The MacBook Air M2 is the perfect laptop for college or school – especially when it's just $699

Looking for a MacBook on a budget? You'll be hard-pressed to beat the still-excellent MacBook Air M2 for just $699 (was $799) over at Best Buy today.

This 2022 model is a little older now, but it's a fantastic choice if you just want a stylish machine that can cover the basics - say, for school or college work, for example.

Internally, you get the Apple M2 chipset and 16GB of RAM, which is more than enough for multiple browser tabs, design work, music production, or any number of creative pursuits. The Air model isn't designed for super-heavy content creation or industrial-level tasks, but it's a great choice for students, teachers, and the vast majority of working professionals.

And, this deal at Best Buy brings the 2022 Air to within $50 of its cheapest-ever price, so it's a great all-around budget choice. With that said, it's not the only MacBook that's on sale today. If you're interested, I've also attached a few deals from Apple and Amazon just below on the newer models, which are also worth checking out.

Cheap MacBook deal at Best Buy

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M2, 2022): was $799 now $699 at Best Buy

Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M2
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB

<p>Newer M3 and M4 models are now available, but this is an unbelievable price for the MacBook Air 13-inch with an M2 chip. Sure, that's an older version, but this is still an incredibly powerful laptop for those needing a premium powerhouse for school and productivity, coding, or creative work. You also get double the amount of RAM at 16GB, although the 256GB of storage feels a little paltry in 2025. Still, we rated it highly in our <a href="https://stealprices.shop/reviews/apple-macbook-air-m2-2022">MacBook Air M2 review, thanks to the stylish design, clear display, impressive performance, and long 18-hour battery life.

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Also available this week

Apple MacBook Air 13 (2025): was $999 now $849 at Amazon

Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M4
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB

<p>If you've got a bit of cash to spend, you could instead spring for the latest MacBook Air M4 model, which is currently on sale for $849 at Amazon. This one has briefly been $50 cheaper, but today's deal at the retailer is the usual sales price. The primary upgrades include enhanced performance and support for dual external monitors, although, annoyingly, this baseline model <em>still only comes with a 256GB SSD.

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Apple MacBook Air: was $999 now from $899, plus free AirPods at Apple
Another great option for students and teachers this week is Apple's official back-to-school sale. The retailer is currently offering a $100 upfront discount across all MacBook Air models as well as a free set of AirPods or an eligible accessory of your choice.

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Apple MacBook Pro: was $1,599 now from $1,499, plus free AirPods at Apple
Like the iPad Pro, I'd say the MacBook Pro is a more niche buy than the MacBook Air – but it is a stunning laptop. You get a massive amount of power under the hood, which makes it a perfect choice for heavy content creation tasks or industrial-level programming. Of course, it's a little heavier than the Air, though. It's also pretty damn pricey, although today's $100-off deal at Apple is a welcome discount.

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