With Black Friday just around the corner, there are already some fantastic deals on MacBook Airs and Pros, and more are likely to be on the way. And you should not hesitate to buy.
With the recent news that Apple won’t release new Macs until next year, you may have decided to hold off on that Mac purchase. While you can absolutely wait until next year to get a better model, we think Black Friday is a great opportunity to invest in a new Mac. If you’re not sure whether you should buy now or wait until later, here are some reasons why you should invest.
It’s a perfect storm of deals
Apple hasn’t launched a new Mac since the Air arrived in July, so all models are set for deep discounts. The old but still great M1 Air is currently on sale for $799, and the new M2 Air is discounted for $150. The 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro are both $500 off. Mac mini has dropped to $750. Even the 24-inch iMacs are $150 off.
To help you shop, we’ve put together some guides to help you find the best Black Friday deals. We’ll keep track of the deals and post them in the articles below.
the waiting game
If your tendency is to wait, you will be waiting a long time. Apple isn’t expected to release any new Macs until March 2023 — probably before the end of that month. That’s a long four months later (three months if your new Mac purchase is a December holiday gift). This time can be spent enjoying the benefits of the new Mac – improved speed, better graphics, a new design.
Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro (left) and 14-inch MacBook Pro are great upgrades from the Intel-based MacBook.
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When Apple releases its new Macs, they’ll go on sale at their regular prices, and you’ll have to wait a few more weeks (or even months) before they see a significant reduction. Replacement Macs could also see a cut, but are you willing to wait and see what the chances are that prices won’t drop even further?
Because Apple regularly updates its products, it’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of always waiting for the latest and greatest. But you’ll be enjoying your new Mac almost immediately, and you’ll quickly make that money back in time saved with a better experience.
Further question: Black Friday may be your last best chance to buy a Mac before prices go up
Marginal and massive profits
I mentioned the improved processing speed as an immediate advantage, and this is especially true if you’re upgrading from an Intel-based Mac to a Mac with an M1 or M2 processor. The boost of M1 compared to Intel can be more than 30 percent and more with M2.
But the performance improvement from M1 to M2 is relatively marginal—10 to 15 percent. You have to do some serious math to notice this difference. In general use (web access, productivity tasks, and general Finder duties), the difference isn’t noticeable at all—and that’s the bulk of the improvements we can expect from next year’s updates.
The M2, like the current MacBook Air, offers a marginal increase in speed over the M1.
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If you’re using an Intel Mac and want to wait for the M2 versions of the Mac mini or the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, you certainly can. But unless you’re creating 3D content, making videos, writing apps, or doing other CPU-intensive tasks, you’re looking at extra performance that you won’t notice.
No major changes on the way (with one exception)
If you’re waiting to see if Apple will make design changes to its Macs, you’re in for a long wait. The iMac, Mac Studio, MacBook Air, and 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro all have designs that are just over a year old or younger. Apple has no plans to replace these Macs anytime soon. The 13-inch MacBook Pro probably won’t be replaced, as Apple uses it to address a certain segment of the market without making a significant investment in a new device.
Even if the Mac mini is redesigned next year, we can’t imagine it will look much different.
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Mac mini lovers have a more difficult situation. Apple’s $699 and $899 models with the M1 feature a design that has been used since 2010. Reports suggest that Apple could launch the updated M2 Mac mini in the spring of 2023, but some rumors also suggest that the new model could be higher-end. A replacement for the current $1,099 Intel-based Mac mini. Also, even if the new Mac mini is smaller than the current model, the current Mac mini is pretty small to begin with. So unless you really need a Mac smaller than the current Mac mini, there’s really no reason to wait.
The only Mac worth waiting for is the new Mac Pro. Apple now only offers Intel-based models, and when it introduces the M-series Mac Pro, it will also have a new design. However, the Mac Pro isn’t the kind of product that goes on sale on Black Friday, and it’s also being bought by the type of consumer who doesn’t wait for sales because they need power. now. So Mac Pro buyers can rest until 2023.