Buyer's Guide: Discounts on iPad Mini 3, iPad Air 2, MacBook Air, and More

With Labor Day fast approaching, retailers are offering great discounts on a wide range of Apple products, from the iPad mini 3 and iPad Air 2 to the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro.

If you've been waiting for a sale to pick up a laptop or a tablet, now is the time to buy. Many products are at the lowest prices we've seen, or close to it. We've also rounded up some deals on accessories and we've highlighted a list of popular apps and games that are on sale this week.

Just a reminder: Apple's Back to School promotion is still going on both in stores and online, with Apple offering a free pair of Beats Solo2 headphones with the purchase of an eligible Mac. Eligible Macs include the iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook, and Mac Pro.

iPad Air 2

Best Buy is discounting its entire iPad Air 2 lineup this week by up to $100, so now is a great time to purchase one of Apple's larger iPads. The iPad Air 2 is not going to be upgraded next week, making it safe to purchase now.

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The biggest discounts are on the higher-capacity models, with the 128GB Cellular iPad Air 2 discounted by $100, dropping the price to $729.99. That price is available on the Gold, Silver, and Space Gray models.

All of the WiFi models are discounted by $50 to $75, dropping the price on the entry-level 16GB model to $449.99 and the price on the 64GB model to $524.99. The 128GB WiFi iPad Air 2 is $100 off, available for $599.

Amazon also has several models of the iPad Air 2 available at low prices. The 16GB Cellular iPad Air 2 in Gold is available for $524.99. The 16GB WiFi iPad Air 2 in Gold is available for $423.99, and the 16GB Silver model is priced at $427.99. The 128GB WiFi iPad Air 2 in Silver is $599.99, a $100 discount.

B&H Photo is offering a discount on some of its iPad Air 2 models, dropping prices by $30 to $75. With the discount, the 64GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 in Silver is priced at $569, while the 64GB Cellular model is priced at $654.

B&H Photo's deals are not quite as good as those offered by Best Buy, but B&H only charges sales tax in New York, which is also worth keeping in mind when looking for a deal.

iPad Air

Best Buy, Amazon, and B&H Photo have discounts on various iPad Air models, including lower-capacity models that Apple still sells and a bit of remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad Air models.

iPad mini 3

Best Buy is offering solid discounts on the iPad mini 3, dropping prices on some models by up to $100, but now is a bad time to buy an iPad mini if you want to get the latest model. Apple is expected to introduce the iPad mini 4 next week.

With the discount, the 16GB WiFi iPad mini 3 is available for $299.99, while the 128GB model is available for $499.99.

The 64GB iPad mini 3 Cellular is available for $529.99, while the 128GB version is available for $629.99. On the cellular models, these are the lowest prices we've seen.

B&H Photo is also offering some discounts on various iPad mini 3 models, dropping the price by up to $100. The 16GB WiFi + Cellular iPad mini 3 in Gold is available for $409.95, the lowest price we've seen. The 128GB WiFi only iPad mini 3 in Silver is priced at $489, a $110 discount.

Discounts for each model and color vary, but most models are being offered at a lower price than you'll find at the Apple Store, and buying from B&H, you won't have to pay sales tax unless you're in New York.

iPad mini 2

Amazon has discounts on a few current iPad mini 2 models. The 16GB Cellular AT&T iPad mini 2 is available for $292, which is close to the lowest price we've seen. The 16GB Cellular Verizon iPad mini 2 is available for $299.98.

Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Amazon have remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad mini 2 models, which are a good deal if you're looking for an iPad mini. Compared to the iPad mini 3, the iPad mini 2 only lacks Touch ID.

- iPad mini Cellular Silver 64GB - $422.81
- iPad mini Cellular Silver 128GB (AT&T) - $443.99
- iPad mini Cellular Silver 64GB (Verizon) - $409
- iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) - $424.99
- iPad mini 2 WiFi Silver 64GB - $439
- iPad mini 2 WiFi Silver 128GB - $459.99
- iPad mini 2 WiFi Space Gray 64GB - $399.99

Retina MacBook

Several sites are now offering decent discounts on the Retina MacBook, dropping the price on some models by up to $100.

