Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Deals

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Prime Day arrives early for the AirPods and AirPods Pro

Timothy Taylor
By

Prime Day isn’t here yet but already the Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro are on sale at Amazon starting from just $129. But which true wireless earbuds to get? Read on to find out how these AirPods differ and which pair suits you best.

AirPods with Charging Case — $129, was $159

We all know that the AirPods were never about audio quality but convenience. They sound fine if a bit flat and indistinguishable from the EarPods (the pair of wired earbuds that come free with an iPhone). Still, based on sales figures, the world was clearly content with their audio quality. Ease of use is what they really have going for them. The AirPods are ridiculously easy to operate and set up with iOS devices. Removing them from the charging case for the first time will make a popup appear on your device’s screen for instant pairing. Siri is also on board so she can set a reminder, schedule an alarm, place a call, or adjust the volume of your music up or down. All you need to do is to double-tap one of the AirPod’s exterior. As far as true wireless earbuds go, the AirPods’ battery life is decent. Five hours of listening time and two hours of talk time for every single charge is not exactly mind-blowing, but the charging case does carry an additional 24 hours of spare juice. Get the AirPods with a wired charging case today for just $130 instead of $159 at Amazon.

AirPods with Wireless Charging Case – $155, was $199

Besides the wireless charging case upgrade, not much has changed with the second generation of the AirPods. Design-wise, there’s no way of telling them apart from their predecessors. Different color options would have shaken things up. Still, we did notice some significant changes once we tested them. At the heart of each AirPod is Apple’s new H1 chip which brings efficiency to the next level. The AirPods 2 seem to pair faster, have 30% lower latency which is great for gamers, switch devices they are paired with twice as fast, and boost talk time up to 50%. Apple also claims that the H1 chip contributes to a more rock-solid connection, although it was already excellent with the original AirPods. Unfortunately, the sound quality hasn’t been tweaked at all. Both generations sound exactly the same. There aren’t even any additional features to really push the AirPods 2 into the realm of necessary purchase. If you already have the original AirPods and are thinking of upgrading to the AirPods 2, we suggest that you just save a few more bucks and get the AirPods Pro instead. But if you’re really adamant about getting them, they’re on sale at Amazon right now for $155 instead of $199.

Related

Apple AirPods Pro — $199, was $249

The AirPods Pro are the best true wireless earbuds that you can get if you are an iOS user, bar none. They inherit the original AirPods’ insanely easy setup and controls and have undergone tremendous improvement in all other key areas. Let’s go through them. First is their design. While the AirPods 1 and 2 were very comfortable to use, they tend to keep falling off. Apple fixed this issue with the AirPods Pro by having them attach to three sets of differently sized silicone eartips. There’s even a software that will tell you if the pair that you chose provides the most secure fit. Next is a more distinct and bass-fueled sound. The original AirPods sounded good is a tad too safe, whereas the AirPods Pro offer a more toe-tapping audio experience that’s clearer, more well-balanced, and rich in details. You’re also getting active noise cancellation with these earbuds, and it’s incredible, almost on par with over-ear headphones. Last but not least, the AirPods Pro are rated IPX4 for water resistance, which means they can withstand intense sweaty workouts and the occasional splash of water. Unfortunately, battery life is still frustratingly short, at just five hours of total music playtime, This is a little baffling since other brands have found a way to double it for this form factor. At least charging time remains amazingly fast. A mere 15 minutes in the charging case equals three hours listening. Get the AirPods Pro at Amazon today for just $199 instead of the usual $249.

Looking for more? Check out our Deals Hub for more AirPods deals.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Timothy Taylor
Timothy Taylor
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Timothy is a deals writer for Digital Trends that specializes in finding the best discounts on smartphones, wireless…
This deal gets you a pair of AirPods for $99
airpods apple 3 720x720

If you're fully committed to having a suite of Apple products, you can't skip out on the AirPods. Apple is great at having all of their products sync together perfectly, and AirPods are an important part of that ecosystem. Right now you can grab the Apple AirPods 2 for only $99 at Amazon, a $30 discount. These will make a great entry point into the world of AirPods headphones, or just some good backup earbuds for iPhone if you're looking for something cheap. Grab them before Amazon ends the sale.

