Latest news with #MacBookAirM4
Engadget
18 hours ago
- Business
- Engadget
The best Prime Day laptop deals on MacBooks, Chromebooks, Windows machines and more
If your laptop simply isn't cutting it anymore, Amazon Prime Day 2025 might have arrived just in time. As has been the case for the past few years, laptop deals are abundant this Prime Day (even now in the lead-up to the official dates), bringing discounts to MacBooks, Windows laptops, Chromebooks and more. But we wouldn't blame you if you didn't know how to figure out if that laptop you're eyeing actually has a good discount for Prime Day, or if the deal is stale. That's where Engadget can help. We've poured over the Prime Day laptop deals available this year to pick out the best ones you can get across all kinds of computers. If you're super picky about the specs you want in a new laptop, we always recommend going straight to the manufacturer so you can configure the machine exactly to your needs. But if you're willing to work with premade models, Prime Day deals could help you save some cash on your next laptop. Apple's latest laptops are the MacBook Air M4 and the MacBook Pro M4, but the M3-powered machines are still available and great values when you can get them at steep discounts. But for the most future-proof options, we recommend going with the M4 MacBooks. Amazon actually has decent MacBook deals throughout the year, most of the time on the base configurations of any given model. In a welcomed update, Apple recently made all base models of the MacBook Air M4 have 16GB of RAM by default (which is the same as you'll find on the base-level Pros). MacBook Air (15-inch, M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $1,049 ($150 off) MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $1,249 (26 percent off) MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $1,429 (11 percent off) Most Chromebooks start off pretty affordable, so that just means you can get them for even less during an event like Prime Day. If you're a Chrome OS lover, it's also a decent time to check out sales on premium Chromebooks, which can usually cost $500 or more. In general, we recommend looking for at least 4 to 8GB of RAM and at least 128GB of SDD storage in a Chromebook that you plan on using as your daily driver. You've got a lot of variety to choose from when it comes to Windows laptops, and that can be a blessing or a curse. We recommend looking for a laptop from a reputable brand (i.e. Microsoft, Dell, Acer, Lenovo and others like them), and one that can handle daily work or play pressures. That means at least 8GB of RAM and 245GB of SSD storage, plus the latest Intel or AMD CPUs. If you're looking for a new gaming laptop, you'll need a bit more power and a dedicated graphics card to boot.
Tom's Guide
20 hours ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Best early Prime Day laptop deals: 13 epic discounts on MacBooks, Windows PCs and more
Prime Day isn't technically here yet, but Amazon is already offering plenty of price cuts on many of the best laptops you can grab today. And yes, that includes Windows laptops, MacBooks and Chromebooks. So far, I've seen the recent (and excellent) MacBook Air M4 drop by $150 at Amazon, along with the Microsoft Surface Laptop with Snapdragon X Plus get a $180 discount. There's even a Lenovo IdeaPas 3i Chromebook for just $183 right now. We're sure to see even steeper discounts on a range of the best laptops closer to the big sales event, but there's still many early Prime Day laptops deals I've spotted that you'll want to keep on your radar right now. Now, go get some savings! Now $100 off, the Asus Vivobook 14makes for a fantastic personal laptop, especially at this price. It's Snapdragon X processor ensures, well, snappy performance and long battery life, and its 16GB of RAM and 512GB is enough everyday tasks. Throw in its 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display with a 60Hz refresh rate, and it also makes for decent binge-watching. Get onboard with AI for less thanks to this HP Omnibook 5 deal, which brings the perks of Copilot+ with it. It sports a 16-inch 2K (1920 x 1200) touchscreen, along with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Not bad for a laptop that can more than handle it's share of multitasking. This 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop packs a Snapdragon X Plus CPU, which is ideal for school, work and everything in between. Along with its drastic performance boost and longer battery life thanks to the chip, it comes with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD — all to power its Copilot+ features. The $180 discount makes it all the sweeter. Wait, over $2,000 off this business-focused Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2? Now that's a crazy offer, but Lenovo is known to exaggerate these price cuts, so take this with a pinch of salt. Either way, it's still a low price for this laptop, and we noted in out Lenovo ThinkPad E16 hands-on that it has a lot of strengths. Expect an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB for storage and a sizeable 16-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) display. If you're after swift performance in a sleek, lightweight laptop boasting a gorgeous display, then it's hard to go wrong here. Our Acer Swift 14 AI review says it all, with its 14.5 2.5K (2560 x 1600) 120Hz touchscreen, Snapdragon X Plus processor, 