Should You Buy a Mac Now or Wait? The August 2026 Answer, Model by Model
Two things are true at once in August 2026: most Macs are selling below Apple's list price (in our August tracking, 102 of 122 tracked Apple products had a lower authorized-retailer price than Apple list), and a wave of new Macs is expected between this fall and early 2027. Whether you should buy today or wait depends entirely on which Mac you want. Here is the honest call for each one.
The Cheat Sheet
| Mac | List | Verdict |
| MacBook Air 13" / 15" M5 | $1,299 / $1,499 | Buy now |
| MacBook Pro 14" M5 (base) | $1,999 | Wait if you can |
| MacBook Pro M5 Pro / Max | $2,499+ | Buy now (unless you want OLED) |
| Mac mini M4 | $799 | Judgment call |
| iMac M4 | $1,499 | Wait if you can |
| Mac Studio M4 Max | $2,499+ | Buy on discount |
| MacBook Neo A18 | $699 | Buy now |
MacBook Air M5: Buy Now
The Air was refreshed this cycle and its M6 successor is not expected until early 2027. That makes this the safest Mac purchase on the board: you get the newest chip the Air will have for months, and it is discounting. The 13-inch M5 has been selling around $1,199 against a $1,299 list, and the 15-inch around $1,399 against $1,499.
If your budget is tighter, the previous-generation M4 Air is the value alternative while stock lasts. The decision between them is covered in MacBook Air M5 vs M4.
MacBook Pro, Base 14-inch M5: Wait If You Can
This is the clearest wait on the roadmap. The entry 14-inch MacBook Pro is expected to jump to the M6, one of Apple's first 2-nanometer chips, as soon as this fall. Same machine, a full chip generation newer, likely at the same $1,999 list.
The counterargument is price: the M5 base model has been dipping to around $1,849, and once the M6 version is announced, clearance discounts on the M5 should get better still. If you would rather have a discount today than a newer chip in a few months, that is a rational trade. If you buy for the long haul, wait.
MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max: Buy Now, With One Exception
Reporting says Apple is skipping the M6 Pro and M6 Max entirely. The redesigned OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro expected between late 2026 and early 2027 is reported to run the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips you can buy today, in a new chassis, at a meaningfully higher price. There is no performance generation to wait for here.
So the exception is specific: wait only if OLED and a touchscreen are worth a premium to you. Everyone else gets more for their money buying the current machines below list. The 14-inch M5 Pro has been selling around $2,260 against a $2,499 list, and we have tracked the 14-inch M5 Max as low as $3,599 against $4,099, the single biggest Mac discount in our August data.
Mac mini M4: A Judgment Call
The mini is the oldest current Mac by generation and the most obviously due for a refresh, with M5 Pro and M6 variants reported but not yet scheduled. It also took the June price reset hardest at its size: the entry configuration is now $799, the old $599 tier is gone, and the mini rarely sells below list.
That combination cuts both ways. You are not losing a discount by waiting, because there barely are any. But if a refresh lands, current-model clearance and used prices should improve quickly. Need a desktop Mac today under $1,000? Buy it and do not look back, or save real money with a refurbished mini. Merely want one? The mini is the Mac where patience is most likely to pay.
iMac M4: Wait If You Can
An M6 iMac is expected this fall with the same design. The iMac skipped the M5 generation, so the jump from the current M4 (from $1,499) will be two chip generations at once. If you can hold out a few months, do. If you cannot, aim below list: we have tracked the base M4 iMac around $1,360, and post-announcement clearance should push M4 pricing lower still.
Mac Studio M4 Max: Buy on Discount
An M5 Max and M5 Ultra Studio is reported, with timing openly uncertain because of memory supply. Waiting for hardware with no date is how people go a year without a computer they needed. The current M4 Max Studio does its job today and has been selling around $2,499. Buy it below list and let the refresh arrive whenever it arrives.
MacBook Neo: Buy Now
The Neo shipped in March and its reported A19 Pro successor is a 2027 story. At $699 (or $799 with 512GB and Touch ID) it remains the cheapest way into macOS, and our MacBook Neo review covers exactly who it fits. One honest note: at a $689 street price the discount is cosmetic, so buy it for the machine, not the deal.
The Rule Behind Every Verdict
Wait when a same-price successor has a credible near-term date, as with the base MacBook Pro and the iMac. Buy when the refresh is far away, undated, or brings a higher price instead of better performance, as with the Air, the Pro and Max MacBook Pros, the Studio, and the Neo. And whatever you buy, buy it below list: the discounts are real and we track them daily.
Bottom Line
For the full picture of what is coming, read The Mac Roadmap for Late 2026. For September's iPhone and Watch announcements, see the event preview. Street prices above are from TheresMac's August 2026 tracking of authorized retailers and move daily; the live product pages always have the current numbers.