You’ve probably been there before. It’s midnight, you’re staring at a screen with seventeen tabs open, and your finger is hovering over the "Buy Now" button for a new MacBook. You want that discount. You need that discount. But then that annoying little voice in the back of your head whispers, "Wait, what if it’s cheaper on Monday?" Honestly, buying a Mac during the holidays is basically a high-stakes game of poker where Tim Cook holds all the face cards.
Everyone thinks the Apple Store is the place to be. It isn't. Not if you actually want to save cold, hard cash. Apple’s version of a sale is handing you a gift card after you’ve already paid them full price. It’s like a friend "repaying" you for lunch with a voucher for more lunch. Kinda helpful, but it doesn't help your bank account right now.
If you’re hunting for black friday deals on apple computers, you have to look at the retailers who are actually willing to slash prices to move inventory. Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H are usually the real MVPs here. In 2025, we saw something pretty wild: the brand-new M4 MacBook Air dropped to $749 almost immediately. That’s a 25% discount on a machine that had barely been on shelves.
The M4 Factor: What Most People Get Wrong
There’s this weird myth that Apple never discounts their newest tech. That’s just wrong. Retailers like Amazon use the latest M4 chips as "loss leaders." They’ll take a hit on the laptop price just to get you into their ecosystem, hoping you’ll buy a $60 case and a $100 dongle while you’re at it.
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The M4 MacBook Air, specifically the 13-inch model with 16GB of RAM, became the "it" item last season. Most shoppers were still looking at the M2 or M3, thinking those would be the only ones on sale. Big mistake. The price gap between a discounted M2 and a discounted M4 became so small—sometimes less than $100—that buying the older model was actually a worse value.
Think about it. You’re getting a faster Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence, a better display, and more "future-proofing" for the price of a couple of nice dinners. If you see the M4 Air for anything under $800, you stop reading and you buy it. Seriously.
MacBook Pro: The Real Money Savers
Now, the MacBook Pro is a different beast. This is where the big numbers live. We’re talking $250 to $400 off the high-end M5 and M4 Max models.
For the power users—the video editors, the 3D renders, the people who actually know what "unified memory" means—the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro saw a surprise drop to $1,399 at Best Buy. That’s $200 off the sticker price for a machine that can basically handle anything short of launching a rocket.
- 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro: Often hits $1,399-$1,449.
- 16-inch M4 Pro/Max: These are the ones that see $400+ discounts because their MSRP is so high.
- The "Base" Pro: Avoid the 8GB RAM models if they still exist in your region. Apple Intelligence really wants that 16GB floor.
Don't Forget the "Tiny" Desktops
The Mac Mini is the best-kept secret in the Apple world. It’s the cheapest way to get into macOS, and during Black Friday, it gets even cheaper. The M4 Mac Mini dropped to $479 last year. For a computer that fits in a backpack and outperforms most bulky PC towers, that is an absolute steal.
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You do have to bring your own monitor and mouse, though. If you don't have those, the iMac is your target. The 24-inch M4 iMac usually sees about a $150 discount, bringing it down to around $1,149. It’s a great "family" computer, but honestly, the Mac Mini paired with a decent 4K monitor is usually the smarter financial move.
Where to Actually Click
Timing is everything. Most of the "best" black friday deals on apple computers actually start the week before Thanksgiving. By the time Friday morning rolls around, the most popular configurations (usually the Midnight or Space Black colors) are often on backorder.
- Amazon: Usually has the lowest raw price but "clippable coupons" can be tricky. Look closely at the product page.
- Best Buy: If you’re a "My Best Buy Plus" member, you can sometimes get an extra $50 off on top of the sale price.
- B&H Photo: Great for high-end, custom-specced MacBook Pros (like 64GB RAM versions) that Amazon doesn't stock.
- Walmart: They usually stick to the "budget" models, like the M1 MacBook Air for $549. It’s an older design, but for a student who just needs to write papers, it’s still a tank.
Is the M1 Still Worth It?
This is the question that haunts every budget shopper. The M1 MacBook Air for $549 or $599 looks tempting. It’s cheap. It’s iconic. But we’re getting to the point where macOS support for the M1 won't last forever.
If you can stretch your budget to $699 for an M2 or $749 for an M4, do it. The jump in performance and battery life is noticeable. Plus, the M2 and newer models use the MagSafe charger, which frees up your USB-C ports and saves your laptop from flying off the table if someone trips over the cord.
Your Game Plan for the Next Sale
Stop waiting for the "perfect" moment. If you see a MacBook Air for $200 off or a MacBook Pro for $250 off, that is likely the floor. These prices rarely drop further on Cyber Monday; usually, the stock just runs out and you're left waiting six weeks for shipping.
Start by checking Amazon and Best Buy on the Monday before Thanksgiving. Bookmark the specific configuration you want—don't just search "MacBook," search "14-inch MacBook Pro M5 16GB RAM." Check the price history using tools like CamelCamelCamel to make sure the "sale" is actually a sale. If the price hits that $200-off mark, pull the trigger. You can always return it if a miracle happens and it drops another $20 on Monday, but usually, the only thing that happens on Monday is the "Out of Stock" sign.
Focus on the M4 lineup for the best balance of longevity and discount depth. If you’re a pro, look at the 14-inch M5 models. And whatever you do, don't buy the base model iPad thinking it's a "computer" replacement unless you're prepared for the limitations of iPadOS. Stick to the Mac for real work.