Prime Day laptop deals include the M2 MacBook Air for a record low of $749 on Amazon

Amazon's October Prime Day sale kicked off today, bringing a wide range of discounts on gadgets and gear we recommend. We have a roundup with all of the offers worth your attention, but if you're specifically looking to grab a new laptop, one of the event's best Apple deals cuts the entry-level M2 MacBook Air down to $749. That's $50 below the notebook's usual street price in recent months, $250 less than buying from Apple directly and a record low for what we consider the best budget MacBook on the market.

In our initial M2 MacBook Air review, we were impressed by the laptop's thinner design, gorgeous 13.6-inch display, great quad-speaker setup and the M2 chip's excellent performance. It had been our top pick for the best MacBook, period, but the new M3 model has taken that top slot. However, the M2 Air doesn't skimp — those on a budget (or anyone simply looking to save some cash) will still get a lot of laptop and a lot of power choosing this machine.

One could argue, and our Daniel Cooper did, that the best thing about the M3 MacBook Air was the price drop given to the M2 Air after its launch. The M3 chip is pretty similar to the M2, and while there's no doubt that those who want the latest and greatest should get an M3 machine, an M2 laptop will be more than enough for most people using it as a daily driver. And, when you consider the M2 started at $1,200 when it first came out in 2022, it makes this discount even more compelling (it only received a price drop to $1,000 after the M3's debut).

There are other discounts on the MacBook lineup at Amazon at the moment, too. The M3 MacBook Air is $250 off and down to $849, which is only $50 more than its record-low price. The 15-inch MacBook with an M3 chip is $255 off and on sale for $1,044.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.