While this isn’t necessarily the worst time of the year to buy a MacBook, it’s far from the best either. How good or bad a time it is, however, depends on which specific model you’re after, among other factors.
Is Now a Bad Time To Buy a MacBook?
As much as I hate giving that answer, it’s very common with many things tech: it depends. For some models, you may find great deals, while for others, even steep discounts might not justify a purchase right now.
In many cases, it obviously trickles down to pricing. There are, however, a few more points you have to consider.
Macs Not To Buy: A Practical Example
Take this MacBook Air offer from Best Buy, for instance. At first sight, a Mac for $270 may seem a great deal. When you consider it’s a base model from 2017, though, things get different. Not to mention, this is a refurbished unit.
While the 2017 MacBook Air isn’t a terribly slow machine, it’s very outdated. This model doesn’t receive software updates anymore, and will stop receiving security fixes later this year. You can try your luck with OpenCore Legacy Patcher, but when Apple stops supporting Intel Macs, it’s the end of the line. There’s still the possibility of installing a Linux distro, but then, what’s even the point of buying a Mac specifically?
Aspects To Consider When Timing Your MacBook Purchase
With the “please avoid this at all costs” (pun intended) scenario addressed, let’s see more detailed criteria. Here’s what to look for when deciding whether it’s the best or worst time for you to buy a MacBook.
1. Historical Data: Which Time of the Year Is Best To Buy? Which Is Worst?
Contrary to what you might expect, the best time to buy a MacBook isn’t necessarily right after new models launch. Let’s use this 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro (18/512GB) as an example. It got good discounts when the M4 models arrived, on October 30, 2024, that’s for sure. It also did, however, see price drops as good as those, or even better, on many other occasions since then.
The base model M2 MacBook Pro (13-inch, 8/256GB) is another interesting case. It got decent (but not unheard of) discounts a few days before the M3 generation launched, on October 30, 2023. And stayed that way for a couple of days after the announcement. After this, the model went back to the usual range, between $1,200 and $1,300, which it had hovered around prior to that.
2. Will My MacBook Become Obsolete Right After Purchasing?
This is the question most customers should be asking. Even with great discounts, Macs that won’t support the next macOS version are hardly a good deal.
Surely, you’ll still get a couple more years of security updates if your model runs macOS 15 Sequoia officially. There won’t, however, be any new features, only vulnerability patches.
Lastly, two years is a considerably short time before needing to be on the market for a new Mac again. And, with an obsolete model to put as a down payment, don’t expect trade-in values to be anything extraordinary.
3. How Will Trump’s Tariffs Affect MacBook Prices?
Now, a court order may have blocked Trump’s tariffs from coming into force. That story, though, is far from over.
Apple has hoarded products during the past few months to avoid taxation, that’s true. However, the company’s stock is limited and comprises mostly iPhones. At any moment, if the ruling falls, tariffs may come back.
So, if you’re worried about that, now may not be the worst moment to buy a MacBook. Yet.
It’s not yet completely defined how the reinstatement of Trump’s tariffs will impact Mac prices. However, the current not-so-great-but-not-terrible moment to purchase a MacBook may change quickly. If your desired MacBook’s price doubles in the blink of an eye, the worst day to buy will be today. The best day, oddly, will have been yesterday.
4. Is It a Bad Time To Buy Any MacBook?
For most of this article, we have been talking about brand-new Macs. There are, however, some alternatives that are totally or partially immune to the issues I presented.
One alternative is simply to look for older models. Most Intel MacBooks may not make the cut this year, that’s known. Used M1 Pros, or even M1 models with 16GB of RAM, on the other hand, can be found for cheap.
If you don’t mind purchasing an Open Box or refurbished model, things also look great. As an example, this refurbished M2 MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 16/256GB) is retailing for $675 at Best Buy. Add $95 more to that, and you get a refurbished M3 model straight from Apple, with AppleCare+ eligibility, no less!
There are also opportunities for those who require their Macs to be purchased brand-new. Every day, we publish great deals on Apple devices and/or accessories. Be sure to take a look at our selection! You may find amazing discounts, like this 14-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/1TB) currently retailing for $700 off.
These are not the only ways to get Macs for cheap, by the way. Coming across such deals definitely makes it less likely you’ll find this the worst time to buy a MacBook. That’s true, in some cases, even if prices aren’t that good.
My advice is simple: define the specifications you want and/or need, and your maximum budget. Start hunting for devices 20 to 40% below that limit, depending on how high your threshold is, and work your way up. Eventually, you’ll find a model that may not have all of your desired traits but offers a decent price tag. If the perceived value it offers you covers the charged price with a wide enough margin, go for it.
Being on the market for a new MacBook may not be the simplest task around. There are lots of configurations to choose from, considering screen, memory, CPU, and storage differences. After that, you also need to decide whether it’s even a good enough moment to buy one. That’s quite the effort!
At least we have some good news. Even if you don’t end up with an astonishing model, you’ll be in for a treat next week! If your chosen MacBook supports the latest macOS, that is.