17-hour battery life, 16GB of DDR5X RAM and 1TB for storage. Not a big discount, but one still worth checking out. It's hard to beat a MacBook Air, and even harder when the latest M4 model is now down to its lowest price. In our MacBook Air M4 review, we noted that its performance gains are well worth the upgrade, and we're big fans of its sharper camera and lower starting price. And it packs a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560 x 1664), Apple's M4 CPU w/ 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. If you're a power user, you'll want the might of the MacBook Pro M4 on your side. You get fantastic performance from the M4 chip, useful Apple Intelligence features, a better webcam and very impressive battery life at over 18 hours. As we noted in our MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 review, it's the best laptop for photo and video editing, and much more. This model features a 14.2-inch (3024 x 1964) Retina display, Apple M4 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Not enough power? No problem, as the M4 Pro MacBook Pro also has a steep price cut, and you can save $200! If the base MacBook Pro M4 doesn't have enough power for you, upgrade to the MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip. As well as faster performance thanks to its 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, you'll also get Thunderbolt 5 ports for even faster data transfer. Despite its more budget appeal, I was impressed by what the Acer Nitro V 15 could manage when I tested it out, especially for entry-level gaming. This model comes with an RTX 4060 and an Intel Core i7 13620H CPU, along with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, and it's sure to handle many of those essential PC games. Oh, and its 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) 144Hz display is great for those competitive FPS titles. This gaming laptop is a fantastic value at its current discounted price, featuring an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It has the power to run top PC games smoothly on its 16-inch QHD+ 165Hz display. As another gaming laptop that can pump out wicked gaming performance in a sleek design, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 is now $300 off. You can expect an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, an RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD. All PC games will look buttery smooth on its 14.5-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate. This Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is a cheap, durable Chromebook that's good enough for browsing the web or doing light schoolwork. The 15.6-inch 1080p screen gives you plenty of room to stream videos, and the 8GB of RAM and Intel Celeron CPU are good enough for basic work. The only big limitation is the 64GB of storage space, but Chromebooks rely on Internet access and cloud apps for most things anyway. Looking for a cheap 2-in-1 for daily browsing and some much-needed binge-watching? Then the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook is your top choice, and it's now down to under $300! It comes with an 11-inch 2K (2000 x 1200) touch display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor. Don't expect it to power through work or games, but do expect great value!
Geeky Gadgets
21 hours ago
- Geeky Gadgets
iPadOS 26 on iPad Pro: The MacBook Replacement Question Answered
The iPad Pro running iPadOS 26 has introduced a range of advancements that significantly narrow the gap between tablets and laptops. With features like enhanced multitasking, a high-performance display, and upgraded hardware, it positions itself as a compelling alternative to the MacBook Air M4. However, whether the iPad Pro can fully replace a laptop depends on your specific needs, workflow, and priorities. The video below from Max Tech gives us a detailed look at the two devices side by side. Watch this video on YouTube. Strengths of the iPad Pro with iPadOS 26 The iPad Pro excels in scenarios where portability, creativity, and touch interaction are essential. Its standout features highlight its potential as a versatile device for various use cases: Ultra Retina XDR Display: The iPad Pro's OLED-powered display delivers exceptional brightness, contrast, and color accuracy. With a peak brightness of 1,600 nits in HDR and a 120Hz refresh rate, it is ideal for tasks such as media consumption, gaming, and creative work like photo editing or video production. The iPad Pro's OLED-powered display delivers exceptional brightness, contrast, and color accuracy. With a peak brightness of 1,600 nits in HDR and a 120Hz refresh rate, it is ideal for tasks such as media consumption, gaming, and creative work like photo editing or video production. Touchscreen and Apple Pencil Support: The seamless integration of the touchscreen with the Apple Pencil offers precise input for sketching, annotating, and navigating. This functionality is particularly beneficial for artists, designers, and users who rely on tactile interaction for their workflows. The seamless integration of the touchscreen with the Apple Pencil offers precise input for sketching, annotating, and navigating. This functionality is particularly beneficial for artists, designers, and users who rely on tactile interaction for their workflows. 