M4 Mac mini, 13-inch M4 iPad Pro, M4 MacBook Air, more 9to5Mac


For today’s best Apple deals we are starting with another chance to score the new M4 mac mini at under $495 – within a few bucks of the best online price ever and a deal that might not stick around for long. We are also highlighting the ongoing all-time lows on the M4 MacBook Air lineup from $849 alongside a new 2025 low on the most affordable 13-inch M4 iPad Pro and a 50% price drop on the official 140W Apple Power Adapter. All of that joins deals on Twelve South MagSafe charging stands, AirPods 4 from $99, and more. 

You can once again score the M4 Mac mini at under $495 (Reg. $599)

While the previous all-time low on Apple’s most affordable M4 Mac mini didn’t last all that long down at $491, after popping back up price Amazon is now once again offering a deal nearly as good. You’ll now find the base-model M4 Mac mini with the 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD down at $494.92 shipped, or within $4 of the best price ever online.

Again, we did just see this model down at just shy of $492 on Amazon a couple days ago. Today’s deal is, however, awfully close to that and if you missed out on the $492 deal, you’re basically getting another chance at it here.

Previous to this week, the base model and most affordable M4 Mac mini had never dropped below $499 at Amazon since its debut back in October of 2024. Carrying a regular price and entering Apple’s lineup as the most affordable point of entry to the current-generation Mac ecosystem, it was already quite a popular and value-packed option among consumers before you even factored in the deals that hit thereafter.

All things considered we have only ever tracked this machine dropping below $529 a small handful of times before this week – I’d say landing one at $499 is a steal and today’s deal drops things even lower to deliver the second-best price we have ever tracked online at within $4 of the short-lived low.

Much like last go around, it quickly jumped back up over $500, so you’ll want to seriously consider this offer while you still can if a new M4 Mac mini is in the cards.

Air vs. Pro: Is the latest M4 MacBook Air at the $849 all-time low the best value for an Apple laptop

The M4 MacBook Air has quickly become the best deal on Apple portable computing. There’s nothing quite like a shiny new Space Black M4 MacBook Pro, but as a longtime MBP user the new lower prices Apple unleashed on top of the $150 price drops on the M4 MacBook Air has me second-guessing how much I really need on new MacBook Pro – the $849 all-time low entry price on the M4 MacBook Air is seriously enticing.

While the M4 Mac mini (especially with the deals we are tracking right now) is clearly the most affordable current-generation Mac in the lineup, that’ clearly’s not going to cut it for folks looking to land a portable Apple notebook. That leaves us with the new M4 MacBook Air and the M4 MacBook Pro.

Clearly the M4 MacBook Pro is, well, pro, and the Air clearly isn’t. But we are talking about a pair of machines that both carry Apple’s latest and greatest M4 chip and quite a notable price disparity here. The M4 MacBook Air is currently starting at $849 with 16GB of RAM and the M4 MacBook Pro is now starting at $1,386 shipped.

Now as you might have seen some folks talking about online, if you start comparing the spec’d out M4 MacBook Air– a machine configured to carry the same top-line specs as the M4 MacBook Pro (RAM and storage) – the price difference becomes less glaring.

But as of right now we are talking about $600 more for the most affordable MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD – an M4 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD can be had on Amazon right now for $1,049 shipped. Let’s take a look at these two models with the current sale prices:

The difference isn’t quite as much when you factor in the current deal prices, but we are still looking at over $300 less on the M4 Air – both models for the record, are very close to the lowest prices we have ever tracked online. The M4 Pro is likely to get updated to M5 sooner as well, if that matters to you.

Here are some of the main factors to consider when it comes to spending more on the MacBook Pro:

  • Much better and brighter screen
  • It has power/data ports on both sides of the chassis
  • More extensive I/O – HDMI, SD Card slot, and so on
  • There’s slightly better battery life depending on the specific use case

And here are some of the real selling points of the M4 MacBook Air for me:

  • Far lower price tag on the more affordable configurations
  • Includes the same 16GB of RAM at the lowest price point
  • Can natively support two display with access to the onboard keyboard

I love the MacBook Pro and have been a user for years. I am however considering the switch for the cash savings here. The M4 MacBook Air has gotten much less expensive than it used to be, it is powered by the same chip – there’s really no point in comparing the far more powerful and pricey M4 Pro here, and I just don’t value many of the main factors on the MBP above enough to warrant the extra spend.

I certainly wouldn’t blame anyone for opting for a sweet Space Black MacBook Pro with the far better display, that’s for sure – it’s a gorgeous machine (oh, what I would do for a Space Black M4 MacBook Air). But these days, for my personal needs on a MacBook, the M4 MacBook Air is basically all I really require – I’m not video editing much or have a need for the highest-quality movie watching experience, I’m rarely ever in need if an SD slot on-the-go, and the native dual display action on the M4 Air with access to the keyboard is more than enough for me at home.

