CNET and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

Apple’s M4 MacBook Air is the best laptop this year, as expected. Its new processor is powerful and perfect for people who really use their laptops. Just like all Apple products, deals on this latest MacBook Air are pretty rare but they’re definitely out there.

That’s why we’ve combed through the internet and found modest deals as well as trade-in options. If you’re interested in a new MacBook Air with an M4 chip, these deals could help you save up to $150. Plus, upgrading now might be a great way to avoid costly price changes due to tariffs.

Best M4 MacBook Air deals

M4 MacBook Air at Amazon

Amazon has reduced the starting price of the 13-inch model in select colors. So, you can grab one for as little as $849 right now, saving you $150 off the regular price of $999.

Apple/CNET

See at Amazon

M4 MacBook Air at Apple

You can, of course, order your new MacBook Air directly through Apple and customize it to your needs. The cheapest model is the base 13-inch device with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state storage. The priciest stock version is the $2,399 15-inch model with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. Apple offers a couple of ways to save, including its educational discount, enabling students to get the M4 MacBook Air from $899. Or if you have the Apple Card*, you can save 3%. And if you have an old Mac or other Apple device to hand over, you can save some cash when you trade it in. The exact value depends on the gear.

James Martin/CNET

See at Apple

M4 MacBook Air at Expercom

Expercom has the M4 MacBook Air available in several configurations. Though there aren’t currently any discounts available, they have a trade-in program that can help you score a few dollars off. If you’re trading an Apple device and want to buy a new MacBook Air, they’ll even help you migrate files.

Apple/CNET

See at Expercom

M4 MacBook Air at B&H Photo

B&H Photo offers Apple’s latest laptop. All colors of the 13-inch model are $50 off, but the 15-inch model is not on sale. Additionally, if you have a B&H Payboo® credit card*, you can potentially save your local sales taxes by using it to purchase the new MacBook Air.

Apple/CNET

Advertisement Advertisement

See at B&H

M4 MacBook Air at Best Buy

Best Buy is offering a direct discount of $150 on the 13- and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air models. That reduces the starting price to $849 for the 13-inch and $1,049 for the 15-inch.

It also has its own trade-in program where you can save up to $550 in exchange for your old laptop. Models from Apple, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, HP and most other major brands are accepted. You’ll also get three free months of Apple Music and Apple Arcade, and two free months of Apple TV Plus and iCloud Plus with the purchase if you’re a new or returning subscriber.

Apple/CNET

See at Best Buy

M4 MacBook Air at Adorama

Adorama is currently offering a $50 discount on select M4 MacBook Air configurations. Plus, you can save 5% using an Adorama Edge Credit Card*.

Apple/CNET

See at Adorama

Advertisement Advertisement

If you want to consider options other than the M4 MacBook Air models, check out all the latest MacBook deals. And if you’re looking for more savings in the Apple ecosystem, we’ve found plenty of deals on iPhones, as well as iPads and AirPods.

*All information about the Apple Card, B&H Payboo Credit Card and Adorama Edge Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

Amazon sells a gazillion products, with new ones dropping daily. The retail giant carries everything from home essentials to tech gear and wellness items. And Amazon loves reducing prices almost as much as it loves adding new products. Deciding which deals are (and aren’t) worth grabbing is a full-time job. That’s why we’ve scoped out the top deals today.

We found a rare deal on the new M4 MacBook Air, discounting it to the lowest price yet. The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 is discounted by $8, and TP-Link’s Wi-Fi extender is currently only $2 more than its all-time low price.

M4 MacBook Air, 13-inch: $912 (save $87)

See at Amazon

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement

The M4 chip made its way to the MacBook Air at the beginning of March 2025. Since its debut, this laptop has easily topped our list of the best MacBooks. With a new processor, this laptop was also released in a new color for Apple, Sky Blue. We love the M4 MacBook Air because of the immense performance upgrade from the M1 model. It has a really nice design and features, too. This laptop supports two external displays simultaneously, along with the MacBook’s display, so you can see everything you need to at once. And it has an impressive 12-megapixel Center Stage camera for your Zoom calls.

