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Black Friday Drives MacBook Prices to New Lows, From $549 M1 Air to $1,399 M5 Pro

Record Black Friday prices across MacBook generations highlight the tradeoff between discounted legacy models versus the latest M5 performance.

Overview

  • Walmart is selling new MacBook Air units with the M1 chip (8GB/256GB) for $549 in Silver and Space Gray, marking the lowest price yet for this discontinued model.
  • Amazon cut the 14‑inch M5 MacBook Pro (10‑core, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) to $1,399.99, and is taking $199–$200 off additional M5 configurations including 1TB and 24GB RAM options.
  • Best Buy is offering an M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM for $649, delivering the newer design at one of the cheapest entry points to date.
  • Apple advertises the M5 chip as up to 15% faster for CPU tasks and up to 45% faster for graphics versus M4, framing the performance and longevity case for paying more.
  • The M1 Air remains capable for everyday use but is the oldest Air that runs macOS 26, raising uncertainty about support for macOS 27; a Grade A refurbished 2020 M1 Air is also featured at $399.99 through a reseller.