MACMYND

Prime Day 2020 brought down prices of some Apple products to their lowest ever. And while Amazon’s two-day annual blockbuster sale is officially over, you still have time to score one of the best tech deals: The latest MacBook Air at $850, $150 less than what it usually sells for.

Apple’s MacBook Air has been the notebook to beat in its price segment for ages and it’s still ideal for anyone in search of a reliable and all-around computer at a bargain. It offers all the essentials you’d expect from a modern laptop starting with a lightweight and slim aluminum exterior that both looks and feels premium.

This MacBook Air model doesn’t compromise on specs either. It has an Intel 10th-gen Core i3 chipset, 8GB of RAM, over 10 hours of rated battery life, and a 256GB SSD that should be sufficient for apps and media. It also features a high-res 13-inch screen that can adjust its color temperature automatically based on the room’s ambiance. For your increasing number of daily video calls, the MacBook Air comes equipped with a total of three microphones and an HD webcam.

In addition, the MacBook Air has a fingerprint reader for quick authentication and a pair of USB Type-C ports for external peripherals. Another highlight of this notebook is its massive, glass trackpad, and an improved backlit keyboard that won’t break easily like its predecessors. For more information on its performance and battery life, we recommend checking out our full MacBook Air review.

At the discounted $850 price, the MacBook Air is a steal and without a doubt, one of the most capable traditional laptops you can buy. But you have to be quick as with Prime Day 2020 now behind us, this deal can expire any moment. If it does expire before you manage to grab it or if you have different preferences, there is a great range of more Prime Day laptop deals you can still shop.

Editors’ Recommendations

Apple today released the tenth beta of macOS Big Sur to developers and besides some changes for AirPods users, today’s update brings multiple new wallpapers to the Mac operating system — which already had two new wallpapers since its first beta.

There are 11 new wallpapers available in the macOS Big Sur beta 10, or 13 new wallpapers if you consider the other two previous ones. Most of the new wallpapers are photos of the Big Sur region, including photos of mountains, horizons, plants, and stones. There’s also a new abstract wallpaper called “Iridescence” with light and dark versions available.

macOS Big Sur remains available exclusively as a beta software as Apple has not yet said when the update will be officially released to the public. However, the addition of new wallpapers suggests that the public release is approaching.

According to rumors, Apple will hold another special event in November to introduce new Macs, including the first Mac with Apple Silicon. It’s likely that the company will officially release macOS Big Sur after this event.

Until then, you can download all the new macOS Big Sur wallpapers here on 9to5Mac. Just right-click or long-press on the image you want to choose below and open in a new tab, then long press again to ‘Save’ on iOS or ‘Save image as’ on macOS.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

Hyper is dropping prices by up to 30% on its best USB-C hubs for MacBooks, iPads, and other tablets and laptops. The massive discounts are available today only with Hyper’s Prime Sale so act fast to pick up Hyper’s 6-in-1 USB-C Hub for iPad Pro/Air for $62.99 (Reg. $89.99), the world’s 1st 100W USB-C GaN charger for $74.99 (Reg. $99.99), and much more.

Hyper Day 2020

Hyper’s best USB-C hubs including HyperDrive SOLO and HyperDrive DUO are discounted today only with no coupon code required:

These are some of our favorite picks from Hyper Day 2020:

HyperDrive DUO 7-in-2 for $69.99 (Reg. $99.99) is a feature-packed USB-C Hub for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

HyperDrive DUO features a magnetic secure grip so the USB-C hub doesn’t lose connection, dual USB-C data and power delivery, microSD/SD card slots and dual USB-A ports, and even 4K60Hz HDMI high-resolution video output.HyperDrive DUO comes in two aluminum finishes with silver and space gray.

HyperDrive ULTIMATE for $89.99 (Reg. $119.99) is an 11-in-1 USB-C hub for Mac, PC, Android, and other UBS-C devices. A single USB-C connection expands to include HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, VGA, and a 3.5mm Audio Jack for video and audio output. HyperDrive ULTIMATE also adds USB-A, USB-C with Power Delivery, Gigabit Ethernet, and microSD/SD ports for data transfer and power.

Choose between MacBook and iPad-matching silver and space gray.

HyperDrive 6-in-1 is on sale for $62.99 (Reg. $89.99) turns the single USB-C port on the iPad Pro and brand new iPad Air into a 3.5 mm audio jack, USB-A and USB-C ports, microSD/SD card slots, and HDMI output.

