The third-gen AirPods are on sale starting at $119.99 ($40 off), which is their lowest price to date. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
If you know where to look, you can often score discounts on Apple’s ever-popular AirPods. Since Apple launched the third-gen AirPods at the end of 2021, we’ve seen the starting price of the second-gen, entry-level model consistently dip below $100. And now that the second-gen AirPods Pro have been on the market for nearly two years, we’re also seeing their price fall more often, too. We’re even seeing great deals land on the updated AirPods Pro with USB-C — which is surprising, given Prime Day is technically over.
Here, we’ve curated the best deals currently available on each model, including the entry-level AirPods, the AirPods Pro, the third-gen AirPods, and the AirPods Max.
The best AirPods (second-gen) deals
In 2021, Apple lowered the list price of the second-gen AirPods — now the entry-level model — from $159 to $129. It now only sells the model with a wired charging case, however, which charges via a standard Lightning cable. Despite their age, we found that the easy-to-use, second-gen AirPods still offer great wireless performance and reliable battery life, making them a great pick if you can live without a wireless charging case.
For Prime Day, Apple’s most affordable pair of earbuds dropped to an all-time low of $69 ($60 off) at numerous retailers. Amazon has since sold out, but Walmart is still offering the earbuds for $69, whileBest Buy and Target are both selling them for about $10 more.
Read our AirPods (second-gen) review.
The best AirPods (third-gen) deals
With support for the company’s MagSafe technology and an asking price of $179, Apple’s third-gen AirPods are often considered the middle child in Apple’s current AirPods lineup. The shorter stems make for a more subtle design, too, while improved sound and features like sweat and water resistance, support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and improved battery life render them a nice improvement over the last-gen model.
In 2022, Apple quietly introduced a new, slightly cheaper option of the third-gen AirPods that comes with a Lightning-only charging case. We recently saw them drop to an all-time low of $119.99 ($40 off) during Prime Day, which is still their current price Amazon and Walmart. The MagSafe option is also available to Costco members for a new low of $129.99 ($30 off) through July 18th. Non-Costco members can also take advantage of the deal, but they’ll have to pay a five percent surcharge, which raises the price to $136.49 ($24 off).
Read our AirPods (third-gen) review.
The best AirPods Pro (second-gen) deals
In 2022, Apple announced the second-gen AirPods Pro, which feature a similar build to the first-gen model but offer better noise cancellation, swipe-based controls, and an extra-small pair of swappable silicone ear tips for smaller ears. Apple followed them up last year with a minor refresh, one that features a USB-C charging case and an upgraded IP54 rating for water and dust resistance. The newest model also supports lossless audio when used with Apple’s new Vision Pro headset.
During Prime Day, Apple’s updated AirPods Pro dropped to $168.99 ($81 off). That’s a new low on the newer USB-C configuration, which you can still take advantage of at Amazon and Walmart.
Read our hands-on impressions of the AirPods Pro with USB-C.
The best AirPods Max deals
The AirPods Max aren’t the iconic in-ears that have become synonymous with the AirPods name. They’re large and luxurious, comprised of aluminum, steel, and mesh fabric that remains comfortable during extended listening sessions. They also sport excellent noise cancellation, Apple’s spatial audio feature, and expansive, balanced sound, even if they lag behind some of their peers when it comes to bass response and features. They’re not the best noise-canceling headphones for most people — blame the sticker price — but it’s hard to find a better pair of Bluetooth headphones if you’re an iPhone user.
Several days before Prime Day, Apple’s AirPods Max dropped to a new low of $394.99 ($154 off) at Amazon, which remains their current price.