According to our expert reviewer Joshua Goldman, “Overall, the M4 MacBook Air is a good, if minor, update to an already fantastic laptop, and it has a lower price to boot. If you have an M3 Air or even an M2 Air, there are some reasons to upgrade, like the better camera and external display support.” And the price just got even lower with a nice $87 discount. The 13-inch M4 MacBook Air is now just $912, a new low price.

Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2: $22 (save $8)

See at Amazon

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement

If you’re anything like me, you’re constantly searching the house for your phone, keys, wallet or, unfortunately, all three. When this inevitably occurs, an item tracker can help reveal the location of your things so you’re not tearing your house apart. If you’re an Android or Samsung user, you’ll love Samsung’s SmartTags. The Samsung SmartTag2 can stay charged for up to 500 days, so you don’t have to worry about frequently powering up the device. Simply register your tag to track any item from your Samsung Galaxy device. The SmartTag 2 must be synced to Samsung SmartThings and can be used with any compatible Galaxy device. You can score one for just $22 compared to the normal price of $30.

TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi extender: $23 (save $4)

See at Amazon

Nothing’s more annoying than finding an area of your house has a spotty Wi-Fi signal, especially if you’re trying to work from home or stream a new show or movie. One way to help spread the Wi-Fi signal to all parts of your home is with a Wi-Fi extender. Just plug it into the wall where the signal is weak, and it’ll boost the Wi-Fi signal all over your house. TP-Link’s AC1200 Wi-Fi extender is a great option. It has a data transfer rate of 1,200 Mbps and covers up to 1,500 square feet of space. It’s also compatible with all Wi-Fi-enabled devices, routers and access points. Right now, you can score one for just $23, which is only $2 more than the record-low price.

With so many deals on Amazon, deciding which ones are worth it can be difficult. That’s why CNET searches everything the world’s biggest online retailer has to offer before gathering the best deals.

Refresh

Get notified of updates

(Image credit: Laptop Mag, Microsoft) Memorial Day weekend is finally here, and we’re kicking things off with some exciting laptop sales. Whether you’re in the market for one of the best gaming laptops or a 2-in-1 to get you through your workday (and a Netflix binge later), you’re in luck: The deals are abundant this year. This weekend, I’ll be walking you through some of the most exciting Memorial Day laptop deals, so buckle up, because there’s a lot in here to dig into. Let’s start things off with the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, now just $799 at Best Buy. You’re saving $200 on an excellent all-around Copilot+ PC and one of Microsoft’s most recent laptops that unlocks the full power of AI. If you’re more of a gamer, stay tuned—plenty of gaming laptop deals coming right up. Key specs: 13.8-inch PixelSense touchscreen (2304 x 1536), 120Hz, 600 nits brightness, Snapdragon X Plus 10-core CPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Wi-Fi 7, 1080p webcam

(Image credit: Future) I realize I’ve been neglecting Apple fans so far today, but don’t worry—there are some superb MacBook deals up for grabs during this Memorial Day weekend. One of my favorites has to be the M4 Apple MacBook Pro, now just $1,449 at Best Buy (down from $1,599). Macs don’t get price cuts all that often simply because they’re always in high demand. In our review of the M4 MacBook Pro 14-inch, we asked: “Is this the perfect laptop?” as we gave it our elusive 5 out of 5 star rating. It doesn’t get better than that, really. This notebook, now $150 cheaper, serves up the full power of Apple’s M4 chip, with a 10-core CPU and GPU, 512GB of SSD storage, and 16GB RAM. The display is a gorgeous 14-inch panel with a 3024 x 1964 resolution, and we found it to be brilliantly bright. We also loved the 18+ hour battery life and incredible audio. Prefer something lighter? Check out the M4 Apple MacBook Air 15-inch, priced at $1,299 during Best Buy’s Memorial Day sale.

