Technologies

Best MacBook Air M2 Deals: Up to $150 Off at B&H Photo

Score rare savings on Apple’s latest sleek and powerful MacBook Air.

The latest model in Apple’s sleek MacBook Air lineup is here, and we’ve named it the overall best laptop on the market right now for most people. Equipped with the new cutting-edge M2 processor, it’s lightweight and powerful, though not the most affordable model out there with a starting price of $1,199. But while deals on the latest Apple devices aren’t exactly common, there are a few discounts available that can knock as much as $150 off the starting price.

M2 MacBook Air on a table — Dan Ackerman/CNET

The M2 chip inside allows for a performance bump of up to 40% and battery life as long as 18 hours, according to Apple. It also has a slightly larger display than the previous-gen model, up to 13.6 inches from 13.3 inches.

All of those improvements do come at a cost, though, as the MacBook Air M2’s price starts at $100 more than its predecessor. For that reason, it’s well worth trying to score a MacBook Air M2 deal where possible. We’re keeping tabs on any and all M2 MacBook Air savings we see below.

Best MacBook Air M2 deals

B&H Photo

$150 off

B&H is offering the best discount out there on the MacBook Air M2 at the moment, and has knocked $150 off the midnight color variant, dropping the starting price down to $1,049. The retailer also offers a neat way to save on sales tax, too, with its own-brand B&H Payboo credit card that gives you the tax back as cash. On a purchase as large as a MacBook Air, that could be a decent chunk of change.

$1,049 at B&H

Amazon

Up to $80 off

Some configurations are currently sold out at Amazon, but if you’re looking for the space gray color variant, you can save $50 on the base 256GB model, or $80 on the 512GB model, dropping the prices down to $1,149 and $1,419.

$1,149 at Amazon

You’re receiving price alerts for MacBook Air M2 (Midnight, 256GB, 8-core)

Apple

$100 off for students

Apple is renowned for not offering direct discounts, but its education store offers a $100 cheaper price, plus discounted AppleCare coverage. If you’re not a student, you can still save by trading in your old MacBook (or any Apple device) for credit against your new one, or by using your Apple Card to spread the cost of your purchase while getting 3% cash back.

$1,099 at Apple

Best Buy

No discounts currently available

In the past, we’ve seen Best Buy offer as much as $200 off the MacBook Air M2, but there aren’t any discounts available at the moment. The retailer does have tons of different configurations in stock and has its own trade-in program, where you can save hundreds in exchange for your old laptop from Apple, Microsoft, HP and other brands.

$1,199 at Best Buy

You’re receiving price alerts for MacBook Air M2 (Midnight, 256GB, 8-core)

Adorama

No discounts currently available

Adorama has offered direct discounts on the new MacBook Air M2 in the past, but doesn’t have any currently available. However, the retailer does have its Adorama Rewards program, which is free to sign up for and allows you to earn points to redeem as credit against future purchases.

$1,199 at Adorama

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.