Delay that Apple gratification and save bucks, data shows

Apple is expected to bestow speedier Intel chips on its notebooks just about any day now. But according to three years' worth of pricing data, you're likely to save some cash by waiting just a few days after said models are released.

Yes, you read that right. Waiting to buy technology will result in saving some money. Bear with us, though; this is kind of neat.

Following up on an identical study it did this past July, discount tracker Dealnews has once again put together three years' worth of Apple product pricing data to illustrate when discounts can be had on Apple's Macs and iOS devices.

The preliminary finding for Apple's notebooks is that waiting just a day or two can save you anywhere from US$45 to US$49 on the price tag if you're buying a 15-inch MacBook Pro or an 11-inch MacBook Air, respectively.

Deeper cuts can be had on both machines if you're willing to wait a bit longer. Dealnews found buyers of those same machines saving US$299 by waiting three months on the MacBook Pro machine, and US$149 by waiting four months on the Air.

"Never buy an Apple product on the day of its launch," the site touted in its study last year. "Our deal archives show that most Apple products receive a discount within eight days of their launch (excluding the iPad and iPhone)."

That remains true, and has actually improved more recently, Dealnews' Louis Ramirez wrote. "We've noticed that deals on Apple products are happening more quickly, and are getting more aggressive," he said. In fact, the longest waits for any price drop whatsoever on the iPad and iPhone came two months and 11 days after release, respectively. The rest took just a few days.

Ramirez also reiterated the site's stance on purchasing products from third parties instead of Apple, if you are looking to save on retail price.

"The first and most important thing you can do to save money on new Apple products is not purchase them from Apple; otherwise, you'll never see significant deals," Ramirez said. "Rather, we recommend hitting the authorised resellers for discounts and promotions."

Apple was rumoured to update its MacBook line sometime in April, a deadline that has just passed. The company's last refresh to its MacBook Pro was in October, with a speedier processor, more storage and upgraded graphics capabilities. It's been a bit longer for the MacBook Airs, which were refreshed in late July to coincide with the release of Apple's Lion OS X software update.

Not to be left out is the iMac, Apple's all-in-one desktop machine, which is due for some sprucing up. Dealnews says buyers saved US$94 on the 21.5-inch iMac by waiting a week after it came out, with buyers saving US$144 by waiting seven months.

Below is Dealnews' full infographic for its findings:

Via CNET