at all since Apple’s newest M3 laptops have the same battery life estimates as their predecessors.
With all that in mind, you should definitely save some money if you’re shopping for a new base-model MacBook Pro by opting for an M2 model instead of an M3 MacBook Pro.
Since the newer M3 models are now here, M2 MacBook Pro laptops are on sale with some seriously impressive discounts. It’s rare that you can pick up a “Pro” laptop from Apple that costs just over $1,000. At the moment, however, that’s exactly the case.
The base model M2 MacBook Pro starts at $1,299 at full retail, but Amazon is offering it for $1,049.99 on sale. That’s a $250 discount, and it’s the best price we’ve seen this year.
Of note, you can also save $300 on the 512GB model, so that’s an even better deal.
The M2 MacBook Pro features impressive specs like a stunning 13-inch Retina display, an 8-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and up to 20 hours of battery life. That means many people will get two days or more out of this laptop before it needs to be recharged.
If you absolutely must have the latest and greatest from Apple — even though I’ve warned you that it’s not a big upgrade — there are M3 models on sale, too.
Most notably, the entry-level M3 MacBook Pro 14-inch laptop is $199 off at $1,399.99. Or, if you want a massive power boost, the MacBook Pro 14-inch with an M3 Pro chip starts at $1,799, down from $1,999.
You can also find more MacBook deals in our guide on the best Apple deals.
