Tech / Technology

Early Black Friday MacBook deals 2023

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Pick up a 15-inch MacBook Air for $250 off or grab an M2 Mac mini for $549 while early Black Friday sales are on.
person working on starlight macbook air

Here are our favorite early Black Friday MacBook deals as of Nov. 7:

Early Black Friday MacBook deals
Best MacBook deal for creatives

15-inch MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,249 at Amazon and Best Buy
(Save $150)

starlight 15-inch macbook air

Best MacBook deal under $1,000

2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$949 at Best Buy and B&H
(Save $150)

space gray 2022 macbook air



It’s no secret that Apple MacBooks aren’t the cheapest laptops out there — especially with the release of the $7,199-plus MacBook Pro.

While that particular model hasn’t gone on sale just yet, plenty of other early Black Friday MacBook deals are already live. Though you’ll probably have minimal trouble picking up a discounted MacBook on the actual day of Black Friday on Nov. 24 or Cyber Monday on Nov. 27, there are plenty of options worth checking out ahead of the holiday.

SEE ALSO:

The best early Black Friday laptop deals 2023: Sales have already started at Best Buy, Dell, and beyond

As of Nov. 7, most configurations of the 15-inch MacBook Air that came out in 2023 are on sale for at least $250 off. You’ll also see savings on newer and older MacBook Pros, as well as M1 and M2 iMacs and Mac minis, respectively. You can check out all the discounts live so far below.

Mac and MacBook deals


starlight 15-inch macbook air

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 15-inch MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,249 at Amazon and Best Buy

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the 15-inch MacBook Air.

The 15-inch MacBook Air is an official recipient of a Mashable Choice award. Why? Its M2 processor will power you through everyday tasks to multimedia editing with ease, and gives you the proper display space to actually do it. Its long-lasting battery life doesn’t hurt either. Though it’s not quite as light and portable as the rest of the Air line, it’s an exceptional upgrade pick that doesn’t quite reach the $2,000-plus heights of the Pro line. At the time of writing, the 256GB configuration of this laptop does have the more significant discount, but the power and display size of this laptop is best suited for the creative person who will probably appreciate the extra built-in storage. Grab it on sale at Amazon and Best Buy.


space gray 2022 macbook air

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$949 at Best Buy and B&H (save $150)

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M2 MacBook Air.

If you’re looking for a zippy work-from-home machine or the perfect school companion, look no further. Though Apple did just release the new M3 chip to its iMac and MacBook lineup, the M2 is still plenty powerful. You’ll also get 13.6 inches of display (as opposed to the 13.3 inches of the previous gen Air), a near-perfect keyboard, and best of all, this laptop is just $50 away from its lowest price ever. Grab it from Best Buy or B&H.

More Mac and MacBook deals

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

Mac

Tech / Technology

Apple will refresh entire iPad lineup next year, report claims

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After skipping a whole year, Apple plans to fully refresh its iPad lineup in 2024.
Apple iPad

After skipping a whole year, Apple plans to fully refresh its iPad lineup in 2024.

This is according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who shared his thoughts on Apple’s next “big thing” on Sunday. Gurman notes that Apple hasn’t released a new iPad in all of 2023, something that has never happened in iPad’s history. And while there’s still two months left in the year, Gurman thinks new iPads aren’t coming until 2024.

“Apple could have tried to rush out more new products, but revamped iPads and AirPods aren’t yet ready. The company plans to update its entire iPad lineup during 2024,” he wrote. He doesn’t specify the models, but “entire lineup” would mean iPad mini, iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. All of these products were last updated in 2022, except the iPad mini, which was updated in 2021.

Notably, just a few weeks ago Gurman thought we were, in fact, getting new iPads late this year.

In his new report, Gurman also says that new AirPods are also coming in 2024, while new AirPods Pro won’t launch until 2025.

The report also mentions the anticipated M3 Ultra chip. Apple recently launched a trio of new chips: the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max, but the company is expected to top all of that with an ultra-powerful (doh) M3 Ultra. However, according to Gurman, that chip “hasn’t yet gone into broad testing.”

SEE ALSO:

M3 Max MacBook Pro is as fast as the most powerful Mac desktop — here’s proof

As far as new Macs coming in the near future, the report says that the new Mac Studio is in development, and that new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, as well as Mac mini, are coming in 2024.

Tech / Technology

35+ Early Black Friday Apple deals: iPads, iPhones, more

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Score early Black Friday deals on the AirPods Pro at their record-low price for an iPad mini or Air for $100 off.
person using apple pencil on ipad mini

Black Friday sales have already begun, bringing with them a bunch of Apple discounts. Here are our favorites as of Nov. 2:

Best early Black Friday Apple deals:
Best Mac deal

2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899 at B&H
(Save $200)

2022 macbook air in midnight

Best iPad deal

2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$249 at Amazon and Walmart
(Save $80)

silver 2021 ipad

Best iPhone deal

iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 when you open a new line on select unlimited plans
(Save $799)

midnight iphone 14 plus

Best Apple Watch deal

Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS)

$234.89 at Amazon
(Save $44.11)

midnight apple watch SE



Best AirPods deal

AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

$189 at Walmart
(Save $60)

airpods pro with case

Deals on Apple products actually aren’t too hard to find — if you know where and when to look. While you don’t have to wait for a shopping holiday to get savings on iPads, MacBooks, and more, Black Friday Apple deals tend to be some of the best of the year.

