Save $150 on the best student MacBook

(Image credit: Apple)

Looking for a portable laptop with plenty of power and excellent battery life? This deal is for you.

The MacBook Air M2 is a fantastic machine, but we'd argue the 15-inch version is not only the best MacBook for students, but also best laptop for students overall.

It's so slim that it feels almost like magic that it's so powerful and power efficient. In fact, in our review we said:

"Aside from a larger display, there’s not a lot new here, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The MacBook Air M2 is stylish, lightweight, and powerful making it easily one of the best student laptops on the market, especially if you want a large screen."

Key features: 15-inch Retina display, M2 chip, 1080p webcam

Product launched: June 2023

Price history: We've seen this price reached before, but given the machine only launched in June, all discounts are welcome.

Price comparison: B&H Photo: $1149 | Walmart: $1244 | Best Buy: $1299

Reviews consensus: The M1 MacBook Air put Apple Silicon in the lineup, but the M2 saw a true glow-up. A slick design, new color options, and the long-awaited upgrade of the webcam to 1080p, coupled with a new 15-inch version, make this an ideal machine for students or mobile workers. It's great for multitasking, and capable of complex tasks like video editing, too.

Live Science: ★★★★½ | TechRadar: ★★★★ | Tom's Guide: ★★★★½ | T3: ★★★★★

Featured in guides: Best MacBooks for students, best laptops for students, best laptops for coding

Buy it if: You want a lightweight machine with plenty of power that can be thrown into a backpack.

Don't buy it if: You need an HDMI port (you'll need a MacBook Pro for that). You need more storage (256GB is a little low).

Lloyd Coombes freelance tech and fitness writer for Live Science. He's an expert in all things Apple as well as in computer and gaming tech, with previous works published on TechRadar, Tom's Guide, Live Science and more. You'll find him regularly testing the latest MacBook or iPhone, but he spends most of his time writing about video games as Gaming Editor for the Daily Star. He also covers board games and virtual reality, just to round out the nerdy pursuits.