The latest iteration of Apple’s compact desktop houses the new M6 chip, which according to Lifehacker features a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, while the Kotaku source mentions a dual 16-core neural engine. While the shopping event dubbed Prime Big Deal Days concluded at 3 a.m. ET on Thursday, October 8th, as reported by The Verge—with Mashable noting the sale took place on Oct. 6 and 7—major retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, and Target have kept many of the promotional price drops live on the new hardware variants, price-matching Amazon’s offers where Prime subscribers get access to the most deals according to The Verge.
M6 and M5 Pro Models Receive Price Discounts
The fresh discounts span multiple storage and processor configurations, bypassing standard retail pricing that climbed due to an ongoing memory shortage noted by Mashable and Lifehacker. The base M6 configuration equipped with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD originally lists for $899, but is selling for $779.99, saving buyers roughly $120 (specifically $119 off according to MacRumors and Macworld). Stepping up to the 512GB SSD model brings the price down from $1,099 to $949.99, marking a $149.01 reduction according to Mashable ($149 off per MacRumors).
For users requiring more capacity, the 24GB RAM configuration with a 512GB SSD is discounted from $1,299.99 down to $1,149.99—securing a $149.01 saving according to Mashable. Meanwhile, the more powerful M5 Pro variant with 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is available at $1,549, down from its regular $1,699 price tag for a $150 discount, and Mashable notes these deals translate to up to 14% in savings on a product less than a month old where shoppers do not even need a Prime membership to be eligible.
Connectivity and Performance Upgrades in the New Chassis
Despite taking up a footprint of just a five-inch square on a desk, the updated hardware supports up to three displays simultaneously. The M6 iterations arrive with two USB-C ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port (which Lifehacker notes is 2.5Gb, alongside an upgrade option to a 10Gb Ethernet port), and three Thunderbolt 4 ports. The M5 Pro configurations swap those Thunderbolt connections for faster Thunderbolt 5 ports, and Lifehacker adds that while it lacks a webcam, it features a built-in speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Lifehacker points out that the M6 processor is so new the company hasn’t ported it to laptops yet, meaning it will largely outperform M5 laptops like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro at a lower price. The hardware includes modern wireless connectivity options including Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 according to Kotaku.
Weighing Current Discounts Against Upcoming Holiday Sales
Shoppers eyeing the post-sale discounts face a strategic choice between locking in current all-time low prices or waiting for potential Black Friday markdowns in the coming weeks. Historical shopping data outlined by Mashable indicates that older models saw deeper cuts during late-year holidays—the prior M4 base model dropped by $120 last year, while an upgraded M4 Pro model was $200 off—though current buyers avoid the risk of specific configurations selling out before November.
Beyond the compact desktop lineup, broader Amazon Prime Day promotions extended across several other Apple hardware categories. Prominent price reductions reached the 16-inch MacBook Pro configured with the M5 Max chip, a 32-core GPU, 36GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD, which received a $900 markdown dropping the price from $4,399.00 to $3,499.00. Additional deals featured the M5 Max Mac Studio equipped with 36GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD on sale for $2,299.99 down from its usual $2,499.00 rate.
The October sales event also served as the initial major discounting window for the MacBook Air alongside other mobile devices following price increases introduced by the manufacturer earlier in the year. Availability across these product lines fluctuates as merchants transition out of the promotional window.
