Have you been eyeing a MacBook Air but not quite sure you can justify the splurge? Believe me, I know what it's like. As Good Housekeeping's tech editor, I've tested the latest M3 MacBook Air and the M4 MacBook Pro, so trust me when I say that the Air from 2022 is still a fantastic laptop.
That's why I think this Black Friday deal might be the one worth grabbing! I've just spotted that the 2022 13-inch M2 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is down to just £849 – a 23% discount off its original price of £1,099.
Apple has recently increased the base storage of both the M2 and M3 MacBook Air models to 16GB, so we'd guess that this latest discount is a way to shift the stock of the older base models. But that doesn't mean it isn't still a great offer. You'll need to act fast to secure it though. This deal is likely to run through Cyber Monday (2 December 2024) but not after that, and stock will run out – so don’t wait too long!
Here’s why I still think this laptop is such a brilliant buy. Because despite being a couple of years older than the latest M3 MacBook Air, the M2 model is still a standout.
Its sleek design is ultra-thin and lightweight, making it ideal for anyone who values portability. I recently tested the upgrade to this – the MacBook Pro – and I'd honestly still personally pick the Air over it for the reduction in weight alone.
The 13.6-inch display is also bright and vibrant, perfect for streaming, editing photos, or simply working comfortably. The M2 chip delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks like browsing, word processing, and even photo and video editing or light gaming. Plus, the 512GB of storage is a sweet spot – that's plenty of space for photos and documents.
That said, I'm not sure this particular configuration is a laptop for power users. With only 8GB of RAM, it’s not going to be ideal for heavy multitasking, demanding tasks like professional video editing, or sustained workloads like large photo editing exports.
And, while the M2 MacBook Air holds its own, it’s not the newest laptop around anymore. If having the absolute latest model matters to you, the M3 Air may be worth the extra cost.
Still, at £849, the M2 MacBook Air offers fantastic value for most of us without taxing workloads. It’s a lightweight, capable laptop with enough storage for all your files, and it looks identical to (and every bit as sleek as) the newest version.
Tempted? Deals like this don’t stick around past Cyber Monday, so grab it while you can!
Simon Cocks is Good Housekeeping UK’s Technology Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy for the title. He previously also worked across other titles including Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.
Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, e-book readers and smartphones. He's reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.
A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.
He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and money-saving advice guides and edited thousands of in-depth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.
He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.
You can follow Simon on Instagram, on Bluesky, on LinkedIn and on Threads.
