M2 MacBook Air Falls to Amazon Low Price Ahead of Prime Day, and You Don’t Even Need to Be a Prime Member [CNET]

Prime Day isn’t here quite yet but Amazon is already launching deals on big-name brands.

Apple products retain their prices for the most part throughout the year. It’s only during major sales seasons that we see real discounts worth taking advantage of, but you don’t have to wait until the kickoff of Amazon’s October Prime Day to score a huge saving on Apple’s M2 MacBook Air. It’s discounted by $200 there right now, returning it to its record Amazon low of $799. That price has only ever beaten once (by $50) by a member-exclusive sale at Best Buy for paying My Best Buy subscribers, so this is a notable deal that anyone can get in on right now.

Although Apple recently released the new M3 MacBook Air, the 2022 M2 MacBook Air is still a fantastic machine. It was our top overall best laptop until the M3 took its place, and it still has a super-fast chip and a thin and light design that makes it perfect for getting things done just about anywhere.

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One of the great things about the M2 MacBook Air is that it has a larger 13.6-inch screen compared to its predecessor’s 13.3-inch screen, giving you more real estate to work with. It also runs a 2,560×1,664-pixel resolution on a gorgeous Liquid Retina display, which is perfect for watching movies or getting some creative work done. The M2 chip is powerful enough for creatives to do their work, despite this machine’s portability.

Its smaller size is thanks to the fact that it doesn’t have any internal fans, meaning that Apple can make it as thin as the motherboard and battery inside. One downside to this machine is that it runs on 8GB of RAM rather than the 16GB you’re likely to see on similarly priced Windows laptops. It’s not the end of the world, especially given that it’s unified RAM that the M2 is smart about using, but it is something to consider. The 256GB of storage is also a bit on the smaller side, though you can use cloud storage or an external hard drive for more space if you need it.

If you want a higher-end Mac, you can always check out our roundup of great MacBook deals from across the web that includes both Air and Pro deals. Alternatively, check out the best iPad deals to walk away with a quality tablet for less.