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If you're prepping for the upcoming school year or need to replace your slow work device, summer is an ideal time to snag a new laptop. The dip in demand results in lower prices, especially around the 4th of July holiday. But with so many choices, choosing the best laptop can be confusing.
Also: The best July 4th deals live now: Save on outdoor, tech, home and more
I've gone hands-on with many of the newest models -- including MacBooks Windows machines, and Chromebooks -- and identified five devices with deals for July 4th that deserve to be highlighted. Case in point: Apple's latest ultraportable, the MacBook Air M4, is one of the best MacBooks we've ever reviewed, and it's $150 off. If you're looking for an affordable laptop with banger battery life, the Acer Aspire 14 AI is on sale for $549. Here are our five best deal picks: all live right now.
My favorite 4th of July laptop deals
- Current price: $1,049
- Original price: $1,199
Let's face it: The MacBook Air set the standard for lightweight laptops, and it continues to do so by packing more power and performance into a tiny frame. The MacBook Air M4 is Apple's latest in the series, and an incremental upgrade from the M3, refining its design with quality of life features that make it the best overall lightweight laptop in 2025.
Review: MacBook Air M4 (15-inch)
The M4 MacBook Air supports two additional monitors with the lid open, and has more memory for less compared to last year's M3. It's also a great laptop to take to work, with an upgraded 12MP camera and Liquid Retina display. If you have an iPhone, integration between the laptop and your phone is as seamless as ever.
- Current price: $1,399
- Original price: $1,899
If you're looking for a powerful MacBook but don't want to spend the dough associated with the absolute newest model, look no further than 2024's MacBook Pro M3, which is very competitively priced at $500 off. The M3 chip is little more than a year old, and not all that different when compared head-to-head with this year's M4.
Review: Apple MacBook Pro M3 (13-inch)
The M3 MacBook Pro looks fantastic with Apple's patented liquid retina XDR display and 14-core GPU. Paired with 18GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage, it set the standard for creatives, filmmakers, artists, and designers with support for up to two external 6K displays.
- Current price: $499
- Original price: $699
Acer's Aspire 14 AI is one of the better bang-for-your-buck options available right now. It offers some of the latest high-performing hardware (an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor) and an ultraportable form in a competitively-priced package.
Review: Acer Aspire 14 AI
Battery life, however, is the Aspire 14 AI's best feature. I know we've been singing the praises of many laptops with marathon battery life over the past year, but Acer's Aspire 14 AI fills a niche: an AI-ready budget laptop with an absolute marathon battery that will last for days on end.
- Current price: $649
- Original price: $999
There are few laptops out there this light with an OLED display. Asus' Zenbook A14 is exceedingly portable, with a sleek form factor and cool and power efficient Snapdragon X processor. And then there's the battery: with multi-day use on one charge.
Review: Asus Zenbook A14
Hybrid workers and students will appreciate its 2.4-pound weight, while the ARM-based processor guarantees smooth and responsive multitasking. The Zenbook A14 earned our Editor's Choice award for its thoughtful design and balance, and at this price couldn't be more of a steal.
- Current price: $835
- Original price: $949
Dell's Inspiron 16 Plus from last year is an upper mid-tier laptop for users looking for a big screen and respectable performance but who want to stay comfortably below that $2,000 price point. Versatility is the name of the game here, with jack-of-all-trades energy that gives the Inspiron 16 a reputation for being well-rounded and up for anything.
Review: Dell Inspiron 16 Plus
In an improvement from last year's model, I saw better battery life, with almost 12 hours out of a single charge, which is quite good, given the balance struck with the display and performant hardware. Essentially, this is a laptop that will have no problem running an entire day and then some.
How did I choose these July 4th deals?
Not all deals are created equal. Since 4th of July is better known for lawn and garden deals, I only chose discounts on laptops myself or another ZDNET team member has tested and can vouch for.
What are the best July 4th deals?
ZDNET's experts searched through July 4th deals across retailers to find the best discounts by category. These are the best deals live now:
What are the tariffs in the US?
The recent US tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India aim to boost domestic manufacturing but are likely to drive up prices on consumer electronics. Products like smartphones, laptops, and TVs may become more expensive as companies rethink global supply chains and weigh the cost of shifting production.
CNET: Tariff Pricing Tracker: We're Watching 11 Products You Might Need to Buy
Laptops and PCs are also hit hard by the new US tariffs, with import duties potentially increasing prices by up to 35%. Many major brands still rely on Chinese and Vietnamese factories for assembly, meaning consumers could soon pay significantly more for everything from budget Chromebooks to high-end gaming rigs.
These tariffs may accelerate efforts to move production to regions like Mexico or India, but shoppers can expect higher costs and fewer discounts in the short term.
Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.
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