Black Friday is just a few weeks away, and we’ve already gotten a peak at some of the deals with ads from, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and more hitting the internet. While we won’t know what Black Friday holds for all of Apple’s tech, we have had some insight into special pricing for AirPods — and some of the deals are already available.
AirPods 2 vs. AirPods Pro: Which AirPods should I pick?
AirPods are Apple’s revolutionary, wire-free earphones that pair super-easily with your other Apple devices and allow for a truly wireless audio experience. Using the proprietary Apple wireless chipsets, they sync together seamlessly for perfect playback and infrared sensors mean they know when they are in or out of your ears. You can control playback with a tap, a squeeze or with just your voice thanks to beam-forming mics.
There are a few versions of AirPods at this point, so it’s worth knowing the differences before deciding which to scout out this Black Friday.
Apple released the first-gen AirPods in 2017. They feature the W1 chip, 5 hours of music playback or 2 hours of talk time, with playback controls coming in the form of a double-tap on either earbud to skip back or forward, or to rouse Siri. They’ve officially been replaced by the second-gen AirPods, so they are harder to come by these days and their price doesn’t tend to fall too much below what you can snag AirPods 2 for.
AirPods 2 improved the talk time to three hours and added “Hey Siri” support so you can access the voice assistant completely hands-free. The second-gen were also the first AirPods to be available with a wireless charging case, so when checking out deals be sure to note whether the AirPods you’re looking at are the wired or wireless charging version. Other than that, they are functionally the same.
AirPods Pro were just announced and are the first AirPods to feature active noise-cancellation. They have an in-ear design with different ear tips to find the right fit, and have a transparency mode so you can clearly hear your surroundings without removing them. They are also the first AirPods to be officially-labelled water-resistant with an iPX4 rating. AirPods Pro have a slightly shorter stem and their case is a tad wider. The ability to use Siri hands-free is still there, though the tap gestures for playback control have been replaced by a squeeze of the stem. This can also switch ANC on or off. They are the newest model, having only been released at the end of October, and therefore the most advanced (and most expensive) models available.
Do AirPods charge wirelessly?
Apple’s second-generation AirPods are available with a wireless charging case that allows for them to be placed on a Qi-enabled charger to juice back up. That same charging case can be purchased separately to replace your original AirPods’ wired case if you simply want to add that feature without replacing the headphones themselves.
The newly-released AirPods Pro also have Qi-charging built-in
Which iPhone models are AirPods compatible with?
AirPods 2 require an iOS 12.2 or later to work properly, so you need an iPhone 5s or newer as that’s the cut-off point for iOS 12 support.
Support for AirPods Pro was only just added in iOS 13.2 so you need a slightly newer phone if you want to rock out with these. It’ll be iPhone 6s or newer if you’re planning on getting AirPods Pro.
Why should I buy AirPods over PowerBeats Pro or other wireless headphones?
There are tons of true wireless headphones out there these days, and many of them cost less than a set of AirPods. The main reason to opt for AirPods over the competition is the ease-of-use with your other Apple products. They pair super quickly without needing to fiddle around in the Bluetooth settings, work great with Siri, and their compact design makes them easy to take everywhere.
As Apple owns Beats, the more recently-released products like the Powerbeats Pro feature the same tight integration and may be a better pick for runners and gym-goers thanks to their sweat-resistance and ear hook design, though the case is much bulkier and they cost more than most AirPods models.
Is the AirPods price worth it?
Buyers of Apple products are well-used to paying a premium for the company’s wares, though the value of the AirPods and AirPods Pro depends on what you’re comparing them to. Yes, you can pick up some bargain-basement Bluetooth headphones for under $20 these days, but they might sound like garbage, have an unreliable connection, and die after an hour’s use. If those things still suit your use case, then go ahead and save some money.
If you want a premium experience, solid build quality, and some wireless headphones that are super easy to use, then you’re going to pay AirPods-level pricing whether you go for Apple-branded headphones or not. AirPods Pro in particular offer a solid value for the quality go the noise-cancellation in a super-premium market with the likes of Bose, Sony, and others. If you can grab a deal on Black Friday and make a saving, though, it’s obviously better! The below deals can help you out in that regard.
