With so many great Black Friday AirPods deals already out there, it can be hard to figure out which retailer to stick with. Don’t worry about it. We’ve got your back and we’ve already tracked down the best Black Friday AirPods deals going on right now at all major sellers, including an incredible AirPods Pro Black Friday deal.
Whether you’re looking for the cheapest AirPods possible, some shiny new AirPods Pro, or even the high-end AirPods Max, we’ve got plenty of the best Black Friday Apple deals to save you cash when making a purchase. Black Friday deals are looking pretty sweet right now, and we’ve even taken a look at other Black Friday headphone deals if you’re considering something non-Apple flavored.
Today’s Best Black Friday AirPods deals
Apple AirPods with Charging Case — $119
Why Buy:
If you’re not sure which AirPods to buy, the originals are a reliable choice. The Apple AirPods with Charging Case is an ideal inexpensive solution for Apple owners, especially while they’re $40 off right now at Amazon for Black Friday. That makes them just $119 right now for a limited time only. For the price, you get easy setup with all your Apple devices, Siri support, and simple-to-use controls.
Just because these are the cheapest Black Friday AirPods deal doesn’t mean they’re completely stripped down. Take them out of the case, put them in your ears, and the AirPods will connect to your phone automatically (after you pair them for the first time). You can still use Siri through voice activation. Just say “Hey Siri,” and she’ll answer. You can connect two sets of AirPods to one phone if you want to listen with a friend.
The main difference between these AirPods and more expensive ones is the charging case. On the wired case model, like this one, you have to plug the charging case into an outlet with the usual lightning cable. Later models also gave you the option to charge through a wireless charging pad. If you don’t own a wireless charging pad, a good one will cost you a minimum of $20. Or you can stick with the wired charging case and save some cash.
Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case — $160, was $199
Why Buy:
Stretch a little further, and you can snag the standard Apple AirPods with a wireless charging case for just $160 saving you $39 on the usual price. The only difference between AirPods and AirPods 2 is the wireless charging case. Other than that, this Black Friday AirPods deal is the exact same earbuds at the usual price. That works out as $40 for the convenience of wireless charging functionality. Many people find such functionality to be much more useful than having to plug your earbuds in to recharge.
By periodically putting the AirPods back in their case, you get up to 24 hours of listening time before you need to charge the case again. Think about how much use you can get from that. Use them at work, paired with your MacBook. Go home and easily switch the paired device over to your iPhone for your afternoon exercise. The AirPods can stay charged outside their case for five hours.
We don’t often hear talk of the sound quality in Apple’s original AirPods. Apple put the H1 chip in all of their AirPods (up until the recently announced AirPods 3), and that gives them some decent power. While they will certainly do you justice for most kinds of music, it’s important to remember that these are only earbuds. Audiophiles beware. For super rich sound quality with an Apple logo, you’ll have to splurge for the AirPods Max.
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) — $174, was $179
Why Buy:
The latest in AirPods, the AirPods (3rd generation), have got a modest $5 discount before Black Friday AirPods deals. We wouldn’t recommend holding out until the end of November in the hope of saving a few more bucks though — delivery times are getting longer by the day because they’re in such high demand. If you don’t want to miss out on getting the latest AirPods for the holidays, you’ll want to avoid any potential supply issues by shopping now.
Even though Apple is calling these the third generation of AirPods, they are really a hybrid of the original line of AirPods and AirPods Pro. AirPods 3 have fantastic features like spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, adaptive EQ, and improved battery life. They don’t have a silicon tip like the AirPods Pro do, but they do have a new shape based on the feedback Apple has gotten from their last round of “universal fit” earbuds.
Apple pulled the “pinch” controls from the Pro model over to the AirPods 3. That means that instead of activating Siri to control your music, you can simply pinch the tail of the AirPod. They upped the listening time on to six hours on one charge instead of five on the AirPods 2. They’re also sweat and water resistant like the AirPods Pro.
Apple AirPods Pro with MagSafe Case — $200, was $249
Why Buy:
Our choice for the best true wireless earbuds for iPhone users, brand new Apple AirPods Pro with MagSafe Case are reduced by over $60 right now at Amazon. Working out at just under $200 makes them a really tempting Black Friday AirPods deal if you’re looking for the best mix of features at a great price.
This most obvious upgrade to the AirPods Pro is the silicon tip. New AirPods comes with several tip sizes to fit various ears, and they are without a doubt more comfortable than the “universal fit” versions. The silicon tips also come off easily, making them much easier to clean. The AirPods Pro pioneered “pinch controls,” so you can pause your music and answers calls just by pinching the tail of the AirPod. No more scrambling to find your phone when you get a call.
The wireless case is Apple’s best. It has MagSafe technology for wireless charging. You can also use a regular charging pad that’s not specifically labeled as “MagSafe.” The design is more compact than the previous AirPods’ cases because the tails of the AirPods Pro are much smaller. The charging time and use-per-charge is similar to the AirPods 2 at around five hours of listening with up to 24 hours total with the charging case.
Apple AirPods Max — $479, was $549
Why Buy:
With $70 off the high-end Apple AirPods Max at Amazon, this is a great time to snap up some of the best headphones on the shelves at the discount. That works out at 13% off which really adds up when you’re talking about expensive headphones. For the money, you get a fantastic fit, exceptional sound quality, plus active noise cancellation for when you want to block out the world around you. This is one of the best Black Friday AirPods deals you could ask for.
In our review we found these to be the most fun headphones available. Everything on them feels natural, weighty, and fun. The exaggerated knob used to control the volume feels fun to use and brings a satisfying sensory aspect. It even clicks as you turn it. The ear cups are made of metal and are also satisfyingly hefty — possibly a turnoff if you’re looking for headphones to wear for several hours at a time.
The active noise cancellation is top notch. When you want to hear the person next to you, though, simply touch the oversized button next to the volume knob and you’ll switch to transparency mode. Suddenly it feels like you’re not wearing headphones at all. The noise cancelling and transparency modes rival the more traditional “audiophile” headphones like Sony’s WH-1000XM4s.
Should you shop Black Friday AirPods deals now?
The best Black Friday AirPods deals look pretty sweet already but is now a good time to shop them? In a word, yes. We’re already seeing some supply issues going on particularly when it comes to highly sought-after technology like AirPods. Waiting too long could mean that while you save a few extra bucks in the Black Friday AirPods deals, you actually end up missing out on even seeing your new AirPods any time around the holiday season. It’s simply not worth holding on just to save a couple of bucks and we can’t see discounts getting much deeper than this.
Alongside that, it’s a smart idea to think about how much you really want new AirPods. It’s tempting to buy cool things for the sake of it but it’s not always worth it if your existing earbuds already work just fine. Keep an eye out for incremental discounts rather than truly awesome deals and don’t be tempted simply because a retailer is keen to boast about its great discounts that aren’t actually that great.