![The gold MacBook Air M1's logo and keyboard.](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MacBook-Air-M1-Gold-Logo.jpg?fit=720%2C480&p=1)
Apple is doing something unprecedented with this MacBook Air deal. It’s not unusual for Apple to allow third-party retailers to offer discounts on MacBooks — but its collaboration with Walmart on this M1 MacBook Air feels new for Apple.
The company dropped the M1 MacBook Air from its lineup earlier this year, and that usually means it’s only available as a refurbished or pre-owned model from there on out. But now, Apple is offering an exclusive partnership with Walmart to continue selling the M1 MacBook Air at a new price of $649. It’s a $50 savings, but don’t forget — Apple was selling this for $999 just a few months ago. It’s the perfect antidote to the various MacBooks deals Amazon is offering on Prime Day 2024 right now.
This offer is just on a single configuration available, coming with the starting level specs of 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You can, however, choose between the three colors: Gold, Silver, and Space Gray.
You might be wondering — is it really worth buying a MacBook from almost four years ago? Well, if you want the absolute best performance and an upgraded new chassis, maybe not. But you have to ask yourself if that’s worth an extra $350 to you to upgrade to the M2 MacBook Air. Because what you’re getting in the M1 MacBook Air is still a fantastic little computer. It gets excellent battery life, and the performance is surprisingly good for being this old. MacBooks have always been long-lasting machines historically, but in this recent era with Apple Silicon, it really takes that longevity to new levels — to the point where it’s even becoming a problem for Apple.
Most importantly, Apple is continuing to support it, meaning you can install the latest macOS Sequoia update on it when it comes out later this year, which even includes access to Apple Intelligence features. All that means the M1 MacBook Air is very much still alive, and this deal is as cheap as it’s ever been.