Black Friday AirPods deals 2023: what to expect at this year's sale

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By Amelia Schwanke
last updated

Get ready for this year's best Black Friday AirPods deals

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max
(Image credit: Apple )
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Although you might think we're a couple of months away from Black Friday AirPods deals starting to show up, with Black Friday being on November 24, 2023, if previous sales events are anything to go by, we're expecting to start seeing deals as early as October this year as this seasonal shopping marathon limbers up.

There are usually great Black Friday AirPods deals every year, and we suspect 2023 will be no different, especially considering that no new models have been released – besides the new AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C. AirPods tend to see some of the best Black Friday deals, which is why it's no surprise that according to Adobe's Holiday Shopping report, Apple headphones were one of the most popular electronic products purchased during the end of 2022.   

Looking at pricing data for the past year on Amazon, the best AirPods tend to see their most significant price drops in late November. Even the AirPods Pro 2, the newest model released in 2022, received an early price drop. Check back on this page to find all the latest early sales as we spot them. If you're on the fence about whether to purchase AirPods, then check out our Black Friday headphones deals guide for wider inspiration.   

Today's best AirPods sales

We're expecting some early Black Friday AirPods deals to appear from mid-October since that's when Amazon's early sales event is. In the meantime, there are some AirPods deals to browse now at the following retailers below if you can't wait until then for a new pair of AirPods or if you're looking to spread out your spending.

Best AirPods sales in the US

Best AirPods sales in the UK

Black Friday AirPods deals 2023: FAQs

Apple AirPods Max wireless headphones

(Image credit: Future)

When will the best Black Friday AirPods deals start in 2023?

While Black Friday is officially November 24 this year, you can expect a much longer and looser holiday sales season before that date. That's partially due to fears around inflation, rising prices, and the cost of living crisis: we're expecting more people to want to spread their spending out and, equally, for retailers to want to spin the sales period for as long as possible.

So it would be best if you started keeping your eye out for AirPods deals from now – the sales season will begin with the 2nd Amazon Prime Day sale on October 10-11, and other retailers will be holding money-off events from now until Black Friday… and then after too, probably.

The past two years have followed some of this pattern: most of the best Black Friday AirPods deals launched a week or two early and simply continued through the day itself. We think you'll see the price rise and fall several times before we get to the end of November.

Where will the best Black Friday AirPods deals be?

We'll bring you all the best Black Friday AirPods deals here when the time comes, naturally, finding the lowest prices from all the top retailers.

In the US, retailers such as Amazon and Walmart are likely to offer the best discounts: both regularly offer record-low prices on Apple's lineup of earbuds. In the UK, it's the same kind of thing – sites such as Amazon and Currys always have the best AirPods deals for Black Friday.

While the Apple store doesn't really offer direct Black Friday Apple deals, the tech giant is known to offer gift cards and freebies when you purchase select devices instead of straight price cuts.

US:
Amazon: often has the lowest prices
Walmart: great stock levels and will price-match
Best Buy: gives you free Apple subscriptions
BH Photo Video: good discounts but limited stock

UK:
Amazon: try first for the biggest deals
Currys: free gifts and good trade-in offers
John Lewis: shop the AirPods range available
AO.com: price-matches other retailers

What Black Friday AirPods deals do we expect to see in 2023?

AirPods aren't the kind of product that sees 50% off or more, but we expect that two or three models will hit record-low prices for Black Friday, given the aging lineup. 

Let's start with the AirPods Pro 2; they dropped to their lowest price ever during Amazon Prime Day and have seen great discounts since. As a result, with the updated AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C out, we expect we'll be in store for even more deals on any original Lightning models that stores still have in stock.

If you want the biggest, headline-grabbing savings on a pair of AirPods, that'll be AirPods Max. It's been possible to find them with discounts of $100/£100 fairly often, and in both the US and UK, they've even had as much as $150 / £150. We'd look for that again this year, and maybe even more. 

AirPods 3rd Gen will be replaced with a new model next year, so this could be the Black Friday where we see a significant drop. Finally, the cheapest AirPods, the AirPods 2nd Gen version from 2019, regularly cost around $99 / £99 but saw lows of $79 / £99 last year so that it could go further. 

Last year's best Black Friday AirPods deals

A good way to get a feel for what sorts of Black Friday AirPods deals to expect this year is to look at the best deals from last year. Here's a roundup of the best price drops we spotted, to give you an idea of what to look for this year.

Last year's US deals

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Apple AirPods Pro 2: was $249 now $229 at Amazon
Amazon's early Black Friday deals dropped the all-new AirPods Pro down to $229 – a nice $20 saving on some brand-new earbuds. Apple's premium AirPods include improved audio quality and noise cancellation, and include a wireless charging case that provides more than 24 hours of battery life.

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Apple AirPods (2nd Gen): was $129 now $79 at Walmart
This was nearly lowest price that Apple's cheapest AirPods have ever been. They once hit the same price briefly in the past, but that's it – there's never been a better price otherwise. They lack the Spatial Audio and improved sound quality of the AirPods 3rd Gen, and don't have the active noise cancellation of the AirPods Pro, but you still get smart features such as instant pairing, auto switching between devices, and Find My support.

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Apple AirPods 3rd Gen with MagSafe Case: was $169 $139 at Sam's Club
This is the cheapest we'd ever seen the 3rd-gen AirPods, by $20! The latest non-Pro AirPods give you improved sound over the classic AirPods 2nd Gen, plus Spatial Audio, which is wonderful with movies especially. You don't get the in-ear fit or noise cancellations that you get from the Pros, but not everyone wants that anyway.

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AirPods Max: was $549 now $469 at Amazon
Apple's over-ear headphones are an audio tour de force, delivering huge sound that's natural and all-encompassing, thanks partly to the highly effective noise cancellation. This was a solid discount, though not spectacular – on very rare occasions, they've dropped as low as $349, but it's hard to say if that will happen again any time this year.

Last year's UK deals

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AirPods Pro 2: was £249 now £229 at Amazon
This was the cheapest UK price for Apple's latest and greatest earbuds so far. £20 isn't a huge deal, but it's better than the £0 available before! We raved about the noise cancellation and sound quality in our review. The longer battery life and upgraded Find My support are both excellent too – and they're still light and comfortable.

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Apple AirPods (2nd Gen): was £139 now £119 at Currys
This was not a particularly good deal on these AirPods (they've been £99 on several occasions before), but it was the lowest UK price of the time on Apple's cheapest AirPods. They lack the Spatial Audio and improved sound quality of the AirPods 3rd Gen, and don't have the active noise cancellation of the AirPods Pro, but you still get smart features such as instant pairing, auto switching between devices, and Find My support.

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Apple AirPods 3rd Gen with Lightning Case: was £179 £169 at Amazon
This is not much of a deal, but it looks like the best we're getting on Apple's latest non-Pro earbuds. You get improved sound over the classic AirPods 2nd Gen, plus Spatial Audio, which is wonderful with movies especially. You don't get the in-ear fit or active noise cancellation of the AirPods Pro (and the Pro's sound is better still).

Amelia Schwanke
Amelia Schwanke
Senior Editor UK, Home Entertainment

Amelia became the Senior Editor for Home Entertainment at TechRadar in the UK in April 2023. With a background of more than eight years in tech and finance publishing, she's now leading our coverage to bring you a fresh perspective on everything to do with TV and audio. When she's not tinkering with the latest gadgets and gizmos in the ever-evolving world of home entertainment, you’ll find her watching movies, taking pictures and travelling.