Black Friday 2023 is nearly over, but you still have time to grab a pair of genuine Apple AirPods at a remarkable price. Most of these Black Friday deals are part of the Amazon Black Friday Sale, however they may be price matched at other vendors like Walmart, Best Buy, or Target as well. Splurge on the outstanding AirPods Pro wireless noise cancelling earbuds, which are now updated with the universal USB Type-C charging port. Or, save your money and opt for the extremely affordable AirPods 2nd gen. Unless noted, these are all brand new with full 1 year Apple warranty and eligible for AppleCare.
Black Friday Deal: AirPods Pro (USB) for $189.99
For Black Friday, Amazon is offering the 2nd gen Apple AirPods Pro truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds with the universal USB Type-C connector for only $189.99. That's a $60 price drop from its $249 MSRP and matches the best price we've seen in the past. The new AirPods Pro is still called a "2nd gen" model, but with one key update. Apple has replaced the proprietary Lightning port with the more universal USB Type-C. For people who want to bring along a single charging cable for all of their mobile devices, this is a godsend. Two lesser updates include better dust resistance and lossless audio support when paired with Apple’s upcoming and massively expensive Vision Pro headset.
The Apple AirPods Pro is one of the best sounding "truly wireless" earbuds you'll find, especially at this price point. "Truly wireless" earbuds have no wires whatsoever, even to each other. Aside from the more expensive and bulkier Max, the Pro is the only Airpods with active noise cancelling technology. If there are moments where noise cancellation might be a hindrance, the AirPods Pro features an "Adaptive Transparency Mode," which amplifies ambient sound so that you can better hear your surroundings.
Black Friday Deal: 3rd Gen AirPods for $139.99
Save $30 off the AirPods 3rd gen. They're currently $50 cheaper than the AirPods Pro. You do lose the active noise cancellation and the customized ear tips, but you're still getting a pair of AirPods that works seamlessly with your iPhone, has Siri built-in, is easy to wear and holds fast, and most importantly, still sounds pretty good. It has a lot of upgrades over the 2nd gen version, like an IPX4 rating, a MagSafe charging case, better battery life, better sensors (won't turn on abruptly in your pocket), and better controls.
Black Friday Deal: 2nd Gen AirPods for $79.99
If you're looking for a pair of Apple AirPods and you want to spend as little as possible, then this is the best Black Friday deal for you. The 2nd gen AirPods still works seamlessly with your iPhone. As soon as you take the AirPods out of their case and put them in your ear, they'll be instantly and automatically paired with your iPhone. They support quick Siri access simply by saying "Hey Siri", and you can easily pause, play, and skip songs by double tapping either earbud. The battery life is a respectable 5 hours of listening time, and the charging case gives you over 24 additional hours. The charging case is quick charge compatible so just 15 minutes of charging will give your AirPods an additional 3 hours of listening time. For the low, low price of $80, you'd be hard pressed to find a better match for your iPhone.
Should you get the AirPods Pro or the AirPods?
In my opinion, unless you're stuck with a hard budget, the AirPods Pro is more than worth the $50 price premium over the 3rd gen AirPods. It boasts excellent noise cancellation, it sounds much better, and it offers a much more secure fit. A lot of this is simply because the AirPods Pro has customized ear tips that do a much better job of sealing your ears. Note only do they stay in place better, but they also provide better passive noise isolation, which in turn directly equates to better sound quality. These are some of the most important considerations for earbuds, and the AirPods Pro nails it on all three fronts.
Black Friday Deal: Apple AirPods Max for $449.99
The Apple AirPods Max is probably be the nicest pair of headphones you'd ever wear. It's undeniably engineered to the highest standards, pumps out audiophile quality sound, boasts impressive active noise cancellation, feels comfortable to wear even during long listening marathons, and looks like a veritable work of art. Unfortunately, the Apple AirPods Max will also run you a pretty penny with an MSRP of $549. That isn't the kind of money most people would be willing to throw around for a pair of headphones. Fortunately, it's $100 off for Black Friday.
Black Friday Deal: Beats Studio Pro for $169.95
Beats is owned by Apple, and the Studio Pro is marketed towards people like me who want a quality over-ear wireless noise cancelling headphone but also don't want to spend $500+ on the AirPods Max. The Studio Pro offers great audio quality, better than any other Beats headphone, and very good active noise cancellation. It carries over a lot of Apple's trademark features like spatial audio with head tracking, one touch pairing, and "Find My" functionality. It also has a Transparency mode so you can listen to the environment around you without removing your headphones.
Looking for more Black Friday deals like this? Check out the best Black Friday deals of 2023.
