Best back to school MacBook deals: new and renewed for cheap

If you’re heading back to school, or shopping for someone who is, there are some great Apple deals happening right now. We’ve picked out all the best laptop deals when it comes to all things MacBook. That includes the latest models, but also some older renewed models for when you need something that gets you macOS for cheap. Take a look below at everything we’ve highlighted and see what works best for you.

Apple MacBook Air 2017 (Renewed) — $216

Ideally, you really want to invest more than a couple of hundred bucks when buying a MacBook. If money is tight though and you absolutely must have a Mac, check out this 2017 Apple MacBook Air. It won’t ruin the latest macOS, but it’s still reasonably competent given the super low price. It has a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, and 128GB of SSD storage. There’s also a 1.3-inch LED-backlit display and the promise of a 12 hour battery life. As it’s renewed, it’ll be less than this in reality but again, if money is tight, you could do worse.

Apple MacBook Air 2020 (Renewed) — $419

With a 10th-generation Intel Core i3 1.1Ghz processor, the Apple MacBook Air 2020 (Renewed) won’t be speedy but it’s fine for a budget friendly MacBook. It also has 8GB of memory and 128GB of SSD storage. The highlight here is the 13.3-inch Retina display which has True Tone technology and continues to look great even four years into release. The Magic Keyboard is backlit and has Touch ID support which is handy. In excellent condition for a refurbished model, you should be all set for a little while or at least until you can afford to invest in something that’s built with longevity in mind.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch with M2 — $799, was $999

With a bit more power under the hood, the Apple MacBook Air with M2 may not be the latest model any more but the M2 chip continues to be impressively powerful. Besides that processor, there’s 8GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage. As is often the way with MacBooks, the screen is spectacular too. It has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness, P3 wide color, and support for 1 billion colors. It also promises up to 18 hours of battery life while there’s a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, three-mic array, and four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio. It’s a great all-rounder.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch with M3 — $899, was $1,099

Topping our look at the best MacBooks, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch with M3 is a great laptop which is built to last for a long time. It has the M3 chip with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU while there’s 8GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage. Its 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display looks great with support for one billion colors, P3 wide color, and 500 nits of brightness. It’s super lightweight but boasts 18 hours of battery life, while there’s all the nice quality of life additions like four speakers with Spatial Audio, three mics, and a 1080p FaceTime HD webcam. It’s the ideal companion for your life.

Apple MacBook Air 15-inch with M3 — $1,099, was $1,299

Effectively the same as the above model but with a bigger screen, the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch with M3 is good as a desktop replacement that can also be carried around with you all day long. Its 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display looks great as expected while there’s the M3 chip, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of SSD storage. The backlit keyboard looks good, there’s Touch ID support, six speakers with Spatial Audio and up to 18 hours of battery life. It’s a laptop that you’ll buy today and still be using and enjoying for years to come, and a fantastic investment before you head to school.