This year, Black Friday savings are in line with years past and starting nice and early, with Best Buy, Walmart, and more all running sales throughout the month before we officially hit Black Friday on Nov. 24.

SEE ALSO:

Black Friday sales are already live. Here are the best early deals we’ve found so far.

If you’re looking to save big on some new Apple gear this holiday season, you can start shopping now. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best Black Friday Apple deals that are already live.

Mac and MacBook deals


2022 macbook air in midnight

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899 at B&H (save $200)

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M2 MacBook Air.

If you’re looking for a zippy work-from-home machine or the perfect school companion, look no further. Though Apple did just release the new M3 chip to its iMac and MacBook lineup, the M2 is still plenty powerful. You’ll also get 13.6 inches of display (as opposed to the 13.3 inches of the previous gen Air), a near-perfect keyboard, and best of all, this laptop at its lowest price ever.

More Mac and MacBook deals

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

Mac

iPad deals


silver 2021 ipad

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$249 at Amazon and Walmart

Why we like it

We’re not going to lie, this $249 price tag is far from a Black Friday exclusive. This tablet has hit this all-time low price a few times this year, including during last month’s Prime Day sale, but it’s also sat at higher price points of $279 and up. We wouldn’t recommend this tablet if you need anything more heavy-duty, but for a basic tablet that gets the job done, you’ll be saving at least $150 more than if you went for any other iPad. Grab it on sale at Amazon and Walmart.

More iPad deals

iPad (10th gen)

iPad (9th gen)

iPad Air

iPad mini

iPad Pro

SEE ALSO:

M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: What are the differences?

iPhone deals


midnight iphone 14 plus

Credit: Apple


Our pick: iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 when you open a new line on select unlimited plans (save $799)

Why we like it

The iPhone 15 may be the shiniest new Apple toy, and while the deals on the phone certainly aren’t bad, they are contingent upon you having a decent trade-in. If you feel any doubt in your trade-in power, going for this Verizon deal on the 14 Plus requires none — only that you open a new line on select unlimited plans. Still some hoops, but far fewer to get an $800 phone basically for free.

More iPhone deals

Apple Watch deals


midnight apple watch SE

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS)

$234.89 at Amazon (save $44.11)

Why we like it

The Apple Watch SE is an affordable option if you’re in the market for a smartwatch, but don’t need many fitness features. Usually, its price will dip down by $30 every now and then, which makes for a pretty decent deal, but Black Friday season has brought us something even better, with this 44mm SE that’s down almost $45. That’s roughly $5 away from its lowest price ever (that we’ve only seen it hit once). If you want to avoid the Black Friday madness and don’t mind opting for the midnight colorway, this is a solid deal to jump on ahead of the official holiday.

More Apple Watch deals

Series 9

Series 8

SE

Ultra

More Apple Watch deals

AirPods deals


airpods pro with case

Credit: Apple


Our pick: AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

$189 at Walmart (save $60)

Why we like it

Read our full review of the second-generation AirPods Pro.

If you’re looking for a quality pair of noise-canceling earbuds, look no further than the AirPods Pro. They’re our favorite buds for traveling, with Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder deeming them, “the first pair of earbuds I’d actually consider taking on an airplane (instead of my much larger and clunkier over-ear headphones).” They also come with 30 total hours of battery life with the charging case (six hours per charge), great sound quality, and easy pairing to all of your Apple devices. Plus, their $189 price tag puts them back down to their lowest price ever (alongside the USB-C AirPods Pro).

More deals on AirPods

Even more Apple deals

Tech / Technology

Apple’s M3 Max MacBook Pro is as fast as expensive M2 Ultra Mac desktops

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The M3 Max is faster than its most powerful predecessor, and it’s inside the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.
Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max

We suspected the M3 Max inside the new MacBook Pro models was fast — but maybe not quite this fast.

Apple unveiled its new silicon chipset, M3, earlier this week with its new line of MacBook Pros. Every year, the company zeroes in on its new chips’ zippier performance compared to previous generations. However, early third-party tests discovered that the company really seems to have delivered this time.

Woman using the new MacBook Pro

The new MacBook Pro announced at the “Scary Fast” event.
Credit: Apple

A database entry for Geekbench, a test that inspects CPU performance, clocked that the 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro delivers a multi-core score of 21,084.

This test result was first noticed by MacRumors, which pointed out that this figure puts the new M3 Max within the same performance tier as the M2 Ultra, which can be found inside powerful Apple desktops such as the Mac Pro and Mac Studio. The average multi-core score for those models are 21,182 and 21,316 respectively.

