Black Friday is a great time to buy AirPods, so check out these early deals

Macworld

It’s nearly that time of year again—Black Friday, the yearly shopping event where everyone hunts for the biggest deals. Apple’s AirPods are famously popular gifts and travel companions, and various models are often on sale throughout the year. So keep your eyes peeled for great deals on AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max as the Black Friday sales take off.

With the AirPods 4 released this year, older models are being phased out, and we’re not seeing as many deals there. Even if you find what looks like a good price on 2nd-gen AirPods or AirPods 3, it’s probably worth getting the AirPods 4 instead—they sound and fit much better.

Similarly, Apple recently updated the AirPods Max with USB-C replacing the Lightning port. But they have no new features, so if you find a better deal on the Lightning version, you should probably go for that.

This page will be updated frequently with the latest deals, so return here throughout the Black Friday period as we highlight the best deals leading up to and through Black Friday (November 29, 2024) and Cyber Monday (December 2, 2024). Soon Apple will announce it own Black Friday 2024 sale, but in the meantime you should also check out of our round-up of the best Black Friday deals for this year and our always up-to-date advice on the best AirPods deals.

The best AirPods deals right now

Deals in the U.S.:

AirPods Pro (2nd-gen, USB-C case): $189 at Amazon or Best Buy ($59 off)

AirPods 4: $119 at Amazon ($10 off)

AirPods 4 with ANC: $149 at Amazon ($10 off)

AirPods Max (Lightning): $469 at B&H Photo ($100 off)

Deals in the U.K.:

Amazon, AirPods (4th gen, 2024, with ANC): £169 (£10 off, RRP £179)

Argos, AirPods (3rd gen, Magsafe): £139 (£40 off, RRP was £179 – Clearance)

Amazon, AirPods (3rd gen, Lightning): £129 (£40 off, RRP was £169 – Clearance)

Argos, AirPods 2nd gen: £109 (£10 off, RRP was £129 – Clearance)

Argos, AirPod Max, Lightning, 2020: £429 (£70 off, RRP was £499 – Clearance)

Black Friday: Apple’s shopping event

Every year Apple holds shopping event from Black Friday (November 29, 2024) to Cyber Monday (December 2, 2024). Apple rarely discounts its products, so the event typically consists of gift card offers rather than actual savings.

In 2023 you could get gift cards for the following voucher amounts with AirPods purchased on Apple’s U.S. site or Apple’s U.K. site. This year, with AirPods 4 out and Apple no longer selling AirPods 2 or 3, it’s not clear what deals will be available.

AirPods (2nd generation)$25£20AirPods (3rd generation)$25£20AirPods Pro (2nd generation)$50£40AirPods Max$75£60

Best AirPods deals in the US and U>K

Heading into Black Friday, these were the best AirPods deals we found in November 2024.

Latest AirPods Pro 2 deals

The 2nd-generation AirPods Pro look just like the first-gen model, but they sound better, have longer battery life, and offer a few other welcome improvements. You should look for the then just-updated version with a USB-C charging case, which retailed at $249 / £229 but was often on sale for at least $50 off.

Latest AirPods 4 deals

When Apple released the AirPods 4, it priced them to replace both the 2nd-gen AirPods and AirPods 3. It comes in two models, a basic AirPods 4 that retails for $129 and an upgraded version with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) that is normally priced at $169. They look at feel the same and have the same great sound quality and features, other than ANC. Apple has stopped selling AirPods 2 or 3, and even if you find a deal on them, we think you’ll be a lot happier with AirPods 4.

Here are the best deals for the basic version:

And these are the deals on the AirPods 4 with ANC:

Latest AirPods Max deals

Frankly, AirPods Max are overpriced (even on sale). Compared to other consumer-oriented over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones, you might pay hundreds more. Apple’s price is $549 / £499, and they’re easy enough to find for up to $100 less, but a good price would have been under $400.

Apple recently updated the AirPods Max to include a USB-C charging port, but they are otherwise unchanged. You can probably find better deals on the older model with the Lightning charging port, and if so you should probably go for that.

Black Friday 2024: Best deals for Apple products

Check out these roundups for the best Apple deals:

Apple Black Friday 2024 sale

Best Black Friday 2024 Apple deals

Best Black Friday 2024 MacBook deals

Best Black Friday 2024 Mac Deals

Best Black Friday 2024 Apple Watch deals

Best Black Friday 2024 iPad deals

Best Black Friday 2024 iPhone deals

Best Black Friday 2024 Mac monitor deals

Best Black Friday 2024 SSD and external hard drive deals

Best Black Friday 2024 Apple accessory deals