- 1.1GHz/8GB/246GB Gold (Adorama) (Amazon) (B&H Photo) - $1,199, $100 off
- 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB Silver (Best Buy) (Amazon) (B&H Photo) - $1,234, $65 off
- 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB Space Gray (Adorama) - $1,224, $75 off
- 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB Gold (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) - $1,519, $80 off
- 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB Silver (Best Buy) (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) - $1,519, $80 off
- 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB Space Gray (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,495, $104 off

iMac

- 2013 21.5-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,199.99, $100 off
- 2013 21.5-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) - $1,349, $150 off
- 2013 27-inch 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) - $1,689.99, $110 off
- 2013 27-inch 3.4GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) - $1,794.99, $204 off
- 2014 27-inch 3.5GHz/8GB/1TB Retina iMac (Best Buy) - $2,149.99, $150 off
- 2015 3.3GHz/8GB/1TB Retina iMac (Best Buy) (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) - $1,899.99, $100 off

Mac mini

- 1.4GHz/4GB/500GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $464.99, $34 off
- 2.6GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $664, $35 off
- 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) - $938, $60 off

MacBook Air

- 2015 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (Best Buy) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - 799.99, $100 off (Lowest Price Ever)
- 2015 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB (Best Buy) - $949.99, $150 off (Lowest Price Ever)
- 2015 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (Best Buy) - $849, $150 off
- 2015 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB (Best Buy) - $1,049.99, $150 off (Lowest Price Ever)
- 2014 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Adorama) - $798, $300 off (Lowest Price Ever)
- 2014 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Adorama) - $999, $200 off

Retina MacBook Pro

- 2015 13-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB (Best Buy) - $1,149.99, $150 off
- 2015 13-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB (Best Buy) - $1,349.99, $150 off (Lowest Price Ever)
- 2015 13-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/512GB (Best Buy) - $1,649.99 $150 off (Lowest Price Ever)
- 2015 15-inch 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB (Best Buy) - $1,849.99, $150 off
- 2015 15-inch 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB (Best Buy) (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $2,349, $150 off
- 2014 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,229, $259 off
- 2014 13-inch 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB (B&H Photo) - $1,349, $450 off (Lowest Price Ever)
- 2014 15-inch 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB (B&H Photo) - $1,899, $600 off

Apps

There are also quite a few iOS apps that are on sale at discounted prices or available for free for a limited time. We'll highlight a few here, but make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper for a complete list.

Simulation game Goat Simulator is available for $2.99, down from $4.99. Tower defense game Tower Madness 2 is available for free, down from $2.99. RPG Transistor is available for $4.99, down from $9.99. Online game LEGO Minifigures Online is available for free, down from $4.99.

Puzzle game Framed is available for $0.99, down from $4.99. Space survival game Out There is available for $1.99, down from $4.99. Word-based survival game Lifeline... is available for $0.99, down from $1.99.

Calendar app Fantastical for iPad is available for $4.99, down from $9.99, and Fantastical for iPhone is available for $2.99, down from $4.99. Automation app Workflow is available for $2.99, down from $4.99. Fitness app Quick Fit is available for free, down from $1.99.

Sports game Flick Kick Football was named Apple's App of the Week, so it will be free to download until next Thursday when a new app is picked.

Apple Accessories

Belkin's Charge and Sync Dock for iPhone 5, 5s, 5c, and 6 is available from Groupon for $17.99, down from $29.99. Speck iPhone 5 and 5s cases are available for $9.99 to $12.99 from Groupon, down from $35 to $50.

iPM Silicone Sport Bands for Apple Watch are available from Groupon for $19.99, down from $49.99. StackSocial is selling the Just Mobile AluPen Digital Stylus for $34.95, down from $50. Apple accessory bundles that include Lightning cables, EarPods, and power adapters are available from Woot for $12.99 to $22.99, a $38 to $58 value.

Woot is offering Twelve South iPad cases at a discount of up to 63 percent off. Best Buy is discounting some Beats Solo 2 headphones by $30, dropping the price to $169.99.