AirPods 3 Sale: All-Time-Low Price for Select Amazon Customers

Oliver Pretl-Drummond
·6 min read

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Apple launched its third generation of AirPods on October 26th, and Amazon has already cut the price down to $169.99. This is $5 lower than the average sale price Amazon has been offering, so we recommend you take advantage of it quickly. Walmart is matching this deal.

Even better, select customers have reported receiving an additional $20 off after adding AirPods 3 to their cart. This brings the price down to about $150, matching the all-time-low price set around Cyber Monday 2021.

Check Deal on Amazon

Retailing at $179.99, you can pick up your own pair of brand new AirPods 3 earbuds online or in-store. Featuring an extended battery life, massively improved bass clarity and depth, and sensitive motion-detection and spatial audio, AirPods 3 bridge the classic AirPods line and the high-tech AirPods Pro.

As soon as these earbuds launched, Amazon had them on sale for about $5 off. While we saw the price dip all the way down to $150 on Cyber Monday, we are still quick to embrace any and all discounts on popular products like AirPods.

The first two AirPods generations cost $159 at release ($199 with a wireless charging case), which officially makes AirPods 3 the most expensive model from the classic AirPods line. Apple was kind enough to knock $30 off the second-gen AirPods retail price ahead of the new generation’s release, but this minor price hike could set a trend for future AirPods releases.

Features Exclusive to the Third AirPods Generation

Apple AirPods 3
Credit: Slickdeals/Apple

The launch price for the third generation of AirPods is $20 higher than that of its predecessor. That isn’t so bad when you consider the $90 jump between regular AirPods and AirPods Pro. Both of these older models are still available and actively supported by Apple, so prospective AirPods buyers have quite a few options to choose from — here are a few defining features from the latest generation of AirPods:

  • Skin-detecting sensors can tell if you are wearing your AirPods and how you’re wearing them. You can even use the Find My feature to determine the (nearly) exact location of a lost earbud.

  • New AAC-ELD speech codec provides full-HD FaceTime audio, as well as improved noise reduction and overall speech clarity.

  • Updated bass drivers provide dynamic bass definition, even at high volumes.

  • IPX4-rated sweat and water resistance, just like the AirPods Pro.

  • Up to six hours of listening time per charge. This is a significant jump from the AirPods Pro’s advertised 4.5 hours of battery life (with ANC enabled). The charging case offers up to 30 hours of listening time, according to Apple.

Where to Buy AirPods 3

Apple’s AirPods are the most popular true wireless earbuds on the market. It’s safe to say that you can buy AirPods 3 at pretty much any tech retailer. Keep an eye on AirPods 3 prices at Walmart, Costco, Best Buy and Target — these retailers are all in competition with one another (and Amazon), so a solid deal at one store might inspire an unbeatable deal from another.

It might be a little while before these brand new earbuds hit the third-party resale market, but Newegg is a great place to find deals on refurbished and older models. Google Shopping is a valuable resource for spotting and comparing discounted AirPods deals, but this platform indiscriminately pulls from storefronts across the web – stay vigilant to avoid purchasing knockoffs. If the price looks too good to be true and you don’t know the retailer, make sure you do your research before pulling the trigger on Google Shopping.

How Do the AirPods 3 Compare to Other Wireless Earbuds?

SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds Pro, Echo buds, Beats Studio Buds
Credit: Samsung, Amazon, Beats

Since the original AirPods debuted, a number of challengers have entered the in-ear total-wireless arena. The new AirPods have some exciting new features, but only time will tell how they hold up to the competitors.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

If you don’t have the entire family of interconnected Apple devices, you aren’t getting the full AirPods 3 experience. Android users can pay about the same price for Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro ($199 at full price, frequently on sale for <$160) and enjoy comparable battery life and a superior IPX7 waterproof rating. To be fair, these earbuds favor Samsung Galaxy owners just like Apple does with iPhone users.

Amazon Echo Buds 2

At $119.99, Amazon’s updated Echo Buds are an inexpensive AirPods 3 alternative, perfect for those who want Active Noise Cancellation without shelling out for the AirPods Pro. Echo Buds 2 offers slightly less playback time than AirPods 3. You get up to five hours of playback per charge (and up to 15 with the charging case), This might be a turn-off for some, but the price is right. Echo Buds frequently go on sale for $90, half the cost of full-price AirPods 3.

Beats Studio Buds

Apple-produced Beats Studio Buds have several classic AirPods features (Active Noise Cancellation, Apple’s H1 chip) without Apple’s notorious brand restrictions – for example, Android and Apple users both get the benefit of quick one-touch pairing. Retailing for around $150 (and pushing closer to $100 during sales), Beats Studio Buds are the closest you can get to AirPods without buying AirPods.

Is it Worth Upgrading to AirPods 3?

In terms of price and cutting-edge features, AirPods 3 falls right between the previous generation of regular AirPods and the premium-grade AirPods Pro. Opting for AirPods 3 over AirPods Pro means giving up Active Noise Cancellation and custom-fit ear tips. However, you’ll lose a decent amount of battery life, sound quality and about $70 if you go for the alternative. If you have no major issues with the form factor and functionality of your first or second-generation AirPods, you will probably enjoy the AirPods 3’s subtle quality of life improvements.

Most of these exciting new features are designed for a fully-integrated Apple ecosystem. AirPods 3 have a spatial audio feature similar to that of AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. It provides virtual surround sound when you’re watching or listening to media on another Apple device. The proximity view-enabled Find My feature is a godsend for those who frequently misplace their AirPods. Unfortunately, it won’t do you any good if you don’t use an iPhone or iPad. If you’re an Android user, it might be worth checking out what the competition has to offer before committing to a new pair of AirPods.

AirPods On Sale Right Now

apple airpods and charging case
Credit: Apple

As any seasoned deal hunter knows, rock-bottom prices on older models will soon start popping up. That typically happens when a new version becomes available. On top of that, it’s nearly peak Black Friday tech deal season. Keep an eye out for record-breaking low prices on second-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, and even AirPods Max.

Knowing Apple, the fourth generation of AirPods is likely well underway. It won’t be long before we start seeing decent discounts on AirPods 3 — you’ll be the first to know if you’ve already set a Deal Alert. Set it, forget it and we’ll let you know about the next great AirPods deal as soon as it’s posted.

More to consider:

Our editors strive to ensure that the information in this article is accurate as of the date published, but please keep in mind that offers can change. We encourage you to verify all terms and conditions of any product before you apply.