As part of its Early Black Friday Sale event, Walmart has dropped the price of the 3rd generation Apple AirPods earbuds to the lowest price we have ever seen. Right now you can pick up a brand new pair for only $94.00 shipped. That’s nearly 30% cheaper than the retail price of the 4th generation AirPods and is the least expensive wireless AirPods you can get right now. This deal is only at Walmart; Amazon price-matched it earlier, but it quickly sold out.
Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)
If you’re looking for an inexpensive pair of Apple AirPods earbuds and you don’t need active noise cancellation, then this is definitely the best deal for you. Like every other AirPods, the Airpods 3rd gen works seamlessly with your iPhone. As soon as you take the AirPods out of the case and put them in your ear, they’ll be automatically paired with your phone. You can pause, play, and skip songs simply by double tapping either earbud. Their ease of use makes them great for anyone who might not be super tech savvy.
AirPods 3rd gen battery offers a respectable six hours of listening time, and the Lightning charging case gives you up to 30 additional hours. The charging case is quick charge compatible, so just five minutes of charging will give your AirPods an additional hour of listening time. Note that there are two different AirPods 3rd gen models: one with a Lightning case and one with a MagSafe case. This particular model comes with the Lightning case.
The AirPods (4th Generation) Costs $25 More
The AirPods 4th generation model retails for $129, but Amazon is offering a $10 discount that drops the price down to $119. That makes it $25 more expensive than the 3rd generation model. The AirPods 4 features several upgrades over the AirPods 3 which brings it in-line with modern day standards. These upgrades include the newer Apple H2 chip (vs. H1), Bluetooth 5.3 support (vs. Bluetooth 5.0), new IP54 resistance rating which now protects against dust intrustion (vs. IPX4), and adoption of the USB Type-C standard (vs. Lightning). Some smaller improvements include a smaller charging case that can hold a longer charge and replacement of the skin detect sensor with a more reliable optical in-ear sensor.
Which AirPods Should I Choose?
So which is the best model to buy? At this price, I would personally lean towards the AirPods 3. It’s true there are some nice upgrades with the 4th gen model, especially with the newer H2 chip and USB Type-C charging. But I can’t get over the fact that the 3rd generation model is more than 20% cheaper. In regular day-to-day use, the improvements are rather trivial and the money might be better spent investing in a screen protector for your iPhone, an AirTag keyfinder for your wallet, or even a portable power bank for extra juice for all of your mobile devices. You can get any of these for well under $25.
Should I Wait Until Black Friday?
If you’re holding off until Black Friday to buy a new pair of Apple AirPods, you are making the right decision. Read up on our AirPods predictions for prices on every current generation model. Black Friday is undoubtedly one of the best times of year to pick up any Apple products, including some of the best wireless earbuds, at a significant discount. Although the Apple Store hosts its own Black Friday sales, you’ll usually find the best deals at third-party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart. That said, if you’re specifically looking for the lowest price you can get on a pair of wireless AirPods earbuds, I doubt you’ll find anything cheaper than this deal. If you want to keep your budget to $100 or less, jump on this deal.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