(Image credit: Best Buy) Is it a tablet? Is it a laptop? Is it a plane? (Well, it’s most definitely not a plane.) No, it’s a 2-in-1 laptop! (I’m sorry.) I’m a huge fan of 2-in-1s, and Memorial Day weekend has given us some exciting deals on those types of laptops. I’ll keep showing you the best 2-in-1 laptops throughout the holiday weekend, but today, I want to focus on the Asus Chromebook Flip CX5, now down to $399 at Best Buy. At $200 less, you’d be hard-pressed to find a comparable convertible laptop at a lower price point. It’s a great pick for anyone in need of some flexibility, as you can use it in tablet, laptop, or tent mode for all kinds of professional (or entertaining) purposes. Key specs: 16-inch 1920 x 1200 touch screen display, Intel Core i3 1215U processor, Intel UHD Graphics 630, 128GB SSD, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, Wi-Fi 6, 1080p webcam

(Image credit: Future | Madeline Ricchiuto) Circling back to laptops, I set out to find deals on gaming laptops with Nvidia’s RTX 50-series graphics cards. It wasn’t easy—most are too new to be on sale—but I managed to snag a couple. My recommendation? Snap them up fast, as I can’t see these deals lasting throughout the entire Memorial Day weekend. The MSI Vector 16 HX AI serves up a 16-inch 240Hz QHD+ display, but its hardware is even more impressive than the gamer-centric screen. It comes with Nvidia’s RTX 5080 laptop GPU and Intel’s Core Ultra 9-275HX CPU as well as 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB SSD. You can snag one for $2,999 right now, meaning $518 in savings. If you need the best of the best, I do have a deal for you, and you’ll save $490 … but you’ll still spend a lot of money. The MSI Raider 18 HX AI is an 18-inch beast of a laptop equipped with Nvidia’s RTX 5090. We reviewed the RTX 5080 version, and this one is bound to be even better, with eye-watering specs: 64GB DDR5 RAM, an Intel Core U9-285HX CPU, and 2TB of SSD storage combined with an 18-inch 4K 120Hz display. It’s now $4,899 at Amazon, down from $5,389. These are pricey, but if you need a high-end gaming laptop, you can’t go wrong with either.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag, MSI) I just spotted a killer Memorial Day laptop deal, so I ran right back here to share it with you ASAP. The MSI Thin 15.6-inch, equipped with Nvidia’s RTX 4060 graphics card, is now heavily discounted at Walmart – it’s down to $649. It started out at $999, so that means a whopping $350 in savings, which is more than half the current price of the laptop. Given the RTX 4060, this is a solid laptop for gamers, but at that price, it’s honestly just a good pick for just about anyone. Demanding gamers can lean into frame generation; those who just want a solid laptop don’t need to bother with any of that and can just enjoy it as is. It’s rare to spot a laptop with (decent) discrete graphics at that price point. If I were you, I’d act quickly. Key features: 15.6-inch 144Hz 1920 x 1080 IPS display, Intel Core i5-13420H CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

Save $200 on the brilliant Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra (Image credit: Samsung) A tablet is key for any summer vacation or staycation. You can stream your favorite shows while traveling, play games while you wait for your flight at the airport, and if you’re a parent, use the tablet to briefly calm your adorable but impatient toddler. Right now, Samsung has reduced the price of its Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra by $200. Save $200 at the start of summer, and know you’ll be repaid in spades, especially if your flight’s delayed. Save $200 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: was $1,199 now $999 at Samsung Overview Save $200 on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra productivity Android tablet. Features: 14.6-inch WQXGA+ (2960 x 1848) Dynamic AMOLED 2x 120Hz anti-glare touchscreen, S Pen, MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ 8-core CPU, 12GB RAM, 256GB of microSD-expandable storage (up to 1.5TB), quad speakers, IP68 water resistant, fingerprint reader, 11,200mAH battery, 13MP+ 8MP ultrawide rear camera, 12MP + 12MP ultrawide front camera, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, Android 14 (upgradable to Android 15) Release Date: September 2024 Price history: This is the lowest price we’ve seen for the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. It’s just $50 shy of its record low Black Friday price, which it hit last year. Price check: Best Buy $999 Cheaper alternative: Galaxy Tab S10+ for $879 or $879 at Best Buy Buy it if: You want a powerful productivity tablet with fingerprint security and long battery life. Don’t buy it if: You want a tablet solely for browsing the internet and using streaming or gaming apps.

