When it comes to slim, light, and easy to pair headphones for your Apple devices, the Apple AirPods are the obvious choice. But if you want to get your hands on a pair, you’ll find that these high-end Apple products can be pricey. So to save some cash you should look out for AirPods deals. Apple’s earphones and headphones are well worth your time and cash, but who wants to spend more than they need to, right? Read on while we take you through the best AirPods deals going on right now and narrow down which ones are best for your needs.
Best AirPods Deals
- Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) — $119, was $159
- Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) — $169
- Apple AirPods Pro — $180, was $249
- Apple AirPods Pro 2 — $249
- Apple AirPods Max — $479, was $549
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) — $119, was $159
Why Buy
- AirPods on a budget
- Easy setup
- Decent battery life
- Look stylish
The Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) are sleek, stylish, and ideal for anyone looking for earbuds that are effortless to get set up with. Particularly well suited for Apple device owners, they take mere seconds to set up thanks to related devices immediately recognizing them. From there, the Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) continues to be seamless and effortless. As simple as they look, all you really need to do is make sure they have a charge and you’re good to go. The Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) offer up to 24 hours of charge via their charging case. It’s not a wireless charging case so you will need to plug it in to charge up but that’s a small price to pay for paying a small price.
From there, you get up to five hours of listening time on one charge. Pop them back in the case and they’ll soon charge back up. In real-time use, you’re likely to not need to recharge them too often unless you enjoy extended listening sessions. The Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) use Apple’s H1 chip so you’re guaranteed a stable and low-latency wireless connection at all times which means few dropouts and better battery life. Besides one-tap setup, everything else about them is simple too. You can speak to Siri, have it announce your messages while you’re walking or working out, plus you can share between two sets of AirPods.
Besides being so simple to use, the Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) look great. They fit into your ears nicely, feeling comfortable at all times, with in-ear detection figuring out what’s going on. In addition, the charging case is similarly sleek so you can easily toss it in your bag or pocket without a problem. These will soon become a part of your everyday gear and you’ll wonder how you lived without them and their simple yet effective ways.
Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) — $169
Why Buy
- Spatial audio support
- Adaptive EQ
- Wireless charging
- Sweat- and water-resistant
The Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) are a refined version of their predecessor and they pack a lot of extra functionality in. As before, simplicity is the key behind the Apple AirPods (3rd Generation). They take seconds to set up and they’re smart enough to detect when they’re in your ears, when they’re in the case, and when you’re saying Siri to it if you need assistance. Reading out your messages is a neat touch when you’re working out and don’t have a hand free to check your phone.
However, the Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) also provide superior sound than before too. That’s because they bring with them adaptive EQ. The feature means that music is automatically tuned to the shape of your ear, ensuring you get a better quality listening experience without having to do anything differently than before. There’s no need to tweak settings. The Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) are smart enough to figure out what’s best for you. In conjunction, there is also spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. That gives you an immersive effect in which it feels like you can hear the music all around you, just like if you were at a concert. It’s a real game-changer of an experience and means you’re sure to hear some finer nuances of your favorite music.
Elsewhere, the Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) has a bunch of other useful features. It has a wireless charging case so you can place it on a wireless charging pad to juice up without the need for wires. In addition, they are sweat- and water-resistant buds so you’re fine to go for a walk in the rain or delve into a sweaty workout. On one charge, you get up to six hours of listening time which should keep the majority of people happy. In conjunction with the charging case, that increases to up to 30 hours which should mean a charging session is only ever needed once in a while. They’re truly great earphones for those that want great sound quality with minimal effort required.
Apple AirPods Pro — $180, was $249
Why Buy
- Active Noise Cancelation
- Transparency mode
- Adaptive EQ
- Choice of ear tips
The Apple AirPods Pro are easily some of the best wireless earbuds out there, particularly if you already own other Apple devices. They offer all the features you can already see in standard AirPods along with so much more. That means they take seconds to set up while offering useful Apple-based features like the ability to talk to Siri to listen to messages, change tracks, or even receive news or information. Ideal if you don’t want to grab your phone mid-workout but you still want to know what’s going on.
Additionally, the Apple AirPods Pro sound great because they have some really cool features. They offer adaptive EQ which means that music is automatically tuned to the shape of your ear, offering you a personalized experience. Alongside that comes spatial audio with dynamic head tracking so it feels like music is coming from all around you but in a realistic manner so it feels like you’re listening to the music live at a concert. It’s impressively immersive. In both cases, it’s good to find the right for your ears which is why the Apple AirPods Pro come with three sizes of soft, tapered silicone tips so you get the best fit for your ears.
