Midnight 16GB M3 MacBook Air now $659 off the orig. price (Open-box, 1-yr. warranty)

$659 off/$840

We have a featured a couple notable deals on the now previous-gen M3 MacBook Air as of late for folks looking to save a ton side-stepping the newer M4. While you can land $200 off the M4 models right now, we spotted a relatively rare deal on the 16GB/512GB 15-inch M3 MacBook Air in Midnight starting down at $775.99 shipped in open-box condition this morning – this model original launched at $1,699. Details await below. 

Best Buy’s open-box program is offering the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and the 512GB SSD down at $839.99 shipped in “excellent” condition and $775.99 shipped in “fair” condition. We tend to only recommend the “excellent” Best Buy open-box units and we are once again here today – they are simply just in better and closer to brand new condition – but the fair is an option for folks who just don’t care about the odd scuff and scratch. 

Details on the “excellent” units:

• Geek Squad Verified
• Works and looks like new. Restored to factory settings.
• Includes all parts and accessories. Packaging may vary or be absent.
• 1-year warranty

This configuration started life at $1,699 before Apple ditched the 8GB of RAM setup, which effectively dropped the price of this configuration to $1,499. Today’s deal is $659 off the newer list price, but how does this compare to the newer M4?

Apple’s 15-inch M4 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and the 512GB SSD carries a $1,399 list price and is currently on at $1,199 – it is almost never any less than that. The M3 model we have above is $559 under the list price on the M4 model and $359 below the deal price. That is clearly quite a significant difference. 

Some folks must have the latest and greatest, and we very much get it. But this M3 machine is still a workable and compelling option at a price like this – it might be years before we see the comparable M4 readily available at under $900. That said here’s how pricing works out across the brand new condition M4 configs right now:

• 13-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/256GB $799 (Reg. $999)
• 13-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/512GB $999 (Reg. $1,199)
• 13-inch M4 MacBook Air 24GB/512GB $1,199 (Reg. $1,399)
• 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/256GB $999 (Reg. $1,199)
• 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/512GB $1,199 (Reg. $1,399)
• 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 24GB/512GB $1,399 (Reg. $1,599)

M3 MacBook Air features:

• LEAN. MEAN. M3 MACHINE—The blazing-fast MacBook Air with the M3 chip is a superportable laptop that sails through work and play.
• BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE²—Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data—not even Apple.
• PORTABLE DESIGN—Lightweight and under half an inch thin, so you can take MacBook Air anywhere you go.
• GET MORE DONE FASTER—The powerful 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU of the Apple M3 chip keeps things running smoothly.
• UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE¹—Amazing, all-day battery life so you can leave the power adapter at home.
• MORE ROOM FOR WHAT YOU LOVE—The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display³ supports 1 billion colors.

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