2-in-1 Versatility: The iPad Pro transitions effortlessly between tablet and laptop modes. iPadOS 26 enhances this adaptability with features such as resizable windows, a menu bar, and improved multitasking controls, making it more suitable for productivity tasks than ever before. The iPad Pro transitions effortlessly between tablet and laptop modes. iPadOS 26 enhances this adaptability with features such as resizable windows, a menu bar, and improved multitasking controls, making it more suitable for productivity tasks than ever before. Gaming and AR Capabilities: The high refresh rate display ensures smooth gameplay, while the integration of LiDAR technology enhances augmented reality (AR) applications. These features cater to both entertainment and professional AR use cases, expanding the device's appeal to gamers and developers alike. Advantages of the MacBook Air M4 The MacBook Air M4 continues to be a productivity powerhouse, offering features that cater to professionals and multitaskers. Its strengths lie in its performance, connectivity, and software ecosystem: Performance: Powered by a 10-core CPU and 16GB of RAM, the MacBook Air M4 is capable of handling demanding tasks such as video editing, software development, and heavy multitasking. Its performance ensures reliability for users with intensive workflows. Powered by a 10-core CPU and 16GB of RAM, the MacBook Air M4 is capable of handling demanding tasks such as video editing, software development, and heavy multitasking. Its performance ensures reliability for users with intensive workflows. Connectivity: The MacBook Air offers versatile connectivity options, including MagSafe 3, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a headphone jack. It also supports external displays with resolutions up to 6K and refresh rates exceeding 144Hz, making it ideal for multi-monitor setups and professional environments. The MacBook Air offers versatile connectivity options, including MagSafe 3, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a headphone jack. It also supports external displays with resolutions up to 6K and refresh rates exceeding 144Hz, making it ideal for multi-monitor setups and professional environments. Display and Productivity: The 16:10 aspect ratio of the MacBook Air's display provides more vertical screen space, which is particularly useful for tasks like document editing and web browsing. Combined with macOS's robust file management tools, this enhances productivity for users who require efficient multitasking capabilities. The 16:10 aspect ratio of the MacBook Air's display provides more vertical screen space, which is particularly useful for tasks like document editing and web browsing. Combined with macOS's robust file management tools, this enhances productivity for users who require efficient multitasking capabilities. Software Compatibility: macOS supports a broader range of professional-grade applications compared to iPadOS. It also allows sideloading apps, offering greater flexibility for users who rely on specialized software for their work. Key Factors to Consider When deciding between the iPad Pro and the MacBook Air, it is essential to evaluate your primary use case and how each device aligns with your needs. Here are some considerations to guide your decision: Choose the iPad Pro if: Portability, touch interaction, and creative tasks are your top priorities. The Apple Pencil integration, gaming optimization, and 2-in-1 functionality make it an excellent choice for casual users, creatives, and gamers who value flexibility and tactile input. Portability, touch interaction, and creative tasks are your top priorities. The Apple Pencil integration, gaming optimization, and 2-in-1 functionality make it an excellent choice for casual users, creatives, and gamers who value flexibility and tactile input. Choose the MacBook Air if: You require robust multitasking, superior app compatibility, and extensive external display support. Its performance capabilities, port options, and traditional laptop setup cater to professionals who need a reliable and efficient device for demanding workflows. Making the Right Choice The iPad Pro with iPadOS 26 has made remarkable strides in bridging the gap between tablets and laptops, offering unmatched versatility for creatives, gamers, and casual users. Its portability, touchscreen functionality, and innovative features make it a strong contender for those seeking a flexible device. However, for professionals who rely on traditional laptop features such as advanced multitasking, professional-grade software, and extensive connectivity, the MacBook Air M4 remains the more practical and reliable choice. Ultimately, the decision comes down to your specific requirements and how you plan to use the device in your daily life. Dive deeper into iPadOS 26 with other articles and guides we have written below. Source & Image Credit: Max Tech Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPad, Laptops, Tablet News, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
13 best early Prime Day laptop deals — MacBooks, Windows and more with up to $2,000 off
