With Apple having doubled the storage inside the Mac mini in March 2020 we’re expecting to see some attractive discounts on the older 2018 models – which are identical to the 2020 models in every other way. If you want a new Mac mini but you don’t want to pay full price you’ve come to the right place: we’ve scoured the web for the best deals on a Mac mini so you can save money on a new Mac.
When you are looking for a good deal on a new Mac, the first thing to do is to check what the price would be if you bought it directly from Apple, rather than assuming that the reseller selling you a Mac is quoting the correct price.
Also, remember that once a new model is launched Apple usually sells it for the same price as the previous generation, so, with the price of a new model in mind, a small discount on an old model may not look so attractive. This is why we always quote the price that Apple sells the equivalent model for today.
If you are buying the 2018 model at the 2020 price beware that you could be getting more storage for the same money.
There is one factor influencing prices of the Mac mini right now – with so many people suddenly finding themselves working from home Macs have been flying off the shelves, and as a result the discounts we are seeing aren’t quite as good as the discounts we have seen in the past. We are also finding that stocks sell out quickly, so you may have to act fast, or check again in a week or so.
Read on to find out how to get a good discount on a Mac mini.
Best Mac mini deals right now
Here are the best deals we are seeing currently. We expect to see the prices get more competitive as companies clear out old stock now that the 2020 Mac mini has arrived (even though the only difference is that Apple has doubled the storage options).
Right now we have seen the following deals on the Mac mini worth highlighting:
- The 2020 3.6GHz quad-core Mac mini (256GB) for £755.24 (£43.76 off) at Amazon here.
- The 2018 3.6GHz quad-core Mac mini (128GB) is available for £635.99 (£163.01 off) at Amazon here. It was listed as out of stock when we checked, but we suggest that you take a look to see if they have any in stock.
Make sure you check out our complete round up of the best Apple deals we’ve seen.
Mac mini price
As we said above, before judging how good a deal is you need to know the price Apple sells the Mac mini models for right now:
- 3.6GHz quad-core 8th-gen i3 processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD, £799/US$799
- 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-gen i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD, £1,099/US$1,099
You can order a Mac mini directly from Apple.
The Mac mini is a great choice because it’s the cheapest Mac you can get and yet it’s also one of the more powerful models. The only thing to bear in mind is that you will need to purchase a separate screen, mouse and keyboard, but perhaps you already have those.
With some great discounts available, buying a Mac mini is without a doubt the cheapest way to get a Mac. If you’d like some help to choose the best Mac for you, read our Mac buying guide where we cover all the models.
Carry on reading to see the best deals on a new Mac mini right now.
Best Mac mini deals right now
Here are some of the best deals on the current crop of Mac mini models. You can expect to find great deals on brand-new Macs at Apple Premium Reseller KRCS, while Currys PC World, John Lewis and Laptops Direct have discounts on some of Apple’s older models.
Mac mini, 3.6GHz Quad-Core, 256GB (2020)
This model usually starts at £799/$799, here are the best deals right now:
Mac mini, 3.0GHz 6-Core, 512GB (2020)
This model usually starts at £1,099/$1,099, here are the best deals right now:
Mac mini, 3.6GHz Quad-Core, 128GB (2018)
This model used to start at £799/$799, here are the best deals right now:
Mac mini, 3.0GHz 6-Core, 256GB (2018)
This model used to starts at £1,099/$1,099, here are the best deals right now:
Best Mac Desktop Deals
In this section you will find some of the best deals we’ve seen for iMacs as well as the Mac mini and other Mac desktops. We update this list weekly, so it should always be spot on in terms of how much you can save, give or take a few pounds. (Retailers often make small tweaks to the price, so if it’s gone up it might be worth waiting a week or so to see if it comes down again.)
1. Apple 27in iMac, 3.7GHz six-core, 5K Retina Display, 2TB Fusion Drive (2019)
From: Amazon Was: £2,249 Now: £1,949 (£300 off) View Deal
This is discount on the top-of-the-range 2019 27in iMac with 9th-gen Intel processors, but we have seen a much better deal for this model at Amazon in the past.
2. Apple 21.5in iMac, 3.0GHz six-core, 4K Retina Display, 1TB Fusion Drive (2019)
From: Amazon Was: £1,449 Now: £1,269.97 (£179.03 off) View Deal
You can get money off the 2019 3.0GHz 6-core iMac with this Amazon deal.
Currys PC World often has the same deal on this Mac and since the two companies normally price match it’s worth checking their deal here.
3. Apple 21.5in iMac, 3.6GHz quad-core, 4K Retina Display, 1TB Hard Drive (2019)
From: John Lewis Was: £1,249 Now: £1,100 (£149 off) View Deal
John Lewis has money off the 2019 3.6GHz quad-core iMac (£1,249 at Apple). This model isn’t the cheapest iMac – Apple still sells a 2017 model at the entry-level, but with this price cut this Mac is much better value than the entry-level model.
