Apple Price Hikes Turn Prime Day's Final Hours Into a Last-Call Window for Hardware Buyers
Amazon's Prime Day enters its final hours Thursday with Apple hardware discounts carrying an added urgency: Apple has raised prices on several Macs and iPads in recent weeks, and some retailers are still discounting off the previous list prices, widening the effective savings for buyers who act before the increases fully take hold.
Key takeaways
- Amazon's Prime Day enters its final hours Thursday, with Apple hardware discounts amplified because Apple recently raised list prices on several Macs and iPads while some retailers still discount off the older prices.
- The base 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip (16GB RAM, 1TB storage) is $1,549.99 at Amazon and Costco, $450 off Apple's new $1,999 MSRP.
- The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is $949.99 at Amazon, a $349 gap below Apple's current $1,299 price, and the 15-inch model is $1,149, $350 below Apple's price.
- The AirPods Pro 3 are $179 (from $249), the Apple Watch Series 11 42mm GPS is $279 (from $399), and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a new low at $649, $150 off.
- Apple is raising the iMac's starting price from $1,299 to $1,499, though the base 8-core M4 iMac remains $1,149 at Best Buy and Costco.
Amazon's Prime Day enters its final hours Thursday with Apple hardware discounts carrying an added urgency: Apple has raised prices on several Macs and iPads in recent weeks, and some retailers are still discounting off the previous list prices, widening the effective savings for buyers who act before the increases fully take hold.
Mac Deals Reflect the Sharpest Gap Between Old and New Pricing
The most pronounced spread is on MacBook models. The 13-inch MacBook Air with an M5 chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is available at Amazon for $949.99, against the $1,299 Apple now charges — a $349 gap. The 15-inch MacBook Air M5 is listed at $1,149 at Amazon, $350 below Apple's current price.
The base 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip is on sale at Amazon and Costco for $1,549.99, which the source describes as $450 off Apple's new MSRP of $1,999. That machine comes with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Higher-end configurations follow a similar pattern: the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip is $2,049.99 at Amazon, down from $2,499; the 16-inch M5 Pro model is $2,549.99, down from $2,999.
Apple's entry-level MacBook Neo — the company's most affordable laptop, equipped with an A18 Pro chip — is $689.99 at Amazon for the 512GB model and $599 at Best Buy for the 256GB version.
iPads and iMac Show Similar Pricing Pressure
Apple's entry-level 2025 iPad, with a 128GB Wi-Fi configuration, is $299 at Amazon and Walmart, down from its $449 list price. The 11-inch iPad Air, which Apple recently repriced to $749, is available at $519.99 at Amazon for the 128GB base model. The 11-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip and 256GB of storage is $899.99 at Amazon, against a $1,199 list price.
On the desktop side, Apple is raising the iMac's starting price from $1,299 to $1,499. The base 8-core M4 iMac remains available at Best Buy and Costco for $1,149.
Audio and Wearables Round Out the Sale
The AirPods Pro 3, featuring improved noise cancellation, richer bass, and a built-in heart sensor, are $179 at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, against a $249 list price. The Apple Watch Series 11 in a 42mm GPS configuration is $279 at Amazon and Walmart, down from $399. The Apple Watch Ultra 3, which the source notes is a new low, is $649 at Amazon — $150 off — and supports satellite connectivity alongside 5G.
The Apple Watch SE 3, which added an always-on display and Apple's S10 chip over its predecessor, is $199 at Amazon for the 40mm GPS model. Apple's second-generation AirTags are $89 for a four-pack at Amazon and Best Buy, a $10 discount.
Retailers are continuing to update availability throughout the day as inventory shifts.