Prime Day isn't technically here yet, but Amazon is already offering plenty of price cuts on many of the best laptops you can grab today. And yes, that includes Windows laptops, MacBooks and Chromebooks. So far, I've seen the recent (and excellent) MacBook Air M4 drop by $150 at Amazon, along with the Microsoft Surface Laptop with Snapdragon X Plus get a $180 discount. There's even a Lenovo IdeaPas 3i Chromebook for just $183 right now. We're sure to see even steeper discounts on a range of the best laptops closer to the big sales event, but there's still many early Prime Day laptops deals I've spotted that you'll want to keep on your radar right now. Now, go get some savings! Now $100 off, the Asus Vivobook 14makes for a fantastic personal laptop, especially at this price. It's Snapdragon X processor ensures, well, snappy performance and long battery life, and its 16GB of RAM and 512GB is enough everyday tasks. Throw in its 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display with a 60Hz refresh rate, and it also makes for decent binge-watching. Get onboard with AI for less thanks to this HP Omnibook 5 deal, which brings the perks of Copilot+ with it. It sports a 16-inch 2K (1920 x 1200) touchscreen, along with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Not bad for a laptop that can more than handle it's share of multitasking. This 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop packs a Snapdragon X Plus CPU, which is ideal for school, work and everything in between. Along with its drastic performance boost and longer battery life thanks to the chip, it comes with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD — all to power its Copilot+ features. The $180 discount makes it all the sweeter. Wait, over $2,000 off this business-focused Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2? Now that's a crazy offer, but Lenovo is known to exaggerate these price cuts, so take this with a pinch of salt. Either way, it's still a low price for this laptop, and we noted in out Lenovo ThinkPad E16 hands-on that it has a lot of strengths. Expect an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB for storage and a sizeable 16-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) display. If you're after swift performance in a sleek, lightweight laptop boasting a gorgeous display, then it's hard to go wrong here. Our Acer Swift 14 AI review says it all, with its 14.5 2.5K (2560 x 1600) 120Hz touchscreen, Snapdragon X Plus processor, 17-hour battery life, 16GB of DDR5X RAM and 1TB for storage. Not a big discount, but one still worth checking out. It's hard to beat a MacBook Air, and even harder when the latest M4 model is now down to its lowest price. In our MacBook Air M4 review, we noted that its performance gains are well worth the upgrade, and we're big fans of its sharper camera and lower starting price. And it packs a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560 x 1664), Apple's M4 CPU w/ 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. If you're a power user, you'll want the might of the MacBook Pro M4 on your side. You get fantastic performance from the M4 chip, useful Apple Intelligence features, a better webcam and very impressive battery life at over 18 hours. As we noted in our MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 review, it's the best laptop for photo and video editing, and much more. This model features a 14.2-inch (3024 x 1964) Retina display, Apple M4 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Not enough power? No problem, as the M4 Pro MacBook Pro also has a steep price cut, and you can save $200! If the base MacBook Pro M4 doesn't have enough power for you, upgrade to the MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip. As well as faster performance thanks to its 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, you'll also get Thunderbolt 5 ports for even faster data transfer. Despite its more budget appeal, I was impressed by what the Acer Nitro V 15 could manage when I tested it out, especially for entry-level gaming. This model comes with an RTX 4060 and an Intel Core i7 13620H CPU, along with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, and it's sure to handle many of those essential PC games. Oh, and its 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) 144Hz display is great for those competitive FPS titles. This gaming laptop is a fantastic value at its current discounted price, featuring an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It has the power to run top PC games smoothly on its 16-inch QHD+ 165Hz display. As another gaming laptop that can pump out wicked gaming performance in a sleek design, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 is now $300 off. You can expect an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, an RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD. All PC games will look buttery smooth on its 14.5-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate. This Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is a cheap, durable Chromebook that's good enough for browsing the web or doing light schoolwork. The 15.6-inch 1080p screen gives you plenty of room to stream videos, and the 8GB of RAM and Intel Celeron CPU are good enough for basic work. The only big limitation is the 64GB of storage space, but Chromebooks rely on Internet access and cloud apps for most things anyway. Looking for a cheap 2-in-1 for daily browsing and some much-needed binge-watching? Then the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook is your top choice, and it's now down to under $300! It comes with an 11-inch 2K (2000 x 1200) touch display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor. Don't expect it to power through work or games, but do expect great value!
