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A MacBook costs a lot more this Black Friday than it did last year. Apple raised Mac prices on June 25, 2026, and the cheapest 13-inch MacBook Air now lists at $1,299, against $999 last November.
That changes what a good deal looks like. Last Black Friday, retailers sold the M4 MacBook Air for $749, and that price is gone. Apple blamed the AI-driven memory chip shortage, and memory prices are still climbing.
So on November 27, $200 off a MacBook Air or any real cut on the $699 MacBook Neo is worth waiting for. Each MacBook below has its list price and my target.
MacBook Prices Right Now
These are Apple’s US prices after the June increase. Every MacBook Air now starts with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. You get more than last year’s base model, but there’s no cheaper Air to fall back on.
| Model | Chip | Memory and storage | US list price | Before June 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Neo | A18 Pro | 8GB / 256GB | $699 | $599 |
| MacBook Air 13-inch | M5 | 16GB / 512GB | $1,299 | $1,099 |
| MacBook Air 15-inch | M5 | 16GB / 512GB | $1,499 | $1,299 |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch | M5 | 16GB / 1TB | $1,999 | $1,699 |
The $699 MacBook Neo is new this year. It sits where the base MacBook Air used to, with an iPhone-class chip and less memory.
Black Friday 2025 vs 2026
Last Black Friday, retailers took $250 off MacBooks that already had lower list prices. Here they are next to this year’s list prices:
| Model | Black Friday 2025 price | 2025 list price | 2026 list price |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 13-inch | $749 (M4, 256GB) | $999 | $1,299 (M5, 512GB) |
| MacBook Air 15-inch | $949 (M4, 256GB) | $1,199 | $1,499 (M5, 512GB) |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch | $1,349 (M5, 512GB) | $1,599 | $1,999 (M5, 1TB) |
| MacBook Neo | Not released yet | Not released yet | $699 |
Even with $200 off this year, the cheapest 13-inch MacBook Air will cost about $350 more than last Black Friday’s price. You do get twice the storage and a newer chip for that money, but the entry price isn’t coming back down this year.
Apple itself didn’t cut prices last year. Its Black Friday shopping event, from November 28 to December 1, 2025, gave an Apple Gift Card with eligible purchases and left out the M5 MacBook Pro. Retailer discounts beat those gift cards on every MacBook Air.
What’s Pushing MacBook Prices Up
Three changes explain almost all of it, and one of them works in your favor.
Memory chips cost far more. Apple increased prices across 17 products in June, every MacBook among them, and blamed memory chips that AI servers are soaking up. The pressure hasn’t eased: Jefferies, via Notebookcheck, expects memory to climb another 30% to 40% before year end.
Apple moved the floor. Apple doubled the base storage on the M5 MacBook Air to 512GB and added the MacBook Neo below it. So the Neo is now Apple’s budget laptop, and the Air sits a tier higher than it did last year.
Retail discounts survived. October sales already took $200 off the M5 MacBook Air at major retailers. That’s good news for Black Friday, even from a higher starting price.
What to Expect This Black Friday
Until Apple says otherwise, this is what I’m planning around for MacBooks:
- Likely: a repeat of Apple’s gift-card event, again without the M5 MacBook Pro.
- Likely: retailers match or beat October’s $200 off the MacBook Air.
- Possible: a first real discount on the MacBook Neo, which has barely been discounted so far.
- Possible: $150 to $200 off the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
- Unlikely: a MacBook Air at last year’s $749, or Apple trimming its own list prices.
These are the numbers I’d buy at:
| Model | US list price | Black Friday target |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Neo | $699 | $649 or less |
| MacBook Air 13-inch | $1,299 | $1,099 |
| MacBook Air 15-inch | $1,499 | $1,299 |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch | $1,999 | $1,799 |
An Apple Gift Card is worth less than the same amount off at a retailer, because you can only spend it at Apple. Take the retailer price unless you were going to buy accessories from Apple anyway.
Which MacBook to Buy
All 4 run macOS and the same apps. The difference is how much power, memory and screen you pay for.
MacBook Neo
The MacBook Neo is the MacBook I’d buy for students and anyone who writes, browses and streams, now that it costs $600 less than a MacBook Air.
- 13-inch display and Apple’s A18 Pro chip, from the same family as recent iPhone Pro chips
- 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage at $699; the $799 model doubles storage and adds Touch ID
- Black Friday target: $649 or less
8GB of memory is the limit to know about. It’s fine for school and office work, but heavy photo editing or dozens of browser tabs will push it. My MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air comparison covers where that line falls.
MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)
The 13-inch MacBook Air is the right MacBook for most people who need more than the Neo: twice the memory, a faster chip and room for years of macOS updates.
- M5 chip with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage
- No fan, so it stays silent under load
- Black Friday target: $1,099
MacBook Air 15-inch (M5)
The 15-inch MacBook Air is for anyone who wants a bigger screen without paying MacBook Pro prices.
- 15.3-inch display with the same M5 chip, 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage
- $200 more than the 13-inch model
- Black Friday target: $1,299
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5)
The 14-inch MacBook Pro is for video editing, development and long exports, where its fan and brighter display earn the extra $700 over the 13-inch Air.
- M5 chip with a fan, so it holds its speed during long tasks
- Liquid Retina XDR display, 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage
- HDMI port and SD card slot, so fewer adapters
- Black Friday target: $1,799
FAQs on MacBook Black Friday
Will MacBooks be cheaper on Black Friday 2026?
Yes at retailers, but not back to 2025 prices. Apple raised Mac prices in June, so a $200 cut on the 13-inch MacBook Air would leave it at $1,099, about $350 above last Black Friday’s $749.
Does Apple discount MacBooks on Black Friday?
No. Apple keeps its own prices and has offered an Apple Gift Card with eligible purchases instead. The real discounts come from retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart.
Should I buy the MacBook Neo or the MacBook Air?
The Neo for school, writing and web work on a budget. The Air for photo editing, coding or keeping the laptop for 5 years or more, since it has twice the memory.
Will MacBook prices drop after Black Friday?
I wouldn’t count on it. Memory prices are expected to keep rising into 2027, so another increase is more likely than a cut.
Is the M5 MacBook Air worth it at $1,299?
At $1,299 it’s expensive next to the $699 MacBook Neo. At a $1,099 sale price it’s the MacBook I’d recommend to most people.
Final Remarks
My pick for most people is the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air at $1,099 or less. Students and light users should buy the MacBook Neo instead, and anyone who exports video every day should wait for the MacBook Pro to hit $1,799.
If you’re buying for school, my best MacBooks for students guide compares them on coursework. For iPad, AirPods and Apple Watch, see my Apple Black Friday deals page.