Best deal prices online for the M4 MacBook Air:

Best deal prices online for the M4 MacBook Pro:

Apple’s most affordable 13-inch Space Black M4 iPad Pro just hit its best price of the year at $212 off

We are now tracking one of the best prices ever on Apple’s most affordable 13-inch iPad Pro, the 256GB M4 iPad Pro in Space Black. Regularly $1,299, it has now ducked down even lower than the $200 pice drop we spotted a couple times this year – it is now sitting at $1,087.60 shipped via Amazon.

Now just under $212 off the regular list price, you’re looking at the best price we have tracked on Amazon all year and the lowest we can find from any reputable online dealer.

While the 11-inch entry model is still at $899, or $100 off the going rate, today’s featured deal delivers the best price around on the most affordable 13-inch model – the thinnest iPad Apple has ever released.

We just recently detailed the value proposition on the least pricey iPad models in the current-generation lineup, the iPad (A16) and the iPad mini 7, both of which are now sitting at Amazon all-time low pricing starting at $299 shipped. But for folks looking to go pro, today’s deal on what I would consider to be the best tablet ever released is worth a closer look.

 

That said, I do favor the slightly more roomy 512GB variants, and for the rest of you folks looking elsewhere in the lineup, you’ll find an updated list of discounted pricing across the M4 iPad Pro configurations below:

M4 iPad Pro 11-inch

M4 iPad Pro 13-inch

Today’s accessories and charging deals:

iPad (A16) vs. iPad mini: Apple’s most affordable models now at all-time lows from $299 – which is the better buy?

As of right now, both of the most affordable latest-model iPad releases are currently sitting at all-time low pricing – the new 11-inch iPad (A16) and the iPad mini (A17 Pro). For folks looking to land a new iPad right now on the most affordable end of the current-generation the spectrum, these are the two models you’ll be looking at. The iPad (A16) that released earlier this year is now starting at the $299 Amazon all-time low and the latest iPad mini (A17 Pro) that debuted last fall is now starting at $399, or $100 off. But which is the better buy?

Well, like all of these sorts of questions it’s really going to come down to what you use the iPad for the most and which size you prefer. While not an exhaustive comparison, let’s take a look at some main comparison points between the two models to help the cause.

The new iPad (A16) is 11-inches and the mini is, well mini, at an ultra-manageable 8.3-inches. One offers more screen restate for drawing, writing, typing, and watching movies, whereas the other is ultra-compact and a little easier to hold in the hands.

Another aspect to consider in the size department is the keyboard. Apple and other brands make keyboard cases for the less powerful iPad (A16) that make transforming it into a casual workspace, let’s say, a more elegant proposition. Whereas with the mini, you’ll likely have to deal with the on-screen keyboard or some kind of un-attached Bluetooth deck you’ll have to carry with you that will in some ways negate its portability advantage.

A group of black and white icons

If you want to use an Apple Magic Keyboard-like device, the iPad (A16) is likely a better option. It is also worth noting that buying Apple’s Magic Keyboard for the A16 will have you spending more than the price of the iPad mini right now ($99 more)

Now, if it wasn’t already obvious by the naming scheme and price here, the iPad mini (A17 Pro) is a more powerful machine, but not so much so that it will even be all that noticeable for folks not making use of resource intensive applications. And most folks considering these two models likely aren’t doing all that much of that – the mini has more RAM and a more powerful chip allowing it to remain a little bit more snappy an responsive the going gets tough though.

A screenshot of a computer

Where this might matter to you is with Apple Intelligence. If you like Apple Intelligence on your phone, or perhaps believe it makes more sense to invest in a machine that will support it as it gets better down the line, the iPad mini (A17 Pro) is the machine for you – the iPad (A16) does not support Apple Intelligence at all.

For me, as someone who has used both models, it’s the mini all the way…but I just happen to prefer the smaller form-factor in my hands and appreciate the portability. I also do not use an iPad for typing tasks – that’s what the MacBook/desktop machines are for in my case. In my experience, and in talking to folks that do use an iPad for typing – school work, typing/filling out documents for work, and so on – the mini just doesn’t cut it the way they need it to.

iPad mini (A17 Pro) deals:

iPad (A16) deals:

And lastly, the price – the iPad (A16) is $100 less with the current all-time low Amazon pricing. For casual users they are both great buys, but if you like the idea of a more full size display for video and the more roomy typing setup, save the $100 and go for the $299 A16. Prefer the ultra-compact setup and don’t need a keyboard case, or perhaps want to dabble in Apple intelligence, the iPad mini (A17 Pro) seems to be the way to go.

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