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The possibilities for headphones are endless. Use them to take a hands-free call or watch a film in a crowded place; use them to drown out the noise of public transit; or listen to your favorite playlist on repeat. No matter what’s playing through the headphones, Apple’s AirPods offer one-tap set-up, spatial processing, audio sharing, and automatic audio switching—as well as high-quality sound. If you’re connecting to an Apple device, your choice of headphone seems especially clear.
With that in mind, Black Friday is the perfect time to add AirPods to your audio collection. While there are no Apple Black Friday deals from the brand itself, Apple’s retail partners offer competitive pricing during the holiday sale period—so it’s a great opportunity to access high-quality headphones at a discounted price.
Shop by category
- AirPods 2nd Generation Deals
- AirPods 3rd Generation Deals
- AirPods Pro 2nd Generation Deals
- AirPods Max Deals
Best AirPods 2nd Generation Deals
Apple AirPods 2nd Generation $99.00 at Walmart ($30 off)
A great way to get Apple headphones at nearly half the list price, the AirPods 2nd generation feature the H1 headphone chip and offer 24 hours of playtime with use of the lightning charging case.
Apple AirPods 2nd Generation
Apple AirPods 2nd Generation $114.99 at Amazon (11% off)
A great way to get Apple-quality headphones for just under $115, the AirPods 2nd generation feature the H1 headphone chip and offer 24 hours of playtime with use of the lightning charging case.
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) Wireless Ear Buds, Bluetooth Headphones with Lightning Charging Case Included, Over 24 Hours of Battery Life, Effortless Setup for iPhone
Best AirPods 3rd Generation Deals
Apple AirPods 3rd Generation $159.99 at Amazon (5% off) Also available at Walmart for $159.99
Opt for the 3rd Generation AirPods to get 30 hours of playtime with the lightning case, as well as the upgraded feature of personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. (This model made our list of the best earbuds for running for an iPhone—and if you need a new version of the latter, check out our list of the best iPhone Black Friday deals and best Black Friday phone deals.) For this superior audio experience, you’ll only get a discount of 5% but that’s better than nothing!
Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)
Best AirPods Pro 2nd Generation Deals
Apple Airpods Pro 2nd Generation $199.99 at Amazon (20% off) Also available at Walmart for $199.99
The AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) feature a USB-C connector and Apple’s H2 headphone chip for a more powerful audio experience. (They also made our list of the best headphones for sleeping.) You get twice the noise-canceling power, adaptive and spatial audio, a transparency setting—and all for under $200, thanks to this 20% discount.
AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with MagSafe Case (USB‑C)
$184.99 at Verizon ($65 off)
Best AirPods Max Deals
Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones $479.99 at Amazon (13% off) Also available at Best Buy for $479.99
If you prefer over-the-ear headphones for more immersive sound, the AirPods Max offer 20 hours of charge time in one go and features such as active noise-canceling. (They made our list of the best headphones of 2023 and best wireless headphones.) While still much more expensive than the other options on the list, you’ll save $70 with this deal.
Apple - AirPods Max - Space Gray
What you need to know for Black Friday
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday occurs annually on the Friday after Thanksgiving, making it the unofficial first day of the holiday shopping period. Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday of November and falls on November 23rd this year, which makes Black Friday November 24th, 2023. The shopping holiday runs from 12:01 am on Friday through midnight.
Some participating retailers may extend their Black Friday deals through the weekend (Sunday November 26th) or even through Cyber Monday (November 27th). Some are even making their sale pricing available now, so be sure to check each retailers’ sale dates to take full advantage.
What deals should I expect on AirPods?
AirPods vary significantly in list price, from $129 for the AirPods 2nd generation to $549 for the newest AirPods Max. At those prices, there’s plenty of savings to be had, even when just looking at 5% to 10% discounts. Expect discounts of up to $50 or 20% on most AirPods products, with smaller percentage discounts on the newest models. The older generation (2nd) of standard AirPods are also likely to see their lowest price to date this holiday sale season.
What kinds of AirPods deals did they have last year?
Apple AirPods were available at varying discounted pricing for Black Friday 2022. At the time, the AirPods Pro 2nd generation had just been released and so these only saw sales of $10 under listing price. However, older models saw better deals, such as the standard AirPods 2nd generation being sold at a $70 discount for just $89. While the AirPods Max were new to the market, their much higher price still allowed them to see discounts of $70, down to $479 on Amazon.
How to get a good deal on AirPods on Black Friday
As “AirPods” is a trademarked Apple brand name, if you set a Google alert for “AirPods Black Friday sales,” you should only receive alerts for this specific kind of headphone. AirPods also come in just four variations and it’s easier to track specific pricing on the model you want than it may be for other Apple products. Still, make it easier to track the sales you want by including the specific model details in your Google alerts, e.g., “AirPods Pro 2nd generation.”
Apple products tend to be on sale at only a few major retailers: Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, with additional sales sometimes occurring at B&H Photo Video, Target, and Costco. This means that it’s much more manageable to directly check the websites of those retailers and see what the most up-to-date sales price is. You may even want to go to the store in person. Alternatively, you can sign up for email alerts and sales newsletters from your retailers of choice, to be sure you get the updates straight from the stores themselves.
How to choose the best AirPods for you
There are four variations of AirPods to suit every budget and use case. If you want the most standard headphone experience, opt for the standard AirPods 2nd generation: These provide the same wireless charging case and Siri access as the other models, but at a much cheaper price.
For more advanced audio spatial processing and a slightly longer battery life, the AirPods 3rd generation are a great way to access newer Apple technology for under $200.
If noise-canceling—or modes such as conversation awareness and transparency—are a priority, the AirPods Pro offer a really powerful audio experience for in-ear headphones. Battery life still caps out at about 6 hours but these headphones use a MagSafe USB-C charging case and come with a speaker and a lanyard loop.
Finally, anyone willing to spend on the most all-encompassing audio experience and the best battery life should consider opting for the AirPods Max, which are unique in their over-ear design. These have up to 20 hours of battery life on one charge, but are pricey, with a list price of $549.
Where to find Black Friday deals on AirPods
The retailers that happen to be offering the best Black Friday tech deals are also offering great deals on AirPods: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Costco.
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