If things weren’t already sounding pretty sweet for the Apple AirPods Pro, we haven’t got into the killer feature — Active Noise Cancelation. The feature means that you can block outside noise, allowing you to immerse yourself fully in your music without being distracted by environmental sound around you. When you do need to pay attention or speak to someone, you can switch over to Transparency mode to quickly talk to someone or listen out for an announcement without needing to pull your earbuds out. It’s the best of both worlds basically and means that the Apple AirPods Pro will soon be your favorite accessory.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 — $249
Why Buy
- New H2 processor
- Six hours of battery life
- Find My enabled
- Upgraded active noise cancellation
The wait is finally over for the new Apple AirPods Pro 2, which were announced at Apple’s September event. The totally overhauled AirPods Pro 2 feature some pretty major upgrades despite the fact that they look incredibly similar to the former Apple AirPods Pro model. The AirPods Pro 2 feature two times more active noise cancellation than their predecessor and come with the next-generation Apple silicon H2 processor.
Perhaps the most exciting upgrade included with the Apple AirPods Pro 2 is personalized spatial audio, which allows AirPods Pro 2 users with an iPhone to employ iPhone’s True Depth cameras to build you a personalized spatial audio profile. Every person’s face shape is different, so why shouldn’t your listening experience be optimized to your own unique design? The battery life on the AirPods Pro 2 is dramatically improved, providing you with six hours of continuous listening time, and up to 30 if you include the case.
For those who are prone to losing things, the new Apple AirPods Pro 2 now comes with the Find My feature, so you won’t ever lose them again. The newly incorporated lanyard loop also helps keep your case handy. If you’ve been waiting for this release to upgrade your on-the-go listening experience, the time has finally come.
Apple AirPods Max — $479, was $549
Why Buy
- Fantastic sound quality
- Active Noise Cancelation
- Very comfortable
- Good battery life
The Apple AirPods Max are an incredibly fun pair of headphones to wear. Easily some of the best headphones in recent times, the Apple AirPods Max are a fantastic investment for anyone that wants to get the most from their music listening time. They look great and they feel even better. That’s because they are designed with a knit-mesh canopy with memory foam ear cushions so you get a super comfortable fit at all times. That ties in perfectly with the fact that you can wear them for up to 20 hours as you really won’t notice you’re wearing them.
The Apple AirPods Max sound fantastic too. They offer an Apple-designed dynamic driver that ensures you get high-fidelity audio at all times. Computational audio combines custom acoustic design with the Apple H1 chip so you get great performance and sound without any risk of any wireless dropouts at any point. Alongside that, the Apple AirPods Max also offers spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. By doing so, music sounds fantastic. It gives you the feeling that you’re actually at a concert watching your favorite artist perform.
You can zone out while enjoying the experience too thanks to Active Noise Cancelation. The features means that you can easily block outside noise while you listen, fully immersing yourself in the experience. When you do need to speak to someone or listen out for an announcement such as when on your daily commute, you can always switch over to Transparency mode to listen out without needing to remove your headphones. It’s all so intelligently designed, you’ll wonder why you didn’t buy the Apple AirPods Max earlier. With convenient features like on-head detection and seamless switching between devices, the Apple AirPods Max is effortlessly delightful.
When are the best AirPods deals?
Generally, there are some key days and sales throughout the year where we tend to see the best AirPods deals. The next big day for a sale is Prime Day which is typically sometime in the summer. You’ll often see deep discounts on Apple products with AirPods deals particularly popular. Everyone loves AirPods and retailers appreciate that they’re very popular in sales with customers clamoring to get them as soon as possible.
Another time to consider for big discounts is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The late November sales event is a great time for deep price cuts on your favorite Apple AirPods but there is a disadvantage here. By waiting until late November, you may already need to cut back on spending in order to afford the holiday season and buy gifts for loved ones. There’s also the fact that everyone is keen to buy such products during this time so demand is high. Plus, what if you want to be doing something else rather than online shopping?
The biggest issue with any of these sales events is they’re not right now. Instead, you’ll need to wait months to see if the discounts are worth it and during those months, you could be enjoying a new pair of AirPods instead. Simply put, if you can’t wait (and why should you?), buy now so you can enjoy your purchase immediately. There’s never any guarantee that sale prices will be unbeatable and if you’re happy to pay the discounted price that’s available right now, you get to enjoy better sound sooner rather than later.
It’s not always a good idea to wait too long. Even though the likes of Prime Day and Black Friday may bring the best deals, you have to wait and be patient. Worst, stock issues can mean that you’ll need to be fast to get the ultimate best deal. If you buy now, you won’t have to risk disappointment. Plus, you get to enjoy the AirPods immediately with better weather approaching meaning you’re likely to be using your AirPods outdoors more frequently pretty soon.
Editors’ Recommendations
