I’m honestly amazed it’s still available to buy. When Walmart first discounted the MacBook Air M1 to $599 during last year’s Black Friday sales, I expected it to sell out in no time at all. Yet, here we are, a full nine months later, and Apple’s revolutionary laptop is still in stock at this incredible price as part of the back-to-school sales. But, should you still buy it in 2025?
Short answer: yes.
Sure, in the time since the MacBook Air M1 was originally released in 2020, we’ve seen the introduction of not one, not two, but three more versions of its Apple silicon. And with each release of the M2, M3, and M4 chips, the manufacturer has continued to refine and build upon the impressive architecture at the centre of many of its devices.
The Apple M1 chip was a game-changer
But the shift to the M1 chip in the MacBook Air was such a dramatic change for the devices that it still offers an unprecedented level of power and performance for the cost. As our computing editor, Matt Hanson, writes in his updated MacBook Air M1 review:
“The M1 chip inside this MacBook Air proved that Apple could make its own chips that didn’t just match what the likes of Intel and AMD were putting out, but it could surpass them as well. The performance of the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) was incredibly impressive when it launched, and it still remains an excellent performer today.”
That’s the part that really matters when it comes down to it. The MacBook Air M1 may be five years old, but it will outlast many other devices, offering impressive levels of performance, an 11-hour battery life, and longevity that nothing else in this price range can match.
What if I want the newest tech?
I will say that if you do have the budget to stretch to one of the newer models, then an upgrade is a completely justifiable move. The M1 model does keep things familiar in terms of design, and that’s something which Apple overhauled to great effect with the M2 model and beyond.
It can be as much as $100 – $200 more for the M2 or M3 versions when they’re on sale, so not a substantial increase but not loose change, either. Most would be happy sticking with the M1 version when you consider the level of power and performance you get for the money. And those design changes are a minor niggle at most.
So, whether you need an everyday laptop, are heading off to college and want a device that will keep up with your work, or need a creative workstation that can handle more intensive tasks such as 4K photo and video editing with ease, the MacBook Air M1 can do it all. And now, it’s an excellent value for money while this limited-time deal is still available at Walmart.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: not only is this one of the best MacBook deals right now, but it’s comfortably one of the best laptop deals I’ve ever seen in my years tracking them for TechRadar. And I don’t think it’ll be available for much longer.