Why you should buy Apple AirPods
The Apple AirPods (2nd Gen) brought about the "Hey, Siri" feature and the H1 chip. Our Apple AirPods 2 review, now already four years old, has a sort of nostalgic air about it, with features like wireless charging having a lot more air time than a comparable article today would give. Still, the Apple AirPods 2 are clearly a fully featured pair of true wireless earbuds, even if a new era of earbud technological innovation was just beginning.

Read more
Beats Fit Pro down to new cheapest-ever price in one-day sale
Beats Fit Pro.

If you want some great earbuds, you can't go wrong with the Beats Fit Pro, and while they tend to be pretty expensive, you can grab them on Woot for just $145, rather than the usual $200 you might see them go for. In fact, that's even the new lowest price ever since the lowest they've ever gotten before was $145. That makes it one of the better headphone deals on the market right now, so well worth grabbing it if you want a pair.

Why you should buy the Beats Fit Pro
The Beats Fit Pro is essentially a form of Apple earbud. Unlike AirPods, the earphones have wingtips that protrude from the outer surface before curling inwards towards your ear. Place them correctly and you get a firmer fit than many of the best wireless earbuds, so they're great for workouts and being active while wearing them.

Read more
This AirTags deal gets you a free pizza — kinda, sort of
Person holding an Apple AirTag.

Here on the Digital Trends deals team, we usually highlight steep discounts on expensive products. There's no denying the thrill of buying a luxury item for a fraction of its normal cost. But another, practical way to save is by buying stuff you were going to buy anyway while it's just a bit cheaper. If you're in the market for a new phone, for example, checking out the best phone deals is always a great idea, or Apple deals, or TV deals, or smart home gear -- you name it. If you're an Apple fanatic, we have a deal just like for you.
Right now, Amazon is offering $9 off the Apple AirTags in a four-pack, but here's the kicker, you could use that tenner to order a pizza, soda, candy, or whatever your little heart desires. Yum, now I'm craving a greasy Pepperoni pie. Anyways, the Apple AirTags bundle is usually $99, but with this deal you can grab them for just $90, saving $9 -- so you can put it towards pizza, food, or whatever else you want. Check out that deal below or for more details on why the AirTag is a must-buy.

Why you should buy Apple AirTags
In short, the Apple AirTags are small, GPS-ready dongles or devices that you can use to track your belongings and valuables through Apple's Find My app service. They offer a simple one-tap setup with iPhone and iPad devices, you just tap and then tracking is activated. They're thin, lightweight, and durable so you can place them just about anywhere, to help you find lost remotes, secure your smartphone, keep an eye on your luggage, and much more.
In our Apple AirTag review, Christian de Looper praised the little device(s) for being easy to use, tapping into a huge ecosystem (Apple's), precision and reliable tracking support, and the option to replace the battery. You can also tap into a huge library of resources, like cases, keychains, and more, that extend your use of the tags, sometimes even allowing you to achieve more with them. For example, a simple keychain allows you to attach them to your keys, so you can always find your car keys, even if you leave them somewhere you visit like a restaurant, bar, or friend's house.
A special "Lost Mode" when activated, will automatically notify you that the tracker, and whatever it's attached to, has been detected in the Find My network. This is excellent for when you lose or misplace items and need to locate them, even after a long time of being away. All communications via Apple's Find My network are anonymous and encrypted, meaning your privacy is safe, and location data and history are never stored on the actual AirTag. That way if the tag is misplaced someone can't just look up sensitive information, like your home address.
Normally $99, Amazon is offering the Apple AirTag four-pack, right now, for just $90, which saves you $9. That might not seem like a lot until you go to order some food or a pizza. Yum. If you want to track lost or stolen items, the AirTag is one of the best ways to do that. We recommend grabbing some when you have the opportunity, like now. We're not sure how long the deal is going to last, just an FYI.

Read more