The M3 Max MacBook Pro with a 16-core CPU has a starting price of $3,999, so it’s certainly not cheap. However, the Mac Pro M2 Ultra starts at $6,999, so the fact that it’s delivering similar CPU performance scores is impressive.

While the Mac Studio M2 Ultra starts at the same price as the MacBook Pro M3 Max (16-core CPU), the Mac Studio comes with a 24-core CPU in comparison, with very little difference in performance.

When compared to the M2 Max, the M3 Max is around 45 percent faster than its predecessor, according to tests. That’s right around the 50 percent number that Apple claimed during the “Scary Fast” Mac event.

The M3 Max chip is certainly impressive from what we can see so far. But will the performance hold up to the everyday usage of pro-level consumers that make up its targeted audience? We’ll soon find out.

Apple’s new M3 line of MacBook Pros launch on Nov. 7.

Tech / Technology

M3 iMac vs. M1: What are the differences?

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M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: What are the differences?
screenshot of the newly released Apple M3 iMac

This M3 iMac vs. the M1 iMac face-off is absolutely necessary because, let’s be honest, the differences between the two are sparse.

Apple finally upgraded its iMac for the first time since 2021, and no, it’s not the major update we were expecting, but we can’t ignore that it’s packed with a new powerful processor: the M3 chip.

SEE ALSO:

Apple ‘Scary Fast’ Mac event: The entire thing was filmed ‘on a tiny little iPhone’

Beyond the new chip, we’ll need a magnifying glass – or even a microscope – to determine the disparities between the two iMacs. Let’s dissect the two so you can make the best decision on which is best for you.

M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: Price

Despite the rumblings of Apple looking to increase the price of its flagship iPhone in the future due to production costs, it seems that Apple is maintaining its pricing strategy for now. Just like the starting price of its 2021 counterpart, Apple announced that the new M3 iMac starts at $1,299.

This configuration comes with with an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.

However, 8GB of RAM is puny and not ideal if you need a lot of multitasking muscle. We recommend upgrading to 16GB of RAM, which will increase your total cost to $1,699.

A maxed-out M3 iMac, packed with 24GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, is available for a whopping $2,699.

The new M3 iMac can be pre-ordered right now and will start shipping on November 7.


Silver 2021 iMac

Credit: Silver 2021 iMac


Apple 2021 iMac (24-inch, M1 chip)

$1,699

M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: Design

Design-wise, much hasn’t changed between 2021 and now.

The M3 is still keeping its 24-inch display along with a 4.5K Retina screen, a 1080p webcam, and a six-speaker system. The entry-level M3 iMac comes with two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The higher-end variants add two USB 3 ports. In the box, you’ll get the Magic Mouse, a Magic Keyboard, a USB-C to Lightning Cable, and a power cord and power adapter.

Apple, for the past few events now, has increasingly emphasized its environmental efforts and is doing the same for the M3 iMac. The company noted that the desktop stand uses 100 percent recycled aluminum. Plus, the gold plating of multiple printed circuit boards is also 100 percent recycled.

screenshot of the different colors the iMac will release in, from L to R: Silver, Purple, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red


Credit: Apple

Beyond that, the M3 iMac comes in the same colors as the M1 iMac.

  • M1 and M3 colorways: Blue, Green, Pink, Orange, Purple, Yellow, and Silver

M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: Specs

Now the biggest change, and the whole point of this article, is the iMac’s upgrade to the M3 chip. (You can find the new chip inside the refreshed 14-inch MacBook Pro, too.)

The cheapest M3 iMac comes with an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU. Comparatively, the most affordable M1 iMac features an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU.

M1 iMac (entry-level): 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD

M3 iMac (entry-level): 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD

The upper-tier M3 iMacs, the variants with four ports, offer an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The pricier M1 iMacs, on the other hand, deliver an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU.

M3 iMac users should see an uptick in graphics performance –– and not just because of the extra GPU cores. Apple added a new “Dynamic Caching” process to the M3, which intelligently manages the GPU’s memory for gaming and more.

The M3’s GPU also features hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray-tracing perks, which means gaming should be a lot smoother and more visually impressive. Apple claims that frame rates will get a 50 percent boost, too.

The processor upgrade is definitely worth the hype as the M3 chip is faster and consumes less power. Take a look at the apps and programs that are reportedly speedier with the M3 iMac:

  • Excel: Up to 30 percent faster

  • Safari: Up to 30 percent faster

  • Video and photo editing apps (e.g., Photoshop): twice as fast

Overall, Apple claims that the M3 iMac is two times faster than the M1 iMac. The Cupertino-based tech giant also boasts that the neural engine inside the M3 Mac is 60 percent faster than its M1 counterpart.

The real upgrade here truly is the M3 processor, but for the same price as its predecessor, it may be worth it to upgrade for faster speeds and less power consumption.