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Should you buy AirPods on Black Friday or wait for Cyber Monday?

AirPods Black Friday deals are generally worth paying attention to, but what do you do when Cyber Monday is so close? Is it better to wait or buy on Black Friday? To help you out, we’ve taken a look at what you need to know and highlighted some great AirPods deals.

Should you buy AirPods on Black Friday?

It’s a good move to buy AirPods on Black Friday. Generally, retailers set aside a limited amount of stock for the event and the best offers, so if you see something you like, buy it now. There’s no guarantee that it will still be there for Cyber Monday and even less chance of it being cheaper.

Cyber Monday tends to replicate the same deals that we see on Black Friday so it’s generally not worth waiting for. However, if you do happen to see a cheaper deal, remember that you can always cancel the order you placed on Black Friday in exchange for the one you place on Cyber Monday. You’ll get a full refund so there’s nothing to lose here. We’re not expecting to see better deals on Cyber Monday, however.

Our 5 favorite Black Friday AirPods deals

Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) — $79, was $99

A man wears AirPods 2 seen from his left side.

The Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) may not be the newest AirPods any more but at this price, they’re very tempting. They take seconds to set up and provide you with hands-free access to Siri along with Apple’s H1 chip so you get a more reliable wireless connection. Simple to use, you simply double-tap to play or skip forward with rich and high-quality audio guaranteed. It’s seamless to switch between devices throughout the day while you get up to three hours of talk time on a single charge.

Apple AirPods Pro (1st Generation) — $159, was $180

AirPods Pro in Phil Nickinson's ear.
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends

The Apple AirPods Pro (1st Generation) remain a great buy for many people. Their Active Noise Cancellation is exceptional, being able to block outside noise so you can fully immerse yourself in your music or podcasts. A Transparency mode makes it simple to return to the world as needed. Adaptive EQ automatically tunes music to the shape of your ear while there’s spatial audio with dynamic head tracking to ensure that music feels like it’s surrounding you, just like if you were at a concert. With more than 24 hours of listening time when combined with the MagSafe charging case, these are delightfully hassle-free earphones.

Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) — $TK, was $TK

AirPods 3 on an athlete.

The Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) have a lot going for them for the price. They offer personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking so it feels like the sound follows you around. With easy setup and in-ear detection, they take only moments to get ready to use. You can use audio sharing between two sets of AirPods on all your Apple devices with a force sensor making it simple to control things on the earphones themselves. With up to six hours of listening time and up to 30 hours of total listening time courtesy of the Lightning charging case, these are consistently convenient earphones.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) — $200, was $249

Apple AirPods Pro 2 sitting beside iPhone 14 and charging case.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are some of the best wireless earbuds around. Superior to the previous model, they offer twice the amount of Active Noise Cancellation than the previous AirPods Pro. With adaptive transparency, they can also help you comfortably hear the world around you, adjusting for intense noises in real-time. With a customizable fit, you get maximum comfort all while enjoying personalized spatial audio so that the music feels perfectly tuned for you. With higher levels of control than before, these are the ultimate AirPods earphones. They even have better battery life with up to six hours with Active Noise Cancellation enabled and 30 hours of total listening time courtesy of the wireless charging case.

Apple AirPods Max — $449, was $549

A man wears Apple AirPods Max.
Riley Young/Digital Trends

Some of the best headphones around, the Apple AirPods Max are also some of the most enjoyable headphones to use. They have an Apple-designed dynamic driver that provides you with high-fidelity audio. Active Noise Cancellation blocks out surrounding noises so you can lose yourself in your music while a transparency mode helps you listen back in as needed. Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking helps the sound feel all around you while there’s also computational audio that combines custom acoustic design for the ultimate listening experience. A knit-mesh canopy and memory foam ear cushions ensure they feel super comfortable all day long too which is perfect given the 20 hours of battery life.

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