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I review laptops for a living, and I'd buy these 3 to go back to school
Summer is in full swing, and that means lots of students are out of school — with plenty of parents counting the days until they go back. Retailers around the U.S. are going to be running back to school sales to capitalize on that, so now is the time for students and parents to be thinking about what kind of laptop you want for the school year ahead. I know because I was a student myself once, and some of my friends and readers have kids who will be shopping for their first school laptop soon. Since I've been writing about laptops for years they sometimes ask me for help, and I have some tips on what to look for when shopping for a student laptop. Eight-plus hours of (tested) battery life, a screen bright enough to see in a sunny classroom and a comfy keyboard are really valuable in a laptop that's headed back to school. A light overall weight is also a big plus because it makes lugging the laptop around campus more enjoyable. Good port variety is nice to have because it lets you do more with the laptop, but you can buy a USB-C adapter or hub to fix most port problems. Likewise, having a laptop capable enough to run modern AI applications can be nice, but in my experience those NPU-focused apps aren't game-changers for productivity. With those tips in mind, here are the laptops I recommend most for students going back to school. I'm not the world's biggest Mac fan, but it's hard to beat the incredible value that Apple's MacBook Air M4 delivers for students. The M4 chip inside is more than powerful enough to run just about any app a modern student might need, and it lasted an incredible 15 hours in our battery test. Not only will it carry you through a whole day of school, the 13-inch model is easy to carry thanks to the fact it weighs less than 3 pounds. The Apple MacBook Air M4 is one of the best laptops on the market, and this model sports a 13-inch (2560 x 1664) display, a speedy M4 chip, 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD for storage. I prefer the 15-inch model since I like a bigger screen, but the display on either MacBook Air is plenty bright enough for use during the day. The only real flaw is the fact you're limited to Thunderbolt 4 ports, but again, you can buy an adapter to get around that handicap. For my money the Acer Aspire Go 15 is one of the best budget laptops you can buy because it gives you a fully functioning Windows laptop for less than $300. Now it's not the fastest or lightest laptop around, but I think it's more than capable enough for young students who need to do homework and remote learning. Admittedly, when I wrote our Acer Aspire Go 15 review I thought the Intel Core i3-N305 CPU inside made it feel a little slow and sluggish. But it's got enough horsepower to run basic productivity apps and even some lightweight games. The ultra-affordable Acer Aspire Go 15 is pretty slow, but it's got more than enough power for basic homework, research and surfing the web. The 15.6-inch 1080p display is good enough to stream movies on, and the 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage are enough for basic apps and documents. The 8GB of RAM also makes multitasking a bit hard, but that's not the worst thing for a young student. The 128GB of storage is enough room for a few apps and games in addition to schoolwork, and you get a nice assortment of ports that let you plug in USB-A or USB-C accessories or connect to an external display via HDMI. However, be aware that the 15.6-inch 1080p IPS screen is a bit dim and thus sometimes hard to see in bright light. You can use it around the house or in a coffee shop just fine, but it's tricky to see outside at noon. I think Framework laptops are some of the most exciting in the world right now because they're so radically repairable and upgradable. That also means a student needs to be prepared for the idiosyncrasies that come with owning one. I've used and reviewed all of the laptops Framework currently sells, and I think the entry-level Framework Laptop 13 is a great choice for certain kinds of students. Specifically, any student who's curious, self-reliant or interested in how laptops work will probably get a lot out of the fact that every Framework laptop is designed to be customized, upgraded and repaired by its owner. You can even order a (cheaper) barebones DIY edition and equip your Framework with your own RAM, SSD and operating system, though I don't recommend that for anyone but the most techy students. The Framework Laptop 13 is the company's first and most versatile laptop, and you have lots of options for how to order and configure one. What I've linked here is the pre-built entry-level model with the 13.5-inch (2256x1504) screen, an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. However, you can spend more to configure your machine with better components. Each Framework comes with a special tool you can use to easily loosen the screws holding the case together, at which point you can crack the laptop open and replace or upgrade parts using Framework's guides. So while the model I've linked here comes with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, you can buy upgrades down the road directly from Framework and install them yourself if you want something different. So if you find the battery life of the Intel chip not to your liking, you could try swapping it out for one of AMD's new Ryzen AI 300 series CPUs. And I haven't even mentioned the unique Expansion Card system that underpins all Framework laptops. Here's how it works: Framework Laptop 13 units have four slots on the bottom for Framework Expansion Cards. You have to buy these cards directly from Framework for a small fee, but the upside is that you can mix and match ports on the laptop to adapt to your needs. So you can order it with, say, one USB-A Card, one USB-C Card, an HDMI Out Card for using an external monitor and a 256GB SSD Card for some extra storage when you need it. But then you could also have, say, a MicroSD Extension Card and an SD Extension Card you could swap onto your laptop when you need to pull files or photos off of your SD cards before class. Don't get me wrong, it can definitely be scary to pry open your laptop and start fiddling with the innards. But I've reviewed Framework laptops for years, and after you get the hang of it, the fear subsides and the fun begins.