Save $200 on the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, a thin, but powerful laptop (Image credit: Future) Right, I promised you laptop deals, and the good news is that Memorial Day deals are really ramping up. I’m seeing a lot more discounts today than I did yesterday, and it’s not like there wasn’t much to choose from last night. We’ve got so much to choose from (and I love that for us). This time, let’s focus on just one laptop, because it sure deserves the spotlight. The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, which received a near-perfect score in our comprehensive review, is now on sale. You can snag it for just $899 at Best Buy, down from $1,099, meaning a neat $200 in savings. With a 4.5-star rating, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED is one of our favorite laptops as well as one of the best ultrabooks around. We loved the battery life—almost 16 hours of it!—and its speedy performance. It’s also super light, weighing in at just 3 lbs. What’s not to like? I suspect this one will sell out quickly, as it’s a good deal on a high-quality laptop with a beautiful OLED display. Want my advice? Grab it while you still can. Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Laptop

Was: $1,099

Now: $899 @Best Buy

Lowest price! The excellent Asus Zenbook 14 OLED with Intel Ultra 7 CPU drops by $200. Features: 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 500-nit touch screen, Intel Evo Core Ultra 7 155H 16-core CPU, 16GB RAM, Intel Arc graphics, 1TB SSD, webcam with privacy shutter, Windows 11 Home Release Date: March 2024 Reviews consensus: In our review, we called the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED a nearly perfect laptop and gave it an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Our tests found snappy performance, impressive audio, and a tremendous 16-hour battery life. Laptop Mag: ★★★★½ Buy it if: You crave a balance between power and portability. This 3-pound model has a beefy processor, lots of storage, and a vibrant display. Plus, it has 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, making it a great choice for creative tasks as well as general computing use and casual gaming. Don’t buy it if: You prefer ChromeOS or macOS, prefer a higher-resolution display, or want to play AAA games at high refresh rates.

Want to level up your laptop? Grab a portable monitor (Image credit: Asus) I gave monitors some love earlier, but then it hit me that I forgot the most useful kind of display for a laptop user. I’m talking about portable monitors. Maybe you need an extra screen for work (I can relate) or you just want to be able to watch Netflix while gaming (I can also relate). In any case, a portable monitor makes those things possible even if you’re not at home. There are some really affordable options up for grabs thanks to various Memorial Day tech deals. I picked out the best ones to share with you below. Memorial Day portable monitor deals WGK 15.6-inch portable monitor with kickstand: was $83, now $49 at Amazon

Kefeya 14-inch laptop screen extender: was $159, now $109 at Amazon

Asus ZenScreen 15.6-inch portable monitor: was $199, now $159 at Best Buy

Acer 15.6-inch touchscreen portable monitor: was $159, now $119 at Target

Our favorite budget laptop is now $210 cheaper (Image credit: Future) To say that I ran here to tell you this would be an overstatement (because I am, in fact, still just sitting in front of my computer). But I definitely typed this out a tiny bit faster out of excitement. I just saw that the Acer Swift Go 14, which is ranked among our best laptops, is currently on sale. Considering how much we loved it, I dare say it’s a steal at 21% off. You can buy it on Amazon for $789, down from $999. In our review of the Acer Swift Go 14, we were impressed by the superb combo of Intel’s CPU, Arc GPU, and NPU. The performance was great all around, and the battery life was just as good. It won’t rival some of the best MacBooks, but it’s also cheaper, so it’s a trade-off. This laptop is really thin and super easy to carry around, weighing in at just 2.9 pounds. For all kinds of productivity-related purposes, from huge spreadsheets to running AI workloads, you can’t go wrong with the Acer Swift Go 14. Specs: 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS touch screen, Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, Intel Arc graphics, 16GB LPDDR5X RAM, 512GB SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

I just spotted our top workstation laptop with a $200 discount (Image credit: Laptop Mag/Sean Riley) I’m having a lot of luck spotting some of the best laptops on sale during this Memorial Day weekend. As I was scoping out some good deals, I noticed that the Asus ExpertBook P5 Copilot+ laptop is now 14% cheaper during Amazon’s Memorial Day sale. Grab it while it’s still discounted: It’s currently $1,199 instead of $1,399 at Amazon. We’ve reviewed this exact model of the Asus ExpertBook P5 (P5405) and found next to nothing to complain about. It’s a durable workstation with a bazillion ports, a bright, fast display, and solid productivity performance. Workstation laptops don’t often provide a great display; after all, most of us don’t need 144Hz refresh rates to fill out some spreadsheets. But Asus’ unique approach to the topic makes this notebook a lot more pleasant to use. This one is also really, really light. You can lug it around all day and barely feel it—it’s a mere 2.8 pounds, which is just barely above the 13-inch MacBook Air M3. Key specs: 14-inch 2560 x 1600 144Hz display, Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, Intel Arc 140V graphics, Copilot+ compatible, 32GB LPDDR5X-8448 RAM, 1TB SSD storage, Wi-Fi 6E, 1x HDMI,, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack, 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, 2x Thunderbolt, 2x USB 3.2 Type-A Price check: $1,199 at Best Buy

