Find the Best Deals on Apple Products During the October Prime Day Sale.
Apple products are notoriously expensive, but that doesn’t mean they never drop. While Apple doesn’t typically offer its own discounts, retailers often slash prices on MacBooks, AirPods, and iPads, and that’s certainly the case leading up to Amazon’s October Prime Day sale .
But keep in mind: this year, both on Amazon and at competing retailers, Apple deals are rare—at least for now—and some of the current discounts are minor. It might be best to wait until next week to see if prices drop further and if other discounted devices become available. (I’ll be updating this article until the sale ends on October 7.)
MacBook Air M5 (15-inch)
Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air is a good option for users who need more screen space but don’t want to pay the premium for the Pro version. Following a recent price hike, Apple’s 512GB model sells for $1,499, but ahead of the October Prime Day sale, you can save $100 on the laptop through Amazon. According to Keepa, this is the best price on a 15-inch MacBook Air since early August. This MacBook Air features a 15.3-inch display, an Apple M5 processor with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 512GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and up to 18 hours of battery life (according to Apple).
MacBook Pro m5 Max (14-inch)
While the M5 chip in the MacBook Air is more than sufficient for most computing tasks, the Apple M5 Max is on a whole other level. For users who do intensive graphics processing or AI-powered data crunching, there are few better chips than the one in this 14-inch MacBook Pro. Of course, all this power comes at a price: Apple’s suggested retail price for this specific configuration is $4,099. But right now , Best Buy is offering it at a $600 discount . For $3,499, you get a 14.2-inch mini-LED display, an M5 Max chip with an 18-core CPU and 32-core GPU, 36GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD.
AirPods Max (USB-C)
As much as I love my AirPods Max, I have a hard time recommending them because of the price—$549 is steep for wireless earbuds, and it’s hard to ignore other excellent options that cost hundreds of dollars less than Apple’s. However, it becomes easier to recommend them when they’re on sale. Right now, you can get Apple’s AirPods Max with a USB-C connector for $429 —still pricey, but a little more reasonable. An important note here: these are Apple’s previous-generation AirPods Max. If you want the AirPods Max 2 with additional features like Live Translation and Adaptive Audio, Amazon is currently selling them at a smaller, but still significant, discount .
AirPods Pro 3
Apple’s third-generation AirPods Pro earbuds are excellent, but they’re also expensive. For $249, you get Apple’s best earbuds, featuring active noise cancellation, adaptive transparency, a built-in heart rate monitor, and interchangeable ear tips for a secure fit. Of course, Apple offers cheaper AirPods with similar features, so if you don’t need the exclusive benefits of the Pro, you might be better off with the new, fully featured AirPods 5 ( $149 for the version with a wireless charging case ). The current discount on Amazon isn’t great , but right now you can get $15 off the AirPods Pro 3 .
iPad Pro M5 (11-inch)
Apple’s 11-inch iPad Pro is powered by the same M5 chip as the MacBook Air, though it uses iPadOS. Despite lacking perks like a built-in keyboard, trackpad, and macOS support, this iPad Pro isn’t much different in price from the MacBook Air. It typically retails for $1,199, but it’s currently on sale for $60 on Amazon. It’s a small discount, but you could spend that money on an Apple Pencil Pro (currently 23% off) or an Apple Magic Keyboard . This model features an 11-inch OLED display, the M5 chip, and two 12-megapixel cameras—one front and one back.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple just released the Apple Watch Ultra 4 , so there aren’t likely to be any big discounts this fall. Instead, you can save $100 by opting for the previous-generation Apple Ultra wearable . The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is still a capable watch with the S10 chip, 5G support, up to 42 hours of battery life, and water resistance up to 100 meters. You’ll lose the S11 chip, Audio Intelligence, and Apple’s new continuous heart rate monitoring, but the savings may be worth the small sacrifice.