Apple's full AirPods range includes the AirPods 2nd generation and the sleeker yet more powerful Apple AirPods Pro. The Apple AirPods Max on-ears have been around for about a year and have gone straight into our best headphones for music guide. The newest addition to the AirPods family is the AirPods 3rd Generation, which offer the same form-factor as the AirPods Pro, just without the noise cancelling tech - but you pay less as a result. What you do get is six hours battery life per charge, compared to 4.5 hours on the AirPods Pro and a significant.
If you're looking for more information about Apple's AirPods range, this guide should help arm you with everything you need to know and help you decide whether AirPods are for you. If not, take a look at our guide to the best AirPods alternatives to find a range of other great sounding earbuds – and don't forget to dive into our list of the best earbuds and in-ear headphones for further inspiration.
AirPods Pro deals
AirPods without charging case deals
AirPods 3rd Generation deals
AirPods Max deals
About Apple AirPods
What are Apple AirPods wireless earphones?
First of all, Apple’s Bluetooth true wireless earphones are known by many names, including Apple AirPods 2, AirPods 2019 and AirPods 2nd generation. Three names for the same pair of wireless earphones, and not to be confused with the top-of-the-range AirPods Pro (keep reading).
They retail for £159/$159 for the Apple AirPods with Charging Case and £199 / $199 for the Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case.
These newer Apple AirPods are powered by an H1 headphone chip and have an improved battery life, helping them last for up to five hours listening time and three hours of talk time per single charge. That’s an improvement on the original Apple AirPods.
On top of this enhanced battery life, the AirPods now have integrated Siri voice assistant technology, so you can say “Hey Siri” to take advantage of these voice smarts on the move; no need to tap to activate Siri this time.
You can buy Apple AirPods with a standard charging case that charges via lightning cable to USB, or with a wireless charging case, which you sit on a Qi-compatible charging mat to juice up the earbuds. Of course, you can also use a lightning connector with these too. Both cases hold multiple charges, helping you to extend their playback time on the move; up to a full 24 hours, in fact.
While there are differences between the original AirPods and the latest models, we believe it’s still definitely worth snapping up a pair of the original AirPods if you see a good deal and just want the cheapest pair of AirPods you buy. Bizarrely, though, the first-gen is often more expensive than the current model. Strange world, right?
About AirPods Pro
What are Apple AirPods Pro earbuds?
Apple AirPods Pro are the flagship model in Apple’s current Bluetooth wireless earbuds range, and retail for £249 / $249. They come with a wireless charging case and are available only in white, just like the other AirPods.
The biggest differences between the AirPods Pro and the AirPods are that the Pro true wireless earbuds sound incredible. The ‘stems’ of the latest Apple earbuds also look shorter, which is good news for those of you who don’t appreciate the unique style of the longer stems on the AirPods and especially the first generation.
The AirPods Pro boast custom built high-excursion, low distortion drivers to really drive that powerful bass home – trust us, Flea and Cliff Burton have never sounded so good. A high dynamic range amp delivers crystal clear sound, while Adaptive EQ automatically tunes music to suit the shape of your ear. In short, this is a stunning listening experience from the start.
Even with active noise cancellation (ANC) tech thrown in, the AirPod Pros are still incredibly light at 45.6g. Why would you need ANC? To block out a noisy commute, office or home environment for a start, all so that you can focus more intently on the music (or podcast or audiobook) you’re listening to. When you need to let outside noise in, such as when your boss is talking to you, switch to Transparency mode.
If you see the AirPods Pro on sale – and of course we’ll be beating your door down to let you know about any epic deals we spot on these – just buy them. But remember, buy from a trusted retailer and not some Del Boy operation. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Checking the company’s reputation on a site like Trustpilot is a good place to start.
Best AirPods deals: What to expect
We’ve seen some brilliant Apple AirPods deals already this year, with up to $50 off the AirPods Pro at Amazon, plus big savings on the entire AirPods range at Argos, Best Buy, Currys, Walmart and other online retailers.
Anything over a $30 saving on the Apple AirPods with Charging Case (RRP £159 / $159) and the Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case (RRP £199 / $199) is definitely worth snapping up. We’re starting to see those offers dribble through now, which is good news for shoppers.
On top of the best AirPods deals, you may see offers crop up on refurbished AirPods. These often drop in at a much cheaper price and could be worth looking at if you want the cheapest AirPods possible, regardless of which generation they are. Just keep in mind that they are refurbished, so you may not get a guarantee with them, and they may or may not be in their original packaging. Amazon Warehouse is a good place to find these cheap AirPod deals.
Best AirPods deals: Do's and don'ts
In order to nab one of the best AirPods deals, you have to first know what these Apple earpods normally cost. After all, you don’t want to get ripped off by unscrupulous retailers who think you were born yesterday. So, let’s clear this one up pretty sharp-ish… The Apple Airpods prices are as follows:
- Apple AirPods with Charging Case £159 / $159
- Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case £199 / $199
- Apple AirPods Pro £249 / $249
Now that you know the official RRP, the first obvious ‘don’t’ is to not pay more than the original price. Next up, do know which type of Apple AirPods you want to buy. If you’re just looking for cheap AirPods and aren’t bothered if they lack Apple’s latest tech, check out the Apple AirPods with Charging Case.
If you want wireless charging on the go, you’ll need to stump up extra for the Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case. This type of case actually charges the AirPods when they’re not in use. They’re brilliant if you want to wear AirPods when commuting or traveling, as they can give your Apple earpods a welcome juice boost when you can’t get to a mains power outlet.
For those who want the best Apple AirPods bar none, make a beeline for the Apple AirPods Pro deals. These are currently the pinnacle of Apple audio engineering and are a must-buy for ardent music fans who can’t stomach the tinny sound of crap wireless earbuds.
Don’t buy from any online retailer or seller you’ve never heard of, no matter how good their AirPods deals appear to be on paper. Check ’em out on the likes of Trust Pillot and see what other customers have to say about them. We always recommend sticking with known retailers with clear returns policies so that your purchase is covered, and delivery tracking is easy.
Do shop around for the best AirPods deals, as many retailers will be competing for your cash with various offers. Luckily, we can help with this as we’ll be regularly scanning the AirPod sales and deals to ensure you get the biggest savings. In addition to us putting in some elbow grease, our shopping software gubbins will also be working hard in the background scanning hundreds of websites for the top deals on AirPods.
More great audio deals
Look, quality true wireless earphones and Bluetooth wireless headphones cost extra than bog standard headphones. That’s just the way it is. What you’re paying for is better sound, ease of use, and a lightweight yet comfortable feel. You get all of those with the Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro.
That said, if you do want to explore some alternatives, whether cheaper or more expensive cans, and whether wireless or 'wired', you have plenty of choice. Just check out the stacks of cans below, aimed at a range of budgets, music tastes and uses, in our expert buyer's guides:
- The best headphones for music
- The best wireless headphones
- The best over-ear headphones
- The best budget wireless headphones
- The best budget noise cancelling headphones
- The best audiophile headphones for Hi-Fi listening
