MacBook Pro Deals in December: Big, but Small Discounts

Christmas is right around the corner, making it a great time to buy a new MacBook Pro for a loved one, and many retailers are taking advantage of that by offering deals on Apple’s power notebook this month.

The MacBook Pro is Apple’s top-of-the-line laptop, packing in a lot of performance in a small package that almost makes it just as portable as the MacBook Air, but definitely lighter and smaller than competing laptops from other manufacturers.

However, something that many buyers complain about is the cost of MacBook Pros, with prices starting at an easy $1,200 for the entry-level 13-inch model. This is why it’s so critical that shoppers look for deals when it comes time to buy one for yourself or for someone else as a gift on Christmas. Luckily, there are a small handful of deals that you’ll find throughout the month of December.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to find a MacBook Pro for less than $1,000 at retail stores, even with big discounts, but there are other avenues that you can take as well, including looking refurbished models from Apple, as well as seeing what eBay has to offer on used MacBook Pros, even on the latest 2014 models.

The 2014 MacBook Pro was launched earlier this year with a slight upgrade from the previous version. The processors saw a slight increase in speed, with the entry-level 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 now boosted to 2.6GHz. However, the machines now have double the memory as a standard option, with the entry-level MacBook Pros now sporting 8GB of RAM instead of only 4GB.

More specifically, the entry-level 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro now comes with a 2.6GHz Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage for $1,299. This is the same price that it was before, so technically while it’s the same price, it’s a slightly better deal in the long run as you get more for your money.

As for the 15-inch MacBook Pro, the entry-level version now comes with a 2.2GHz Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage. This also stays at the same price of $1,999. However, the upper-tier model has received a price drop of $100 and is now priced at $2,499 instead of $2,599.

MacBook Pro Deals in December

You won’t find a lot of deals on the MacBook Pro, but the deals you will find offer some good discounts on the laptop. For example, B&H Photo is currently offering a 15-inch MacBook Pro for $300 off, priced at $1,699 for a 2.2GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of flash storage.

If it’s the 13-inch model you’re after, Best Buy as the entry-level MacBook Pro for $100 at $1,199. This comes with a 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of flash storage. However, Best Buy’s biggest discount on a MacBook Pro right now is for a 13-inch model with a 2.8GHz processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of flash storage for $1,599, which is $200 off the normal price.

If you want to save even more cash, B&H Photo as the late-2013 MacBook Pro on sale for $1,059, and sports a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of flash storage. That’s about the cheapest MacBook Pro you’ll find right now.

That’s about it for retail store deals, but don’t end your search there. You can also find some great deals in Apple’s online refurbished store, where you can grab one for as low as $929 for a 2012 model.

Currently, you can save as much as $400 off a MacBook Pro in Apple’s refurbished store, but you’ll still be paying a pretty penny, since MacBook Pros certainly aren’t cheap by any means.

Apple’s refurbished products are available year-round at discounted prices that are very much worth taking a look at, and they can even provide steeper discounts than those you’ll find on Black Friday.

Arguably, Apple offers some of the best refurbished products around. Most of the Apple products that I’ve bought over the years have been refurbished, including gifts to other people for Christmas or their birthday, and guess what? They never know the difference between refurbished and brand new.

With all this said, you have a lot of options when it comes to buying a MacBook Pro at a discounted price, and hopefully you can find a deal that suits your wants and needs as we approach Christmas day.