Best AirPods Black Friday deals
| Apple AirPods | Deal Price |
|---|---|
| AirPods 2 with Wired Charging Case | $139 at Amazon |
| AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging Case | $165 at Amazon |
| AirPods (first-generation) | $144 at Amazon |
| AirPods Pro | $235 at Amazon |
AirPods 2 with Wired Charging Case
If you don’t need the ability to place your AirPods down on a Qi charger to power them back up, you can save a little more by going for the second-gen AirPods with the wired charging case. Outside of the charging method, they are exactly the same as the wireless charging AirPods 2.
Walmart will have a crazy good deal on the wired-charging AirPods 2 for Black Friday, though it doesn’t start until November 27. They’ll drop down to $129 there which is the best Black Friday offer we’ve seen on them yet.
Plug in
AirPods 2 with Wired Charging Case
Pick up the current-gen AirPods with Wired Charging Case at Amazon right now and you can save $15. We have only ever seen them go $4 lower than this before, but if you need them now then this is still a good deal on them.
$139 $159 $20 off
AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging Case
If the convenience of wireless charging is worth it for you, the AirPods 2 with wireless charging case are for you. They are currently available at their best price to date and it’s unclear from the many Black Friday ads if they are going to drop much further, if at all, on the big day.
Lay ’em down
AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging Case
Snag the current-gen AirPods with wireless Charging Case at Amazon right now and save $34. We have only ever seen them go $4 lower than this, and maybe that will occur again during Black Friday, but if you need them now then this is still a good deal on them.
$164.99 $199 $34 off
AirPods (first-generation)
The first-gen AirPods have been officially discontinued by Apple, so any remaining stock is likely to be cleared over time by way of tempting discounts. Black Friday is a prime opportunity for retailers to clear out their inventory, so we expect some extra savings wherever the original AirPods are still available, though stock may be limited.
The OG
AirPods (first-generation)
The AirPods 2 didn’t represent a massive improvement from the original model. If “Hey Siri” and slightly improved talk time don’t draw you to the newer version, the first-gen may well be the right pick — especially if you can grab ’em at a discount.
$144 $159 $14 off
AirPods Pro
The new, all-singing, all-dancing, AirPods Pro have only been out since late October so don’t expect to grab them on Black Friday for anything other than a token discount. We have seen them fall by $15 a couple of times at Amazon and elsewhere, though, but the discount never lasts long before they go back up to their full price.
Go pro
AirPods Pro
AirPods Pro are currently full-price pretty much everywhere, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled for marginal discounts over the next few weeks.
$249
How to get the Best AirPods Deals
The AirPods 2 are pretty new having only been released in the first quarter of 2019 and the AirPods Pro are less than a month old at this point, so don’t expect to save half on Black Friday. That being said, we’ve already seen a couple of discounts of up to $35 so we may see some movement in the next few weeks.
You can still snag Apple’s original AirPods and, being the older version, they are bound to see some discounts before they go away entirely.
We regularly scour the internet for the best AirPods deals. We will keep this page updated with the best deals we can find, so if you frequently find yourself looking for it, you’ll want to bookmark this page.
Best Accessories for Apple AirPods
Apple’s own AirPods are a magical accessory that complements all iPhones, iPads, and Macs. They’re super intuitive to connect to your devices and all you need to do to control them is tap or swipe on them to control playback. But they’re expensive, so you’ll want to protect your investment or even improve their fit or staying power while you take them on a run. These are some of the best accessories you can buy for your AirPods.
Better fit: EarBuddyz 2.0 AirPods Covers
EarBuddyz are a soft, silicone cover that go over your AirPods and provide a comfy, secure fit. No more worrying about those AirPods falling out of your ears! The only drawback is that the AirPods can’t charge with these on, but they slip on and off quickly and easily.
Strap it on: Spigen TEKA RA100 AirPods Strap
The Spigen TEKA RA100 AirPods Strap is made of a flexible and durable TPU material that’s soft to the touch. The strap holds the AirPods together and goes around your neck when not in use. This is great for those who like to go running and listening to music at the same time.
Customize and protect: Airpod Skins Protective Wraps
Your AirPods are expensive, so you should protect them while adding a splash of color. Airpod Skins are vinyl skins that are easy to apply and remove. They’ll protect your AirPods from everyday wear, tear, and scratches, while also looking stylish. Plus, with the brighter colors, it’s less likely that you’ll lose them.
Strap it and secure it: i-Blason Strap for AirPods
The i-Blason Strap for AirPods is similar to the Spigen strap, except these come with a built-in ear hook. The ear hook provides an even more secure fit, and you can be sure you won’t lose them when you go out for a run.
Source of the article – iMore