Today’s best deals: Apple AirPods Pro, MacBook Air, and more
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It's time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best deals from around the web includes a decent price drop on Apple's AirPods Pro, which are currently down to $180 at Amazon and Walmart. That's about $70 off Apple's MSRP and about $15 off the average Amazon price we've seen for the true wireless noise-canceling earphones over the past few months. For reference, we did see them drop as low as $159 around Black Friday, but this deal matches the best price we've tracked for about two months.
We've recommended the AirPods Pro a number of times since they launched in late 2019. Though they're getting up there in age, they continue to provide stronger active noise cancellation than most competing wireless earbuds, an effective ambient sound mode that layers outside noise under your music, and a balanced, neutral sound that still ranks among the best in the category. The ear pieces are light and comfortable and have an IPX4 rating for everyday sweat resistance. Apple now packages the AirPods Pro with a MagSafe Charging Case, an addition it made when it announced the third-gen AirPods last fall. And like all AirPods, the Pro pair brings a number of useful bonus features ("Find My" tracking, "Hey Siri" voice controls, quick device swapping) when used with other Apple devices.
The Pros are far less useful to Android users, to be clear. And at roughly five hours of continuous playback, their battery life is lacking. If you want a similar pair of noise-canceling Apple earphones that are better for working out, the Beats Fit Pro earned a spot on our holiday gift guide last month for packing many of the same benefits into a sportier design. Reports suggest that Apple plans to refresh the AirPods Pro with a new design later this year, too, though those may launch closer to the end of 2022. All that said, if you're an iPhone user who wants a premium pair of noise-canceling earphones today, this deal is a good value.
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