Black Friday 2025 is delivering some of the deepest laptop discounts we've seen all year. Apple's M4 MacBook Air has dropped to just $749, while premium Windows machines like the Dell 14 Plus are hitting historic lows at $500. These aren't typical holiday markups - these are genuine deals on laptops that tech reviewers actually recommend.
The laptop deals hitting shelves this Black Friday aren't the usual holiday theater of inflated prices and fake discounts. Apple's M4 MacBook Air - widely considered the best laptop you can buy right now - has dropped to $749, marking its lowest price since launching this spring. That's compelling enough to make even M2 MacBook Air deals irrelevant.
But the real standout is Dell's aggressive pricing on the 14 Plus. At $500, it's delivering premium laptop features that typically cost twice as much. The machine packs 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and Intel's Core Ultra 5 226V processor - specs that would have been flagship territory just two years ago. More importantly, it avoids the two fatal flaws that plague budget laptops: terrible displays and unusable touchpads.
"It's literally a premium laptop for an affordable price," according to WIRED's review. The 2560x1600 display and smooth touchpad experience put it in a different category from typical $500 machines. Dell's calling it a doorbuster deal, meaning inventory is limited.
The MacBook discounts reflect Apple's unusual release cycle this year. Instead of the typical fall refresh across all Mac lines, the company only updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip. That leaves M4 MacBook Airs and Pro models in clearance mode ahead of expected early 2026 refreshes. The timing creates opportunity for buyers who don't need bleeding-edge performance.
For Windows users seeking alternatives, Microsoft's Surface Pro 13-inch with OLED display has dropped $500 to $900. The Snapdragon X chip finally gives the Surface Pro the battery life and performance needed to compete with the iPad Pro, but you'll still need to factor in the cost of the Type Cover keyboard for a true laptop replacement.
The Chromebook market is seeing interesting movement with Lenovo's Flex 5i Chromebook Plus hitting $349. That pricing brings Chromebook Plus features - better screens, more storage, crisper webcams - to near-standard Chromebook pricing. The 360-degree hinge and touchscreen capability sweeten an already strong value proposition.
What's notable about this year's deals is the absence of the typical Black Friday compromises. Previous years often saw deep discounts on configurations nobody wanted - 4GB RAM machines or 128GB storage models that felt obsolete before purchase. This year's standout deals feature specs that remain relevant.
