This Early Black Friday Sale Makes the M5 MacBook Pro an Incredible Bargain.
Black Friday sales officially kick off on Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1. Before they end, Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price tracking tools.
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Sales data is current at the time of publication, but prices and stock levels are subject to change.
The MacBook Air is the best laptop for most people , but not for everyone. While most people will get more than they need from the current Air, the Pro offers additional features and performance that simply aren’t available from cheaper Apple computers. While I could certainly get by with the MacBook Air M1, my daily driver is the MacBook Pro M3 Pro. If you’re in the same boat and looking for a new professional-grade MacBook, this deal on the MacBook Pro M5 is excellent . You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value for a professional laptop, especially from Apple.
Apple’s M5 MacBook Pro is the company’s newest laptop and the first Mac with the M5 chip. Right off the bat, this chip delivers a modest performance boost over the M4 found in Apple’s latest MacBook Airs. But that’s to be expected from one generation of Apple silicon to the next. Even if Apple’s MacBook Airs also shipped with the M5, the Pro would outperform it in consistent performance thanks to a crucial hardware component: the fan. MacBook Airs are fanless, making them particularly thin and light. This is great for aesthetics and portability, and in many cases, you won’t really miss the fans. But if you stress these machines with demanding tasks—especially simultaneous demanding tasks—the M5 can get so hot that the machine may have to reduce processing speed to control temperatures. The built-in fan can expel hot air and keep the chip cooler for longer, extending the computer’s peak performance. This is where the Pro shines.
Beyond the extra power, Apple’s modern MacBook Pro lineup offers a number of excellent features for both enthusiasts and casual users. While the MacBook Air uses an LED display (undoubtedly high-quality), the Pro uses a mini-LED display. The latter offers much higher contrast than LED, thanks to multiple “dimming zones” versus a single LED backlight. If you look at a dark scene on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro side by side, you’ll notice that on the Air, dark areas appear truly gray, while on the Pro, they appear inky black. While I’d prefer the OLED display on the Pro, the mini-LED looks great, and it’s why I use the Pro for most of my streaming work. Furthermore, the Pro adds an extra 0.6 inches of screen real estate, at least compared to the Air’s 13.6-inch display.
Apple also offers the best selection of ports on the MacBook Pro. While the MacBook Air has two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe port, the MacBook Pro adds a third USB-C port, an HDMI port, and an SDXC memory card slot. This is a great solution for professionals, as well as for those who connect their computer to a TV or external monitor.
Of course, most of these advantages are unnecessary. The Air’s display is excellent; many of us will be happy with just two USB-C ports; and the M4 is more than sufficient for most everyday tasks. You might even prefer the Air’s form factor over the Pro: the Pro is significantly thicker and weighs more. Those looking for a thin and light device will be pleased with the MacBook Air’s size. And when you can get the M4 Air for just $749 , the Pro might seem like overkill.
But if you need those extra features or the extra power the Air can’t offer, the current Black Friday deal on the Pro is a godsend. $1,599 is a decent price for what you get with the M5, but $1,399 is a fantastic deal. It’s up to you to decide whether all those extra benefits are worth the extra $650.
How long do Black Friday deals actually last?
Black Friday sales officially begin on Friday, November 28, 2025, and will run throughout Cyber Week—the five-day period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. However, the dates of Black Friday and Cyber Monday have been shifted as retailers compete for shoppers. You can take advantage of the same Black Friday deals early in the season , and we expect the sale to end by December 3, 2025.
Does Apple have Black Friday?
Yes, Apple is participating in Black Friday deals, but you might want to compare their sales to those of other retailers like Best Buy and Walmart . Apple is offering an exclusive $250 gift card for eligible purchases, but the best Black Friday Apple deal right now is the MacBook M4 at an all-time low .
Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?
Yes, Amazon does have Black Friday sales, but the prices aren’t always accurate. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or consult guides like our price-tracking blog . And if you have an Amazon Prime subscription, make the most of it .