Don't wait for Prime Day! MacBook Air M2 just crashed to $949

MacBook Air M2 shown on desk with hand next to it — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

In a matter of weeks, the first Prime Day laptop deals of 2023 could make their debut. However, here's one laptop deal I recommend you take advantage of right now.

For a limited time, you can get the MacBook Air 13 (M2/256GB) on sale for $949 at B&H Photo. That's $150 off and one of the best MacBook deals of all time. It's such a rare deal, that B&H Photo is the only retailer offering this price.

MacBook Air (M2/256GB): was $1,099 now $949 @ B&H Photo
Editor's Choice! The MacBook Air M2 boasts a load of great features. It includes a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560 x 1664), Apple's M2 CPU w/ 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, 1080p FaceTime camera, four-speaker system with Spatial Audio, and MagSafe charging. In our MacBook Air M2 review, we called the Editor's Choice laptop an unbeatable combo of performance, design, and battery life.
Best Buy: $1,099 ($100 off)
Amazon: sold out

To be fair, I've seen the MacBook Air M2 sell for this price before. But it was a very rare and fast-moving deal. Could it get cheaper on Prime Day proper? I doubt it. Instead, I think it might sell at its second-lowest price of $999, which is still a solid deal, but not as good as today's offer.

Yes, the MacBook Air 15 has stolen the spotlight, but the MacBook Air 13 M2 remains one of the best laptops on the market, especially if you're on a budget. With incredible performance, great battery life, and a beautiful display, it has pretty much everything you could want.

Despite being super portable — it measures 0.44 inches thick and weighs 2.7 pounds — the MacBook Air M2 packs some serious power. Using Apple's M2 chip, we were able to transcode a 4K video in 7 minutes, 52 seconds. This beat the old MacBook Air M1’s time of 9 minutes, 15 seconds.

You'll also be able to use the MacBook Air M2 for a long time before you have to charge it. We got 14 hours, 6 minutes of battery life out of our unit, which blows competing laptops like the Dell XPS 13 OLED (8 hours) out of the water. Also worth mentioning are the MacBook Air M2’s two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, MagSafe charging port and excellent 1080p webcam.

That said, the MacBook Air M2 isn't all perfect. The notch in the display is a little distracting, and there’s only support for one external monitor. But for many people, these issues won't be deal breakers, especially not at its new record price low.

TOPICS

As deals editor-in-chief at Tom’s Guide, Louis is constantly looking for ways to avoid paying full price for the latest gadgets, appliances, and apparel. With over 10 years of deals-hunting experience, Louis price checks against multiple retailers and searches high and low for the best deals to bring readers. He's also always on the look out for the best coupon codes to use when shopping. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Louis is also an avid swimmer and marathoner. His work has appeared on Gizmodo, CNET, and Time Out New York.