Need a MacBook? Don’t buy it from Apple while these Amazon deals are still live

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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Both the 13-inch and 15-inch Apple MacBook Air M5 are on sale for Amazon’s Prime Day event, with the 13-inch starting at $949 and the 15-inch starting at $1,149.

You may want to pay close attention to these prices on Amazon. In response to rising component costs, Apple just implemented a blanket price increase across its entire MacBook and iPad lineup. Unfortunately, this means consumers will pay anywhere from 15% to 25% more today than they would have on the same device yesterday.

Also: June Prime Day live blog 2026: Amazon deals on SSDs, TVs, laptops and more

But Amazon hasn’t changed its prices… at least not yet. The MacBooks that have been on sale for Prime Day have remained at their sale prices — lower than Apple’s official prices. For example:

The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 now starts at $1,199 in the Apple store, but it’s $949 on Amazon.
The 15-inch MacBook Air M5 starts at $1,399 on the Apple store, but is going for $1,149 on Amazon — $250 cheaper.

The increased cost is largely due to unprecedented demand for RAM and NAND flash storage from AI infrastructure companies, which are scooping it up for themselves, leading to a shortage for consumer electronics.

This price increase should come as no surprise, however. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently warned of an impending price hike in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, admitting that it had reached a point where higher prices were “unavoidable.”

Also: Apple jacks up prices on its MacBooks and iPads – here’s how much more you’ll pay

If you’ve been looking at snagging a new MacBook Air, Amazon Prime Day might be your last chance to get these kinds of prices. The Air M5 earned our Editor’s Choice for its features relative to cost, mature design, and thoroughly enjoyable user experience. It’s still the jack-of-all-trades laptop I recommend to most people, with a thin-and-light build, fantastic battery life, and — compared to the M4 –…

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