Apple enthusiasts might remember the somewhat surprising increase in the MacBook Air M1’s price last year. Here’s a guide on securing the laptop at its pre-hike rates.
With the holiday season underway, major e-commerce retailers in India are offering steep discounts on the popular MacBook Air M1. JioMart, Croma, and Inspire are all featuring the laptop at prices considerably lower than Apple’s official Rs 99,900 price.
JioMart has marked down the MacBook Air M1 to Rs 79,990, making it the cheapest option among the three retailers. Additionally, HDFC Bank debit and credit card holders can knock off another Rs 5,000, bringing the net price down to just Rs 74,990.
Close behind is Croma, which has the Air listed at Rs 80,900. With the HDFC instant discount of Rs 5,000, customers can purchase it for Rs 75,900. While not as affordable as JioMart’s deal, Croma’s offer still amounts to solid savings.
Inspire has priced the thin and light MacBook at Rs 82,940. After redeeming the HDFC Bank credit card instant discount worth Rs 5,000, buyers will pay Rs 77,940. Though Inspire’s reduction is the smallest among the three, it’s still much less than Apple’s MRP.
Apple fans may recall the rather unexpected price hike of this model when its successor, the MacBook Air M2, was launched in 2022. The M1 Air was originally priced at Rs 92,900 but increased to Rs 99,900 after the M2’s release. This hike was attributed to a combination of a weakening rupee and other global factors.
Before the price rise, the MacBook Air M1 would go for as low as Rs 73K during festive sales. While this year-end sale does not reach that price point, it’s still possibly the lowest since the hike.
The MacBook Air M1 made its debut in late 2020 as Apple’s inaugural laptop featuring the groundbreaking M1 chip. The transition to in-house silicon resulted in substantial performance and efficiency improvements compared to previous Intel-powered models.