MacBook Air M5 Drops $200 in Prime Day Deal, First Big Discount in Months

Apple's latest MacBook Air has finally gone on sale. During Amazon's October Prime Day event, the M5 MacBook Air is $200 cheaper than usual, the first meaningful markdown on the laptop in months.

The 13-inch model with 512GB of storage normally sells for $1,299. Amazon is now listing it at $1,099. The 15-inch configuration, also with 512GB, drops from $1,499 to $1,299. In effect, the sale wipes out the price increase Apple introduced in June.

The 13-inch model is the more affordable way into the M5 generation. At $1,099, it sits well above Apple's $699 MacBook Neo, but it is also a considerably faster machine. Buyers weighing the two should expect a real performance gap, not just a spec-sheet one.

The 15-inch version costs $200 more and adds a few things beyond the larger display. It has two extra speakers, for a total of six, and two additional GPU cores, which helps with graphics-heavy work. For people who edit video or juggle several large windows, those upgrades may justify the step up.

The 2026 MacBook Air starts with 512GB of storage, a higher baseline than earlier generations. The update brings noticeable gains in both processor and storage speed. It does not add flashy new features compared with last year's model, but The Verge still counts it among its favorite laptops. The outlet points to long battery life, a bright screen and strong speakers as the reasons.

Apple's higher base price has been the main knock against this generation. This sale softens that, at least for now. Prime Day discounts tend to be short-lived, and Apple laptops rarely stay marked down for long. Anyone who has been waiting for a better price on the M5 Air may not see a more convenient moment soon.