Microsoft Surface laptops are still on sale, but not for much longer (Image credit: Microsoft) If you’re a fan of Microsoft’s Surface Laptop lineup, you’re in some serious luck this Memorial Day. A lot of these laptops are on sale, with discounts in the hundreds of dollars. The cheapest model I found is just $649, so what’s not to like? The laptop in question is the Surface Laptop Go 3. It comes with a 12.4-inch touch screen and Intel’s Core i5 processor as well as 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. You can pick it up for $649 (down from $799) at Best Buy. The 13.8-inch Surface Laptop with the Snapdragon X Plus chip is also on sale, now down to $820 at Amazon (meaning $170 in savings). Microsoft promises up to 20 hours of battery life for this one, which means it’ll last you the whole work day and then some. Craving something more premium? Check out the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 that offers up to $620 in savings when you shop through Microsoft. There are a lot of different configurations, so you can make this one just as powerful as you need it to be.

I think I just found the cheapest 2-in-1 PC to buy right now (Image credit: HP) HP Envy 2-in-1 14-inch touch-screen laptop: was $799.99 now $419.99 at Best Buy This just might be one of the cheapest laptops you’ll find on sale this Memorial Day. With the ability to work in tent, tablet, and laptop mode, the HP Envy is a flexible tablet/laptop combo that’ll do the job well in both work and entertainment scenarios. Specs: 14-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS 300-nit touch-screen display, Intel Core 5 120U 10-core processor, integrated Intel graphics, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD As I was cruising for more deals (as you do), I found a discounted HP Envy 2-in-1 that saves you $380. I don’t think you’ll find a cheaper 2-in-1 laptop during Memorial Day sales, but if you’ve seen one, send it my way and prove me wrong (so that I can spread the word immediately). While more than reasonably priced, this little laptop has specs that will do the job just fine. It has just about enough storage with 512GB, an Intel Core i5 processor, and 8GB of RAM. Will it be the best laptop you’ve ever seen? No, but it’s a 2-in-1, making it perfect for work, studying, and entertainment thanks to the flexible form factor. Grab the HP Envy 2-in-1 14-inch laptop at Best Buy, now $419 instead of $799 (meaning $380 in savings).

Gamers on a budget, I’ve got some good news for you (Image credit: Laptop Mag, Lenovo) Over the last few years, integrated graphics have gotten significantly better. Laptops that might not have a discrete GPU still put up a fair fight against some rather demanding titles, provided you’re willing to compromise on your graphics settings. That’s all well and good, but even now, a discrete GPU is king if you primarily want to play games—especially if you lean into frame generation tech. This is why I’m particularly excited about this Lenovo LOQ RTX 4060 laptop that’s currently on sale at B&H. At just $799, it’s $200 cheaper as part of Memorial Day sales. It’s not going to rival some of the best gaming laptops, but it has enough graphics power to run modern games, especially if you use the aforementioned frame generation (aka Nvidia’s DLSS 3). With a fast display, a solid CPU, and a very popular GPU, this is a fantastic laptop to grab during Memorial Day. Lenovo LOQ 15 RTX 4060: was $999 now $799 at BHPhoto Save $200 on the Lenovo LOQ at B&H. Although we didn’t get a chance to test it, the Lenovo LOQ earned a solid rating of 4 out of 5 stars from our sister sites TechRadar and T3. Touting solid gaming performance and fast refresh rate for AAA games, it’s an exceptional value for the price. Key specs: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 300-nit 144Hz display, Intel Core i5-13450HX 10-core CPU, 16GB RAM, RTX 4060 GPU w/ 8GB VRAM, 512GB SSD, white backlit, eclipse black keyboard, 720P HD with dual microphone and e-shutter, Windows 11 Home

Since the launch of the iPad Pro with M4 chip, I’ve been using the powerful tablet – with the new Magic Keyboard cover – for working on, rather than a laptop. This is because, as I said in my review of the 13-inch iPad Pro, if you really want to justify the incredibly high price tag (it starts at $1,299 / £1,299 / $2,199 for the 13-inch model) and powerful components that would usually be overkill for a tablet device, you need to think of the iPad Pro as a laptop alternative – not a replacement for a cheap Kindle Fire.

