Mashable Flags 2 Apple Buys Before Prime Day as AirPods Pro 3 Hits $179

Q: Is the record-low MacBook Air deal, limited to one color, simply a tactic to clear less popular inventory before the main event?

Probably yes on the inventory-clearing part, but there is no solid evidence that the color itself is “less popular.” The reporting says the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air at $1,099 is a record low and is unlikely to get cheaper during Prime Day, even though the discount is limited to the midnight finish. That kind of color-specific markdown is consistent with how large retailers and brands manage stock ahead of major sales events: they often discount particular configurations to move inventory without cutting the price across the full line. The broader evidence supports that interpretation. Retail analysts and seller guidance around Prime Day describe early deals as a way to clear excess inventory, and Apple has a documented pattern of using discounts to smooth transitions between sales cycles and upcoming launches. That makes it reasonable to view this as a tactical pre-Prime Day inventory move. What is not supported by the available evidence is the idea that midnight is a weak seller. The additional market data cited actually points the other way: midnight MacBook Air configurations have been among Amazon’s stronger sellers. So the deal may be less about unloading an unpopular color and more about clearing a specific batch, driving early demand, or creating urgency with a limited-variant headline price. So the safest reading is that this looks like a targeted inventory and promotional tactic before Prime Day, but not necessarily a dump of unwanted color stock.

3 articles · Updated · Mashable · Jun 11

$179 AirPods Pro 3 and the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air at $1,099 are the two Apple deals Mashable says are worth buying before Amazon Prime Day starts June 23.
Most other Apple discounts should improve once the sale formally begins, the guide says, even where current prices are already at or near record lows.
$299 Apple Watch Series 11 could fall to $279, while AirPods 4 at $99 may revisit $69 based on prior Prime Day patterns.
iPads and Macs also have room to drop, with Mashable pointing to targets such as the base iPad at $279, the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air at $899 and the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro at $1,499.