New 15-inch Apple MacBook Air preorders: cost, discounts, and what you need to know

The new 15-inch Apple MacBook Air (2023) has been unveiled at WWDC 2023 and preorders are already open at the official Apple Store. If you're looking to pick up a shiny new MacBook, you'll find everything you need to know right here on this page - including eligibility for discounts.

The new MacBook runs on Apple’s M2 silicon, and brings the larger screen and new color options to the MacBook Air line. Our MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023) hands-on review is already live, and while we haven’t yet had the chance to fully test it, we expect it will offer Apple’s customary excellent performance and good battery life. 

If you’re eying the new MacBook Air 15-inch you can either wait until June 13 when it will go on sale, or if you’re extra keen you can preorder the new MacBook Air now.

The new MacBook Air costs $1,299 / £1,399 / AU$2,199, which is not hugely expensive by Apple standards - especially considering that this larger Air runs on Apple’s impressive M2 chip. If you want 512GB of SSD storage instead of 256GB, that will set you back $1,499 / £1,599 / AU$2,499.

We have the latest news and info you need about preorders for the new 15-inch Apple MacBook Air, and we’ll add any preorder deals and other MacBook deals we see from retailers as they pop up if you don’t want to buy your device from Apple’s own store. 

Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) preorders

15-inch MacBook Air (2023): starting at $1,299 at the Apple Store
Preorders for the new MacBook Air 15 are already open at the official Apple Store, ahead of a delivery / release date of June 13th. The specs for the 15.3 MacBook Air are impressive. It comes with an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, a 10-core GPU for blazing-fast graphics, and a 16-core Neural Engine. That, and its incredibly slim and portable design means you'll have no problem whacking this in a backpack and work on the go.

United States: from $1,299
United Kingdom: from £1,399
Australia: from AU$2,199

Other retailers in the United States:

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• B&H Photo

As of writing, we've only spotted alternative retailers for Apple MacBook Air 15 preorders in the United States. It's highly likely we'll see other retailers stock this model post-release from mid-June onwards.

Are there any discounts for preorders?

Not outright upfront savings. If you're looking for a discount on a shiny new MacBook then it's probably worth waiting it out until third-party retailers have stock. Even then, it's highly unlikely that we'll see outright discounts for the first month or so post-release.

There is one exception to the above, and that's if you're eligible for a discount for the Apple Education program. The Apple Education site is currently holding a Back to School sale that's offering a $100 discount on MacBook Air 15 preorders and a $150 gift card. The catch here, obviously, is that you'll need to be either an active student or faculty member to be eligible for a discount (parents may be able to claim also).

You can also check out the latest Apple promo codes for ways to save money when buying from the official store.

15-inch MacBook Air (2023): was $1,299 now $1,199, plus $150 gift card at Apple
The brand-new Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M2 has literally just been announced, but it's already been listed with a $100 discount and a gift card thanks to the Apple Back to School sale. To claim your eligibility for this deal, you'll need to prove you're either a student, staff member, teacher, or parent so be prepared to provide some form of identification.

View Deal

15-inch MacBook Air: key specs and features  

Let’s start off with the obvious: the new 15-inch MacBook Air is an impressive, pretty machine, and it’s set to jump to the top of our list of best MacBooks and Macs.

Apple claims it’s the “world’s best” and “world’s thinnest” 15-inch laptop. It sports a Liquid Retina display, is super-slim at just 11.5mm, and weighs in at just 3.3lbs / 1.5kg. In terms of port selection, you’ve got MagSafe charging, two Thunderbolt 4 ports. It’s available in several colors, including a stunning Midnight (dark blue) and Starlight (gold).

The laptop boasts an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, alongside a 10-core GPU for incredible graphics. The GPU should handle many gaming titles you can run on MacBooks, including the anticipated director's cut of Death Stranding announced by the legend himself, Hideo Kojima.

While we don’t have exact performance information right now, the specifications for the laptop are promising. Apple has kept the size and weight increases minimal, so you’re not trading too much in terms of portability for the extra screen real estate. 

Should you pre-order the Apple MacBook Air?

Given that Apple only released the 13-inch MacBook Air last year, it’s unlikely we’ll see the new 15-inch model sell out on release day, so don’t worry if you’re still debating whether or not this is the MacBook for you as availability should remain steady throughout the year.

However, if you want to get your hands on the new MacBook as soon as possible, preordering could be a smart move. If you order the 15-inch Macbook Air from Apple’s official website you can expect to get your device by 13 June or pick it up on that day from your nearest Apple Store. You can snag some money off the price by trading in an older device on Apple’s website.

Overall, whether it’s right for you to place a 15-inch Macbook Air preorder depends on your preferences, budget and overall investment in the device. If you just upgraded to either the 13-inch MacBook Air or another recent MacBook, there’s no real reason to jump ship unless your computing demands have escalated, or you’re in the market for a bigger screen.