So, I wanted to know if you really can use the iPad Pro instead of a laptop – and if it’s worth considering over any of the best laptops if you’re looking to buy a new device to work on. After using it pretty much every day to write, edit, view documents, send emails, and browse the web (plus much more), I’ve been impressed by a lot of ways the iPad Pro can match a laptop as a productivity machine – but there were also other ways where it’s still lacking. Here’s what I found:

iPad Pro being used as a laptop in an office

1. The hardware is pretty much there

Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about the iPad Pro was the fact that it is the first product to come with Apple’s new M4 chip. Usually, M-class chips debut in Macs and MacBooks – with the chips specifically designed for computers, rather than the mobile focus of Apple’s A-class chips found in iPhones and iPads – so the fact that the new iPad Pro was the first device to get the M4 was a surprise – and not something every Mac owner was particularly happy with.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement

It led to a strange situation in which my 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro was arguably less powerful than an iPad – not something I ever expected to happen (at least, not for a long time).

Whilst reviewing the iPad Pro, I put the new M4 chip to the test with video editing and music creation (plus using some nifty AI-powered tools). These are tasks I’d usually perform on my desktop PC or MacBook Pro – and generally, the iPad Pro did an excellent job of handling it all. I never felt I was being held back by the hardware, and it was genuinely impressive to work on complex projects in Logic for iPad on such a thin and light device.

The hardware was so good, in fact, that it began to feel like it was being held back by the software – more of that in a bit.

iPad Pro being used as a laptop in an office

2. It proves a touchscreen MacBook could work

Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was famously dismissive of the idea of a MacBook with a touchscreen, and despite a huge amount of touchscreen Windows laptops and convertible Chromebooks coming out and showing that the form factor can work, current CEO Tim Cook appears to be just as hesitant to greenlight such a device.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement

I continue to think this is a missed opportunity. When Steve Jobs dismissed the idea, touchscreen laptops were few and far between, and the technology was still quite new. Since then, there have been some excellent touchscreen laptops from Apple rivals like HP and Lenovo – and having the ability to scroll up and down documents using a finger while also interacting with the laptop using the keyboard and trackpad gives much more flexibility. For some people a touch screen can be a really useful accessibility tool as well.

It’s so intuitive that when I return to a MacBook, I miss the touchscreen – and sometimes even tap the screen anyway out of habit (leading to fingerprint marks and embarrassment).

When using the iPad Pro as a laptop with the Magic Keyboard accessory, you get a tantalizing glimpse at what a touchscreen MacBook would be like. Obviously, the iPad Pro is basically a touchscreen display with high-tech gubbins behind it, and when magnetically attached to the Magic Keyboard, you get a laptop-like experience with added touch controls.

As the iPad Pro runs apps designed for touchscreens, it feels a lot easier to control with a finger, thanks to larger and simpler interfaces, compared to operating systems such as Windows 11 that are designed to be used mainly by mouse and keyboard.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement

The iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard looks and feels like a MacBook, and with a few adjustments, iPadOS can get a macOS feel – proving that a touchscreen laptop from Apple would certainly work. The fact that the company has created accessories like the Magic Keyboard to allow the iPad Pro to be used like a MacBook suggests that it has (belatedly) acknowledged that people like using touchscreen laptop form factors.

iPad Pro being used as a laptop in an office

3. It’s thinner and lighter than a MacBook Air

In the past, if you wanted a thin and light Apple computer, you’d go for the MacBook Air. However, while the dimensions of the 13-inch MacBook Air (M3) are relatively compact (11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches), and the weight is pretty light for a laptop (2.7 lbs), the iPad Pro’s dimensions and weight of 11.09 x 8.48 x 0.20 inches and 1.28lbs respectively lead to a much more portable device. Of course, this is without the Magic Keyboard attached, but it’s still noticeably lighter than the MacBook Air.