Laptops Direct also discounts this model and sometimes has a bigger discount here (although not right now).
4. Apple 21.5in iMac, 3.0GHz six-core, 4K Retina Display, 1TB Fusion Drive (2019) [Laptops Direct]
From: Laptops Direct Was: £1,449 Now: £1,279.97 (£169 off) View Deal
This is the top of the range 21.5in iMac for 2019 – and you can save a decent amount. Given that the specs of this machine are identical to the entry-level 27in model (which costs £1,749 normally, and sure, has a bigger screen), this is a pretty good deal.
Amazon and Currys also have deals on this model, but right now they are a few pounds more – but we recommend checking as the three companies tend to price match each other.
5. Apple 27in iMac, 3.0GHz six-core, 5K Retina Display, 1TB Fusion Drive (2019)
From: Laptops Direct Was: £1,749 Now: £1,649.97 (£115 off) View Deal
Get money off the new 2019 27in iMac with Laptops Direct. This is 2019’s 3.0GHz six-core model with 1TB Fusion drive that normally costs £1,749.
It’s also worth tracking Amazon’s offering as they often match Laptop Directs’s prices. Right now Amazon has a better deal, but they are sold out.
6. Apple 27in iMac, 3.0GHz six-core, 5K Retina Display, 1TB Fusion Drive (2019)
From: Amazon Was: £1,749 Now: £1,573.68 (£175.32 off) View Deal
You can save money on the 27in iMac with 3.0GHz 6-core processor. This is 2019’s entry-level 27in model.
It’s also worth tracking Laptops Direct’s offering as they often match Amazon’s prices.
Amazon lists this as out of stock at the moment but it’s worth checking back to see if they get more in.
7. Apple Mac mini, 3.0GHz 6-core, 512GB (2020)
From: Amazon Was: £1,099 Now: £1,038.82 (£60.18 off) View Deal
Amazon has money off the 2020 6-core Mac mini with 512GB storage.
8. Apple iMac Pro, 3.2GHz, 8-core Xeon, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 5K Retina display (late 2017)
From: KRCS Was: £4,899.00 Now: £4,654.06 (£244.94 off) View Deal
KRCS is offering almost £300 off the iMac Pro. You can also spread the cost with 10 months interest-free credit on Mac’s over £1,000. Check out our iMac Pro review.
9. Apple Mac mini, 3.6GHz quad-core, 128GB (2018)
Now: £635.99 (£163.01 off) View Deal
This is a small but decent saving on the price of the 2018 quad-core 3.6GHz Mac mini. Note Amazon and Laptops Direct chase each other’s prices on this one so it might be worth checking to see if the other is beating it first. It’s out of stock on Amazon when we checked but it’s worth checking and trying again in a week or so if they don’t have it.
10. Apple Mac mini, 3.0GHz 6-core, 256GB (2018)
From: John Lewis Was: £1,099.00 Now: £1,001 (£98 off) View Deal
John Lewis is offering discounts on the 2018 Mac mini models. This option has an 6-core processor. The 2020 model doubles the storage but the rest of the specs are the same.
11. Apple Mac mini, 3.6GHz quad-core, 128GB (2018)
From: Laptops Direct Was: £799 Now: £699.97 (£99.03 off) View Deal
You can save on the 2018 Mac mini with Laptops Direct who seem to be indicating this is the 3.2GHz build-to-order option, which that would normally cost £1,069 and ship with a 6-core i7 chip, but we think it’s actually the entry-level 3.6GHz i3 quad-core model – we’ve asked for confirmation). We advise you to double check before you buy (they never responded to our enquiry).
If it IS the 3.2GHz model it’s a decent deal… But we don’t think it is!
12. Apple Refurbished Mac Store (Discounted iMacs, MacBooks and more)
You can get a Mac from Apple at much lower prices if you buy from the Refurbished Store. Apple will have thoroughly tested the model and will offer you a full warranty so it can be a great way to get a good deal. Find out more about Refurbished Macs here.
13. Apple 21.5in iMac, 2.3GHz dual-core, 1TB HD (2017)
From: Amazon Was: £1,049 Now: £937.97 (£111.03 off) View Deal
Get the entry-level iMac for less than £1,000 with this Amazon deal. But remember, this model lacks a Retina display and hasn’t been updated since 2017 – and if you look for a discount on a different model from the 2017 iMac range you will be getting a much better deal.
Where to get Mac mini deals
Resellers are always offering discounts on the different Mac models. You may find deals on the following sites:
UK
US
Sometimes Amazon offers Lightning deals on Macs. If you’ve found that you’re missing out on Amazon’s Lightning deals, which run for just a few hours and offer limited stock, we’d recommend signing up for Amazon’s 30 day free trial of Prime, which will get you access to deals 30 minutes before everyone else. Plus, you’ll get free next-day delivery with the Prime trial, as well as access to Prime Instant Video and more. Sign up for Prime now to take advantage.
Via MACWORLD