Apple's 2026 laptop price increases have made the MacBook lineup less of an automatic value, but current discounts can still take hundreds of dollars off selected configurations. 9to5Mac's September 27 buyer's guide sorts the market into three choices: MacBook Air for the broadest appeal, MacBook Neo for the lowest entry price and MacBook Pro for higher-end work.
The prices below were available when the guide was inspected and can change with retailer stock and promotions.
MacBook Air remains the middle ground
The 13-inch M5 MacBook Air with 512GB of storage and 16GB of memory was listed at $1,199, a $100 discount. Moving to 1TB brought discounts of $150 on both 16GB and 24GB configurations.
For the 15-inch Air, the guide listed the 512GB model at $1,399, also $100 off. Higher-capacity configurations carried discounts between $70 and $150. The Air costs more than the Neo but adds MagSafe, a wider-color display, longer battery life and a 15-inch option.
Neo is cheaper, with clear compromises
The MacBook Neo starts lower because it uses an A18 Pro chip, 8GB of memory and a more limited port selection. The base 256GB model was listed at $689, only $10 below retail, while Apple-refurbished models started at $599.
That makes refurbished pricing the more meaningful Neo discount. Buyers still get Apple's one-year refurbished warranty, but should decide whether the lower price outweighs the fixed 8GB memory ceiling and reduced connectivity.
Pro discounts are larger, but timing matters
MacBook Pro discounts ranged from $150 on several M5 and M5 Pro systems to $600 on a 16-inch M5 Max configuration with 2TB of storage. Refurbished 14-inch models offered another route into the lineup at lower prices.
The guide also flags a reported redesign for high-end MacBook Pro models later in 2026, with OLED touchscreens and thinner bodies. That report does not make today's machines obsolete, but it gives buyers who want an M5 Pro or M5 Max system a reason to weigh a discount against waiting. Base-model M5 buyers are not expected to face the same immediate redesign question.