It means that when I’m thinking about taking a laptop with me somewhere, I’m now more likely to pick up the iPad Pro than my 13-inch MacBook Pro, as it’s so much more easy and comfortable to carry around.

iPad Pro being used as a laptop in an office

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement

4. You definitely need the Magic Keyboard (or similar)

While the iPad Pro is plenty powerful, if you’re going to use it as a laptop alternative, you’ll need a physical keyboard and touchpad, which will make writing and multitasking much easier.

Apple’s new Magic Keyboard (confusingly, Apple has several devices that are called this) is ideal for this – it quickly attaches to the iPad Pro via magnets and adds a backlit keyboard and touchpad that feels a lot like the included keyboard of modern MacBooks. The iPad Pro’s angle can be adjusted, and it has allowed me to comfortably type up emails and documents (including a lot of this article) – something I’d not have been able to do if I was just using the onscreen keyboard that pops up when you use the iPad’s touchscreen.

Meanwhile, the touchpad makes some tasks, such as selecting text, dragging and dropping files, and switching between apps, much easier for people like me, who are more used to working on laptops and PCs. When done, the Magic Keyboard can be closed with the iPad Pro still attached and acts as a screen protector.

It’s a very nice bit of kit, but at $299 / £299 / AU$499 it’s an extremely expensive bit of kit as well, and bumps up the overall price of the iPad Pro significantly. You can use other keyboards, of course, but they can’t compete with the build quality and convenience of Apple’s own accessory (you don’t need to plug anything in or even pair it with the iPad Pro – it just works).

Advertisement Advertisement

I’d argue that the Magic Keyboard is essential if you want to use the iPad Pro as a laptop-like device, but that means that the price difference between this setup and a MacBook Air becomes even bigger.

iPad Pro being used as a laptop in an office

5. The convenience of integrated cellular data makes going back to Wi-Fi hard

The iPad Pro comes with cellular data support on some models – though that adds $200 / £200 to the price tag, and you need a data subscription, which is yet more money. However, I did find it extremely useful, as it meant the iPad Pro was connected to the internet pretty much anywhere I went. I didn’t have to connect to public Wi-Fi networks and deal with all the faff and security implications that come with them.

All I had to do was open up the iPad Pro, and I was ready to go. While I don’t think it can quite justify the extra expense, it was incredibly useful and will be something I miss when I return to my MacBook Pro.

iPad Pro being used as a laptop in an office

6. Sadly, iPadOS holds it back

The iPad Pro succeeded in many ways when it came to replacing my MacBook Pro, and the hardware powering it can certainly equal – and even surpass – many modern laptops.

Advertisement Advertisement

However, while the hardware is great, the software is holding the iPad Pro back. This is because it runs the same iPadOS operating system that other iPads use – and it means you can only use apps designed for iPads, which are often quite basic. While there are plenty of iPadOS versions of software you usually use in desktop operating systems like Windows 11 and macOS, the iPadOS versions are mainly pared-down versions with limited features and simplified interfaces.

Of course, this works great when using an iPad as a tablet – but if you’re going to be using the iPad Pro as a laptop-like device, the limitations of iPadOS apps start to frustrate.

For example, my main web browser is Google Chrome, and I have several extensions that I use to make my job easier. However, on the iPad Pro I can only use the mobile version of Google Chrome, which doesn’t support extensions. And, while there’s an iPadOS version of Microsoft Word, another program I use daily, it doesn’t offer all the features of the desktop version.

Even iPadOS as a whole is clearly designed for touchscreen use first and foremost, so while using the Magic Keyboard works well, there are again a few niggles that build up to bigger frustrations.

Advertisement Advertisement

It feels a bit unfair to complain that iPadOS and its apps are often simple with interfaces that are designed for touchscreen use – as that’s exactly why they work so well on iPads when used as tablets – and that’s how the vast majority of iPad owners will use their devices.

However, the iPad Pro’s power (and price) means that only using it as a tablet feels like a waste – but when you’re looking to use it daily as a laptop replacement, iPadOS just can’t compete with macOS or Windows.

So, while I’ve really enjoyed my time with the iPad Pro and have been mightily impressed by it, it won’t be replacing my MacBook any time soon.