When will MacBook prices drop?

Nothing stings more than seeing a laptop you recently purchased go on sale a month or two after you bought it. This can happen when a newer model is released, but with Apple, it tends to be tougher to predict sales. Big box retailers may run MacBook deals from time-to-time, but Apple tends to keep the price the same throughout the year. Apple also releases new models each year, which means you can’t necessarily wait and get a discount on the outgoing model. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t find a cheap MacBook — you just need to know where to look. Continue scrolling to learn more about when Apple MacBook prices will drop. 

When does Apple launch new MacBooks?

Apple has offered three different MacBook lines over the years. The MacBook ran from 2015 – 2017, while the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines are still getting new releases each year. Looking at past releases, new MacBook models can be announced pretty much at any time throughout the year.

For new models announced between Feb and April, Apple gives these models an “Early” tag, followed by the release year. We’ve also seen “Mid” year releases (typically June and July), while “Late” year releases fall in October, just before that big holiday rush.

Apple has also, at times, used other differentiators such as how many Thuderbolt ports each model has. To help give you an idea of what we’re talking about, here’s all the major MacBook releases dating back to 2012 (Swappa’s cutoff year for MacBooks sold in our marketplace).

Apple MacBook release history

2012

• MacBook Pro (Mid-2012 13″)
• MacBook Pro (Mid-2012 15″)
• MacBook Pro Retina (Mid-2012 15″)
• MacBook Pro Retina (Late-2012 13″)
• MacBook Air (Mid-2012 11″)
• MacBook Air (Mid-2012 13″)

2013

• MacBook Pro Retina (Early-2013 13″)
• MacBook Pro Retina (Early-2013 15″)
• MacBook Pro Retina (Late-2013 13″)
• MacBook Pro Retina (Late-2013 15″)
• MacBook Air (Mid-2013 11″)
• MacBook Air (Mid-2013 13″)

2014

• MacBook Pro Retina (Mid-2014 13″)
• MacBook Pro Retina (Mid-2014 15″)
• MacBook Air (Early-2014 11″)
• MacBook Air (Early-2014 13″)

2015

• MacBook Pro Retina (Early-2015 13″)
• MacBook Pro Retina (Mid-2015 15″)
• MacBook Air (Early-2015 11″)
• MacBook Air (Early-2015 13″)
• MacBook (Early-2015 12″ Retina)

2016

• MacBook Pro (2016 13″ Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (2016 13″ Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (2016 15″)
• MacBook (Early-2016 12″ Retina)

2017

• MacBook Pro (2017 13″ Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (2017 13″ Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (2017 15″)
• MacBook Air (2017 13″)
• MacBook (2017 12″ Retina)

2018

• MacBook Pro (2018 13″ Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (2018 15″)
• MacBook Air (2018 13″ Retina)

2019

• MacBook Pro (2019 13″ Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (2019 15″)
• MacBook Pro (2019 13″ Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (2019 16″)
• MacBook Air (2019 13″ Retina)

2020

• MacBook Pro (2020 13″ Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (2020 13″ Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (2020 13″ M1)
• MacBook Air (2020 13″ Retina)
• MacBook Air (2020 13″ M1)

When will the Apple MacBook price drop?

If Apple’s MacBook release history has taught us anything, it’s that there’s really no telling when Apple will announce a new MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. Apple has been shuffling releases and upgrades at different times throughout the years. Looking at the previous two years alone, and we see that Apple released four versions of the MacBook Pro with three different display sizes in 2019, and three different versions of the MacBook Pro with two different processor chips in 2020. 

Why wait and hope for a sale? Buy a gently used MacBook on Swappa and SAVE BIG. 

As you can see from the list above — there are quite a few different models in the MacBook lineup. You can head directly to the Swappa marketplace if you know the specific model you are looking for, or if you just want to start browsing. You can also review our MacBook Buyer’s Guide to learn more about each model.

Apple MacBook prices on Swappa

The table below outlines the current (as of October 13, 2021) starting prices of the top five most commonly sold MacBook models. 

Whether you should wait to buy a new MacBook or just pull the trigger on an older model is up to you. The good news is that there’s never a wrong time to buy a gently used MacBook on Swappa. With prices falling every day, it is possible to save hundreds as compared to Apple’s retail prices. In fact, even Apple’s refurbished prices can’t hold a candle to Swappa’s gently used MacBook deals, and you can even get a Protection Plan for your MacBook when you buy from Swappa.

Snag the best deals on used MacBooks deals wherever you go. Download the Swappa App today!