Apple now offering up to Rs 15,000 discount on MacBook Pro, Air weeks after price hike

Apple has started offering bank-based discounts on select MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models in India weeks after revising prices upward. The offers may appeal to eligible cardholders, but buyers on tighter budgets may still wait for Independence Day sales.

In Short

• The offers are bank-based and not direct price cuts from Apple
• Eligible cards include American Express, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank
• The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 starts at Rs 2,39,900

Apple recently revised the prices of its MacBooks and iPads by a huge margin, leaving many fans disappointed. While the company had its own reasons for the price hike and said it had tried to shield customers from the increase for as long as possible, the increase eventually became unavoidable. But what nobody saw coming was Apple starting to offer discounts just a few weeks after increasing the prices. The official Apple India page is currently offering discounts of up to Rs 15,000 on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models.

Before we talk about the deals, it is important to note that these are not flat discounts. The offers are purely based on bank offers, similar to what Apple does with most of its sales throughout the year. There is also no mention of whether these offers are part of the Independence Day sale that is likely to be hosted by many online as well as offline platforms. Without further ado, let’s check out the deal prices.

MacBook Pro gets Rs 15,000 discount, but it is still expensive

Apple is giving a Rs 15,000 discount on the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro model, but only customers with American Express, Axis Bank or ICICI Bank cards will be able to avail of the offer. Now, before you start rejoicing if you have an eligible card, let me point out that the price of this MacBook Pro with the M5 chip starts at Rs 2,39,900. So, while the Rs 15,000 discount may sound tempting, the retail price of the laptop is also quite high.

The MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip comes with a price tag of Rs 2,99,900, while the M5 Max variant is priced at Rs 4,99,900.

As for the 13-inch MacBook Air, Apple is offering a Rs 9,000 discount on the laptop, which is applicable on the same set of bank cards mentioned above. The latest MacBook Air with the M5 chip is priced at Rs 1,49,900. With the bank offer, the effective price comes down to Rs 1,40,900.

If you want an even better deal, you can check out Apple’s Education Savings offer, which brings the price of the same laptop down to Rs 1,37,900. However, this discount is only available to students and teachers. Buyers will also have to provide proof of their eligibility to Apple, such as a valid ID card.

Should you buy now or wait for Independence Day sales?

For people who are on a stricter budget, I would recommend waiting for a few more days to see if they can get a better deal during the upcoming Independence Day sales. Amazon has already announced one such sale, which is set to start on August 7. However, the company has not yet revealed which devices will be included in the sale.

Most online platforms have a track record of offering massive discounts on Apple products during major sales. Whether that will be the case this year remains to be seen, especially since many brands, including Apple, have been increasing the prices of their devices to cope with higher component costs, including the rising prices of RAM. This could make it a tougher sale season for both brands and customers.

Regardless, you can stay tuned to India Today Tech for all the latest updates.

- Ends