Yahoo News AirPods Black Friday deals 2021: Apple’s pro earbuds drop to just £185 this weekend
AirPods might just be the hottest Apple accessory of all time. Selling in their tens of millions, they have quickly become a must-have for all iPhone owners, and arguably created the truly wireless earphone market we know today.
There are currently three versions of Apple’s AirPods, the all-new third-gen regular AirPods (£169, Apple.com), which are available with or without wireless charging. Then there are the pricier AirPods pro (£239, Apple.com), which feature active noise cancelling, and the flagship AirPods max over-ear headphones (£549, Apple.com).
Follow live: The best Black Friday deals to shop now
AirPods are rarely ever on sale, but now that Black Friday has arrived, prices on Apple’s hottest bits of tech are being slashed left, right and centre, making it the perfect time to pick up the company’s wildly popular pro earbuds.
Amazon is currently selling the AirPods pro for just £185 with the new and updated MagSafe wireless charging case. So you’ll be saving a massive £54 in this Black Friday deal. Plus, we’ve spotted the first-ever deal on the new AirPod third-gen earbuds this Black Friday.
Thanks to their popularity, AirPods deals are either fleeting, easy to miss or, worse, sell out before you even have the chance to get them into your basket. If you want to ensure you bag the AirPods pro at a discount, then snap up this excellent AirPods pro deal, as it’s the lowest price we’ve seen them sell for at Amazon.
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Apple AirPods pro with MagSafe charging case: Was £239, now £185, Amazon.co.uk
When we’re not in the middle of a big sales event, the Apple AirPods pro can be a pretty pricey purchase. But in Amazon’s Black Friday Week sale, you can snap them up for a fraction of the cost.
In our review of the earbuds, our tester said they “are a high-end pair of earphones that are difficult to find much fault in”. They have a similar design to the original AirPods (was £119, now £99, Amazon.co.uk), but have smaller stems, so don’t stick out of your lugholes so obtrusively. They feature Apple’s signature glossy white finish but come with three different sized silicone eartips, so you can find the perfect fit for you.
As for the sound quality? Our tester added that “it’s a sound topped by few rivals,” with an impressive active noise-cancelling function that shuts out ambient noise. You also get the new AirPods MagSafe wireless charging case with the pros, which was only released last month. With a saving of £54 right now, this is a bargain.
Apple AirPods 2nd gen: Was £119, now £99, Argos.co.uk
If you don’t want to shell out for the AirPods pro, then the 2nd gen AirPods are also on sale this Black Friday, with a number of retailers slashing the buds to just under £100 for the first time ever.
In our review of the buds, our writer said that “the second-generation versions are a fantastic pair of entry-level earbuds that are comfortable to wear and extremely convenient”.
The in-ear white plastic tips have a one-size-fits-all design. This might not suit everyone, but our writer found that the buds “fitted comfortably and securely” in their ears, “even when running and in the gym”. With a saving of £20, there has never been a better time to buy a pair.
Apple AirPods max: Was £549, now £429, Amazon.co.uk
If you’re after a pair of over-ears, then you’re not going to want to miss out on this discount on the Apple AirPods max, which are some of the best wireless headphones around, especially for iPhone users.
But they’re not cheap, and they’re rarely ever on sale... until now. Amazon is currently offering a 22 per cent saving for Black Friday. Our writer praised the spatial audio feature in their review of the best wireless headphones: “The sound of your favourite tunes coming from all directions around your head is absolutely mind-blowing, and it will make you fall in love with your favourite songs all over again, giving you a new perspective on what you’re listening to.”
Apple AirPods 3rd gen: Was £169, now £159, Laptopsdirect.co.uk
The third-generation AirPods might lack some of the features of the AirPods pro, such as active noise cancellation, but they strike the perfect balance between comfort, function and audio quality. In our AirPods 3 review, our tester said they were “a very big step up from the second-generation model. The improved audio is noticeable, especially with spatial audio and the new shape.” While this is a small discount, it’s the first ever offer we’ve seen on the third-generation AirPods, so it’s worth shouting about.
Where are the best places to find Black Friday AirPods deals?
One thing to know about AirPods is that they are sold by a lot of retailers. There’s Amazon and Very, but also John Lewis,Argos and Currys. And because AirPods are so popular, you can guarantee that many of these retailers will be hoping to undercut each other during Black Friday. Apart from Apple, of course. Apple won’t budge from its own recommended retail prices, so you’re best off looking elsewhere for a bargain.
What were the best Black Friday AirPods deals last year?
Aldi led the way in 2020, knocking a massive £110 off the price of the regular AirPods with wireless charging case. This took them down from £199.99 to just £89.99, making the Apple earphones an absolute steal.
This was followed by Amazon, whose Cyber Monday 2020 deals included reducing the AirPods pro from £219 to £198. Speaking of the AirPods pro, The Independent’s technology critic David Phelan said in his review of the best wireless headphones,: “Apple’s deluxe earbuds offer the best noise-cancelling of any in-ear headphones. They fit the ears perfectly, with a near-spherical part nestling in the ear comfortably and securely. Three different sizes of silicone eartips are in the box, so you can choose the right size for a perfect fit.
“To help you out, there’s an eartip fit test screen on the phone which plays a short burst of music and can work out if the fit is good or not. The microphones which help with this test and ensure the noise-cancelling is effective also work well for hands-free phone calls,” he added.
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