HyperJuice GaN 100W USB-C Charger is the world’s first compact charger with that much power delivery. Dual USB-C ports and USB-A ports support charging up to four devices simultaneously. Save 30% off with coupon code “prime” at checkout.

Hyper’s latest Kickstarter product is the world’s first stackable GaN charger (40% off today only) for delivering 65W and 100W power in the most compact form-factor that can be stacked to created up to 1600W from a single outlet.

Hyper USB-C hubs and accessories are available on Amazon, Best Buy, B&H and HyperShop.com.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide on everything you need to know and how to make sure you get the best deal.

Tuesday was Apple event day, with the tech giant debuting the iPhone 12 lineup, including the first ever iPhone Mini, as well as a new HomePod Mini. But Tuesday was also the beginning of Prime Day and it runs through Wednesday, which means discounts for some of Apple’s best devices that are currently available. So far, the best of them have been on the MacBook Air, the iPad Mini and an array of headphones selling at all-time low prices. 

Read more: iPhone 12, 12 Pro and Pro Max with 5G, HomePod Mini and more: Apple’s October announcements

Here’s a quick recap of the best Apple deals currently live at Amazon:

• Since Monday morning, the entry-level 2020 MacBook Air has been selling for $850; that’s a $150 discount and the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this model.
• The iPad Mini, with the same processor and twice as much storage as the $299 10.2-inch iPad, is selling for $350 (save $49).
• The AirPods Pro are selling for $199 (save $50).
• The Powerbeats Pro are on sale for $175 (save $75).
• The standard AirPods with the wired charging case are selling for $115 (save $45).
• The Beats Solo Pro are now on sale for $180 (save $120).

Looking ahead, we still hold out hope for a better deal for the brand-new 10.2-inch iPad, which could dip to $250 (with last year’s model possibly on sale for even less), new all-time low prices for the Apple Watch Series 3 and the now-discontinued Series 5 — and perhaps the first significant discounts on the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, too. This is all speculation, however. Amazon hasn’t officially announced any specific Apple-related Prime Day deals. 

In the space below, we’re keeping track of current prices and how they square up with discounts we’ve seen in the past. For each product, we’ve also included a “strike price” for the entry-level model in that category, which represents our best guess for the price at which you should buy. Savings are shown versus the Apple Store, which effectively always charges list price. Note that there will often be a good deal on one particular model, size or color — and not another. 

We’ll also point out that Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Newegg are all having competing sales, and they sometimes out-discount Amazon when it comes to Apple products. So long as it’s an authorized Apple retailer — and each of those stores is — we’ll be sure to feature them here, too. For us, the best price always wins.

Dan Ackerman/CNET

In 2020, Apple upgraded the MacBook Air with an improved keyboard and twice the storage, and restored it to the sacred $1,000 price point. Amazon is currently selling it for $150 off — the all-time low price for this model, and probably the lowest price we’ll see during the Prime Day period. (You’ll see the full sale price at checkout.) Note that we expect new Macs with iPad-style “Apple silicon” chips, possibly before the end of the year. Read our MacBook Air review.

Strike price: $899

Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET

Beats got a lot right with the Solo Pro, its first on-ear headphones to feature active noise cancellation and the first full-size Beats headphones to charge via Lightning. It’s one of the best on-ear wireless headphones we’ve tested. Now on sale for $180 — a $120 discount on the Apple Store price and the all-time low for this product. Read our Beats Solo Pro review.

Strike price: $180

Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET

Introduced in 2019, the Mini has an A12 processor and Pencil support — just like the 2020 10.2-inch iPad, which is currently on sale for $299 — but twice as much storage.

Strike price: $336

David Carnoy/CNET

The Powerbeats Pro are superior to the AirPods on sound and battery life — and also feature fast pairing, rock-solid wireless connectivity and always-on Siri voice-recognition for iOS users. This is a very good price.

Strike price: $175

Sarah Tew/CNET

After briefly hitting $190 at Woot on Monday, Amazon once again has the lowest price, $199, on the AirPods Pro, which is $50 off Apple’s list price. 

Strike price: $199

And all of Apple’s other “pods” are also on sale:

Sarah Tew/CNET

Though it was announced just a month ago, Amazon and other retailers have already discounted the space gray entry-level 10.2-inch iPad — and we had hoped to see it go on sale today for $250. (For a fleeting moment during last year’s holiday season, the now discontinued 2019 version was available for $229, but the Prime Day low was $250.)

