Apple’s M5 MacBook Air Already on Sale: $949 Undercuts ASUS’s New X2 Elite Lineup
Apple’s latest MacBook Air with the M5 chip launched on March 3 at $1,099. Less than a month later, Amazon is already selling the base configuration for $949 —a $150 discount that brings the laptop 14% below its official MSRP.
The deal applies to the 13-inch M5 Air with 512GB of storage, which Apple made standard starting with this generation. Key features include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, a 12MP Center Stage camera, up to 18 hours of battery life, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. The M5 chip itself delivers modest generational gains over the M4, with improved CPU and GPU performance and enhanced neural engine capabilities for AI workloads.
A Contrast to ASUS’s Snapdragon Launch
While Apple’s Air is already selling below MSRP, ASUS’s first wave of Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops have moved in the opposite direction—and in a highly unusual way. According to Hardware Canucks, Best Buy and ASUS initially issued launch prices that were later corrected upward by as much as $350 just hours after the systems became available. The error meant early listings showed prices significantly lower than the actual retail cost.
Apple MacBook Air M5 – AMAZON
As a result, Apple’s M5 MacBook Air at $949 is now selling for less than every first-wave ASUS Snapdragon X2 Elite laptop currently listed in the U.S. The cheapest ASUS X2 Elite model now starts at over $1,000, putting the M5 Air in an aggressive value position for buyers who want a thin, lightweight, and efficient laptop.
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What This Means for Buyers
For shoppers in the market for a premium ultraportable, the discounted M5 Air presents a compelling option. Apple’s silicon efficiency remains best-in-class, and the 512GB base storage eliminates the painful 256GB configuration of past generations. The $949 price undercuts not only ASUS’s Snapdragon laptops but also many Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI 300 series competitors in the same class.
The discount may be temporary—Amazon’s pricing is subject to change—but it signals that Apple’s retail partners are willing to move volume early in the product cycle. For anyone who has been waiting for a deal on the new Air, now may be the time.
Source: AMAZON