Mac Air Black Friday 2018

Black Friday MacBook Air deals: early sales and predictions

MacBook Air on a yellow background, with a TechRadar Black Friday MacBook Air deals badge

(Image credit: Future)

If you're hoping for some Black Friday MacBook Air deals this year, then you may just be in luck, as we're already seeing some tempting offers on Apple's excellent thin and light laptop, even though Black Friday 2021 is still a few weeks away (on November 26).

The MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is the latest model, and when it launched last year, we were incredibly impressed with how it combined excellent performance with a thin and light design, top-notch battery life and a reasonably affordable price tag. That's why it remains our pick for the best laptop in the world right now.

However, because it is now a year old, and Apple has just released the new MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) and MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021), it means that many retailers are going to be tempted to cut the price of the MacBook Air for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so we should see much better deals than last year, when Black Friday was only a few weeks after the launch of the new MacBook Air.

While the MacBook Air didn't get an update this year, there are rumors suggesting that a new MacBook Air (2022) could arrive early next year, which means this year's Black Friday could be the perfect opportunity for retailers to slash prices and move stock to make room for the newer model.

Even though the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is a year old, it's still a fantastic laptop, and we're seeing some early Black Friday deals already for the device. This makes it a brilliant time to buy the MacBook Air, with Black Friday now only a few weeks away.

Today's best MacBook Air deals

With Black Friday 2021 now mere weeks away, we're going to start seeing some excellent MacBook Air deals pop up, and we'll place the very best ones we find here. While many retailers are expected to cut the price of the latest M1 MacBook Air model, keep an eye out for deals on slightly older Intel-powered MacBook Airs.

These remain excellent laptops, and they are likely to get even bigger discounts on Black Friday.

Today's best early Black Friday MacBook Air deals

Black Friday MacBook Air deals: Our Predictions

When will the best Black Friday MacBook Air deals start in 2021?

You're not going to have to wait until the end of November to start seeing epic MacBook Air Black Friday deals. Every year, we've seen retailers begin to cut their prices earlier and earlier, so expect some decent MacBook Air deals to start cropping up throughout November.

As we mentioned above, with a new MacBook Air likely to come out in 2022, retailers could be keen to sell their existing stock of MacBook Airs quickly, so we could be in for some great deals.

Where are the best places to find Black Friday MacBook Air deals?

Your first port of call when looking for a MacBook Air deal may be Apple's own store, but Apple rarely cuts prices, even on Black Friday, so you're better off going to the following stores for MacBook Air deals:

Top US retailers
Apple: Loads of configuration options but not many deals
Amazon: Big selection of MacBook Air deals
Best Buy: has a large selection of MacBook Air models
Walmart: Offers on new and old MacBook Air models

Top UK retailers
Apple: Apple's own store lets you configure the MacBook Air
Amazon: Big selection of MacBook Air deals
Currys: free delivery, plus a wide selection of MacBook Airs
John Lewis: extended warranties on MacBook Air models

Should you wait for a Black Friday MacBook Air deal?

Not at all. As we said earlier, retailers are cutting prices earlier every year, so if you don't start looking until the end of November, there is a danger that you may miss out on some amazing deals that went live earlier in the month. So, it's worth keeping an eye out for MacBook Air deals already. Bookmark this page and check back regularly, as we'll put all the best ones we find here.

If you do find an early Black Friday MacBook Air deal that looks fantastic, and is the perfect price for you, then don't risk waiting for a better deal - go for it. Having said that, it's likely that some retailers will hold off their best prices until Black Friday on November 26, It's a tricky balance, so it can pay off to wait, but if there's a killer early deal, then don't hold off on it.

3 Black Friday MacBook Air deals to look out for

Here are some of the MacBook Air models to keep an eye out for on Black Friday.

MacBook Air deals sales — (Image credit: Apple)

MacBook Air M1 (2020) deals

Apple brings M1 to play

CPU: Apple M1 8-core CPU | Graphics: 7-core GPU | Screen: 13.3-inch 2,560 x 1,600 Retina True Tone display (backlit LED, IPS) | Storage: 256GB to 2TB | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.63 inches (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.61cm; W x D x H)

Powerful new processor

Bigger storage options

Less fan performance than Pro

No design changes

If you're after a performance boost, but still need that lightweight form factor, the new MacBook Air M1 might be your best bet. Don't worry though, there's a serious performance boost in this model but you're not paying as much for it as you may think. In fact, we even saw some early discounts over Black Friday 2020, so Apple certainly isn't afraid to drop this price every now and then.

The new M1 chip gives Intel a serious run for its money, and battery life doesn't even suffer for it. Plus, you're getting it all for the same price as the previous model which makes this the go-to for a 2020 release right now.

MacBook Air prices deals sales — (Image credit: Apple)

2020 MacBook Air deals

Last year's Intel release is getting extra cheap

CPU: 1.1GHz dual-core 10th-generation Intel Core i3 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 8GB - 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit True Tone display with IPS technology | Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56cm; W x D x H)

Extra starting storage

Cheaper price point

Latest release

The 2020 MacBook Air price starts at $999/£999/AU$1,599 for the 256GB model, which comes with a dual-core 10th generation Intel Core i3 processor and 8GB of RAM. If you're interested in more storage, the 512GB MacBook Air price comes in at $1,299/£1,299/AU$1,999 and packs a 10th gen i5 processor instead.

If you're looking to buy this MacBook Air, it's also worth noting that it offers Touch ID, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and is available in your color choice of Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. Perhaps the most significant upgrade, the cheap MacBook Air 2020 comes with the new and improved Magic Keyboard, which features the revamped scissor-switch keyboard to avoid issues from the 2019 model.

cheap macbook air deals — (Image credit: Apple)

2019 MacBook Air deals

Better value in higher specs

CPU: 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 617 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit True Tone display with IPS technology | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56cm; W x D x H)

Falling prices in higher spec models

Slightly better battery life

Thinner and lighter than 2020

Far less value for money in the cheaper models

The MacBook Air 2019 is only marginally different from the 2018 version which it set out to replace. While it does still only offer 128GB of storage space on its entry level model, making that version far less value for money over the cheaper 2020 release, you'll still be able to score yourself a bargain on higher specs when MacBook Air deals take off. If you're only looking at the baseline specs, however, we wouldn't recommend that you buy this MacBook Air deal.

The 2019 MacBook Air's main selling points over the 2018 model is the addition of the MacBook Pro's True Tone screen that automatically adjusts color temperatures on the screen depending on the ambient light of the room you're working in. A new third-generation Butterfly keyboard is less likely to see keys sticking or becoming unresponsive too, which will alleviate some of the loss of the new Magic Keyboard on the 2020 model.

2018 MacBook Air deals

Only buy at a fantastic price for everyday browsing

Renewed prices can be excellent

Still offers Retina display

Components are ageing fast

The MacBook Air 2018 is largely obsolete nowadays, seeing as it's two generations behind but still not quite as cheap as the 2017 version below. However, if you're looking at a particularly good renewed price or a clearance sale it's worth noting that you're picking up an older Amber Lake processor as well as flash storage rather than the industry standard SSD. That could make for a slower overall experience, but if you're only looking for everyday browsing this machine still offers cheap MacBook Air deals every now and then.

See more Apple devices on sale with our Apple Black Friday deals guide.

Senior Computing editor

Matt (Twitter) is TechRadar's Senior Computing editor. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. If you're encountering a problem or need some advice with your PC or Mac, drop him a line on Twitter.