Amazon’s supply of $299 10.2-inch iPads appears to have dried up for now. That’s OK, because Walmart has stepped in with a deal of its own. Still, we’d hold out for an even lower price. Read our Apple iPad 2020 review.

Strike price: $250 for 32GB

Amazon

Currently discounted to match its 2019 Black Friday low price of $169, the GPS-only Series 3, which came out in 2017, remains the least expensive model in Apple’s watch portfolio — and, in light of its age and humble feature set, also the most dubious value. With the Apple Watch Series SE currently selling for $279, it’d be hard to recommend buying the Series 3, even at its current sale price. If Amazon drops the price significantly lower — maybe. Read our Apple Watch Series 3 review.

Strike price: $129 for 38mm, $169 for 42mm

César Salza/CNET

The priciest, fastest and most feature-packed of the bunch, the Series 6 can measure your blood oxygen level and runs on the new S6 processor. Both the red and white 40mm models are currently on sale for $15 off — which is Amazon’s “standard” though intermittent discount on the newest Apple Watch models. Given that the Series 6 is the current top-tier model, and that it came out only last month, it’s quite possible that a $15 discount is the best deal we’ll see in the near term. That noted, the Black Friday period could bring even lower prices. Read our Apple Watch Series 6 review.

Strike price: Any discount of $30 or more

Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNET

The most affordable Apple Watch ever released, the Watch SE boasts a more powerful processor, a Retina display that’s 30% larger than the Series 3 and support for Apple’s new Family Setup plan. Amazon is offering a modest $9 discount on select models including the 44mm GPS model and the 40mm cellular version (note different colors may vary in price). Also note that the Apple Watch Series 3 is currently selling for $169. Read our Apple Watch SE review.

Strike price: Any discount of $30 or more

Josh Miller/CNET

The Apple Watch Series 5, now officially discontinued, has the potential to be one of the stars of Prime Day. As recently as September, Amazon had discounted the 44mm GPS model to $299 — that’s $130 cheaper than the 44mm GPS Series 6. Given the scant differences between them — they both have the always-on display and heart monitor, after all — any Series 5 model that’s $100 less than its Series 6 equivalent is a no-brainer. Read our Apple Watch Series 5 review.

Strike price: $299 for 40mm, $329 for 44mm

Apple Seeds iOS 14.1 and iPadOS 14.1 Golden Master to Developers

Following the introduction of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple has released iOS and iPadOS 14.1 golden master betas for developers, with the iOS 14.1 update presumably coming pre-installed on the new iPhones at launch. The new updates are available for download from Apple’s developer portal. Earlier today, these software releases were positioned as…

Apple Event deals continue to pour in, with B&H Photo delivering the lowest price available on Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro. Save $320 to $400 while supplies last.

Lowest 16″ MacBook Pro prices

Additional Apple deals

The security researchers that found a vulnerability in Apple’s T2 chip have developed an exploit using a clone of an internal debugging cable that can hack a Mac without user action.

Who’s at risk, and how to protect yourself

An international regulator is showing five unannounced Apple Mac models running macOS Big Sur, although unusually, the new listing also includes multiple Macs and iOS devices that have previously been registered.

Extract from the EEC database showing four new sections, each containing very many repeat listings — but some new Macs

This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide on everything you need to know and how to make sure you get the best deal.

Even before Prime Day officially kicked off, Amazon activated really good deals on a range of Apple products — including all-time low prices for the iPad Mini and 2020 MacBook Air. Now that the main event has started, we expect even more deals to come online against the backdrop of Apple’s own Tuesday event, which is likely to feature the debut of the iPhone 12 and possibly other new products. We’ll be covering both events in detail here at CNET, of course. 

Read more: iPhone 12 launch: How to watch Apple’s Oct. 13 event live

Here’s a quick recap of the best Apple deals already live at Amazon:

• Since Monday morning, the terrific 2020 MacBook Air has been selling for $850; that’s a $150 discount and the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this model
• The iPad Mini, with the same processor and twice as much storage as the $299 10.2-inch iPad, is selling for $336 (save $63)
• The AirPods Pro are selling for $199 (save $50)
• The standard AirPods with the wired charging case are selling for $125 (save $35)
• The Beats Solo Pro is on sale for $180 (save $120)

If last year’s event provides any guidance for what to expect in 2020, we may see the brand-new 10.2-inch iPad dip to $250 (with last year’s model possibly on sale for even less), new all-time low prices for the Apple Watch Series 3 and the now-discontinued Series 5 — and perhaps the first significant discounts on the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, too. This is all speculation, however. Amazon hasn’t officially announced any specific Apple-related Prime Day deals yet. 

We’ll be keeping a close eye on every Apple product at Amazon but you’ll have other options, too. Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Newegg are all having competing sales, and they often out-discount Amazon when it comes to Apple products. So long as it’s an authorized Apple retailer — and each of those stores is — we’ll be sure to feature them here, too. For us, the best price always wins.

To that end, in the space below, we’ll be keeping track of current prices and how they square up with discounts we’ve seen in the past. For each product, we’ve also included a “strike price” for the entry-level model in that category, which represents our best guess for the price at which you should buy. Savings are shown versus the Apple Store, which effectively always charges list price. Note that there will often be a good deal on one particular model, size or color — and not another. 

Dan Ackerman/CNET

In 2020, Apple upgraded the MacBook Air with an improved keyboard and twice the storage, and restored it to the sacred $1,000 price point. Amazon is currently selling it for $150 off — the all-time low price for this model, and probably the lowest price we’ll see during the Prime Day period. (You’ll see the full sale price at checkout.) Note that we expect new Macs with iPad-style “Apple silicon” chips, possibly before the end of the year. Read our MacBook Air review.

Strike price: $850

Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET

Beats got a lot right with the Solo Pro, its first on-ear headphones to feature active noise cancellation and the first full-size Beats headphones to charge via Lightning. It’s one of the best on-ear wireless headphones we’ve tested. Now on sale for $180 — a $120 discount on the Apple Store price and the all-time low for this product. Read our Beats Solo Pro review.

Strike price: $200

Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET

Introduced in 2019, the Mini has an A12 processor and Pencil support — just like the 2020 10.2-inch iPad, which is currently on sale for $299 — but twice as much storage.

Strike price: $336

Sarah Tew/CNET

Though it was announced less than a month ago, Amazon and other retailers have already discounted the space gray entry-level 10.2-inch iPad, with the sale price swinging between $299 and $319. For a fleeting moment during last year’s holiday season, the now discontinued 2019 version was available for $229, but the Prime Day low was $250. That’s a great price on the best iPad for most people, and the price we’ll be looking for this year, too. Read our Apple iPad 2020 review.

Strike price: $250 for 32GB

Amazon

Currently discounted to match its 2019 Black Friday low price of $169, the GPS-only Series 3, which came out in 2017, remains the least expensive model in Apple’s watch portfolio — and, in light of its age and humble feature set, also the most dubious value. With the Apple Watch Series SE currently selling for $279, it’d be hard to recommend buying the Series 3 even at its current sale price. If Amazon drops the price significantly lower — maybe. Read our Apple Watch Series 3 review.

Strike price: $129 for 38mm, $169 for 42mm

César Salza/CNET

The priciest, fastest and most feature-packed of the bunch, the Series 6 can measure your blood oxygen level and runs on the new S6 processor. The red and white 40mm models are currently on sale for $15 off —  which is Amazon’s “standard” though intermittent discount on the newest Apple Watch models. Given that the Series 6 is the current top-tier model, and that it came out only last month, it’s quite possible that a $15 discount is the best deal we’ll see in the near term. That noted, the Black Friday period could bring even lower prices. Read our Apple Watch Series 6 review.

Strike price: Any discount of $30 or more

Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNET

The most affordable Apple Watch ever released, the Watch SE boasts a more powerful processor, a Retina display that’s 30% larger than the Series 3 and support for Apple’s new Family Setup plan. Amazon is offering a modest $9 discount on select models including the 44mm GPS model and the 40mm cellular version (note different colors may vary in price). Also note that the Apple Watch Series 3 is currently selling for $169. Read our Apple Watch SE review.

Strike price: Any discount of $30 or more

Josh Miller/CNET

The Apple Watch Series 5, now officially discontinued, has the potential to be one of the stars of Prime Day. As recently as September, Amazon had discounted the 44mm GPS model to $299 — that’s $130 cheaper than the 44mm GPS Series 6. Given the scant differences between them — they both have the always-on display and heart monitor, after all — any Series 5 model that’s $100 less than its Series 6 equivalent is a no-brainer. Read our Apple Watch Series 5 review.

Strike price: $299 for 40mm, $329 for 44mm