If you’ve been waiting for a discount before grabbing a new iPad, MacBook or Apple Watch, Amazon’s October Prime Day sale might be worth checking out. Prime Big Deal Days, as it’s officially called, doesn’t technically begin until tomorrow, but we’re keeping an eye out for the best Apple deals that are going on in the lead-up to the event. So far, the selection is pretty strong, with the AirPods 4, iPad Air, MacBook Air and several other devices at or near the lowest prices we’ve seen. You can find our full roundup below, and we’ll be updating this post over the course of the two-day event as more offers pop up.
Best Prime Day Apple deals
Apple AirPods 4 for $90 ($39 off): The entry-level AirPods get you tons of Apple-friendly features — from fast pairing with your iCloud devices to spatial audio to hands-free Siri — and their lightweight design should fit most ears more comfortably than previous models. They still aren’t the richest-sounding or longest-lasting pair, and they don’t support wireless charging, Find My tracking or built-in volume controls. They won’t block much outside noise either. But if you’re an iPhone owner who truly hates the feeling of earphones that jut into your ear canal, they’re a worthy value with this discount, which comes within a dollar of the lowest price we’ve seen. Engadget’s Billy Steele gave the AirPods 4 a review score of 88 last year.
This version of the AirPods 4 adds active noise cancellation (ANC), a wireless charging case and Find My tracking support. They have the same open-style design, so the ANC isn’t as effective as what you’d get with a pair that fully seals off the ear canal, but it makes the earbuds more useful in noisy areas all the same. This pair earned a score of 86 in our review. We saw it fall as low as $119 back in July, but this deal virtually matches the lowest price we’ve tracked otherwise.
Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) for $430 ($119 off): The AirPods Max are bulkier and older than Sony’s WH-1000XM6 — the top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones — plus they rely on a weird, flimsy case to preserve power, so we only recommend them to hardcore Apple fans. That said, they offer most of the conveniences of the in-ear AirPods, while their ANC and warm sound profile still rank among the better options on the market. This model is virtually the same as the pair we reviewed way back in 2020, only it has a USB-C port and supports lossless audio with a cable. This discount is $30 off the pair’s all-time low, but it’s the best price we’ve seen since July.
Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $449 ($150 off): We call the Air the best Apple tablet for most people in our guide to the best iPads. While it’s a good bit more expensive than the base model, it has a handful of subtle improvements that add up in day-to-day use. Its speakers are better. Its display is more color-rich, more glare-resistant and laminated, which means there’s no “gap” between the display and the actual glass. There’s a faster chip and more RAM for gaming or more involved tasks. It also works with the Apple Pencil Pro and comfier Magic Keyboard. This $150 discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen. Other sizes and storage configurations are also similarly discounted.
Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M3) for $649 ($150 off): The 13-inch iPad Air is exactly the same as the 11-inch model, only it has a larger and slightly brighter display. It should be nice if you’re willing to trade a little portability for more space for working or taking in movies. We gave this model a score of 89 in our review back in March.
Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) for $399 ($100 off): The iPad mini is exactly what it sounds like: the smaller iPad. This latest iteration has an improved A17 Pro chip — which is enough to support Apple Intelligence — along with 128GB of storage in the base model and Apple Pencil Pro support. As always, you’d buy it if you want a display you can more easily hold with one hand. This is another deal we’ve seen several times, but it’s only $20 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked.
Apple AirTags (4-pack) for $65 ($34 off): With its enormous finding network and ultra-wideband tech for accurately locating nearby items, Apple’s AirTag is the top pick for iPhone users in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers. This deal comes within a dollar of the best price we’ve seen for a four-pack. If you’re not in desperate need for these, though, note that we may see an updated model later this year.
Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off): The Pencil Pro is Apple’s premium stylus, offering pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, haptic feedback and unique gesture controls compared to the standard Pencil. It’s a dependably tool for sketching and note-taking; just note that it’s not compatible with the base iPad and most older models. This is another discount we’ve seen regularly over the past year, but it’s $30 off the pen’s list price.
Apple
The MacBook Air tops our . The latest model isn’t a major overhaul, but it’s still exceptionally thin, lightweight and well-designed, and the M4 chip is more than powerful enough for everyday use. This deal ties the best price we’ve seen for the base model with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Other configs with more memory and storage are $200 off as well.
Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M4) for $999 ($200 off): The 15-inch MacBook Air is essentially the same as the 13-inch version, only it has a roomier display, a more spacious trackpad and better speakers. This deal is slightly higher than the laptop’s all-time low, and it’s another discount we’ve seen plenty of times before, but it’s a decent drop from Apple’s usual list price. Again, other versions with more memory and storage are also on sale.
Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm, GPS) for $390 ($9 off): The Series 11 is the top overall pick in our guide to the best smartwatches. It’s not as compelling as the SE 3 from a value perspective, but it has a bigger, brighter and more scratch-resistant display, slightly longer battery life and support for more advanced health features like hypertension alerts and an ECG app. We gave it a score of 90 in our review. Just note that there’s no pressing need to upgrade if you’re happy with your current Apple Watch. This is a slight $9 discount, but we note it since the Series 11 has been on sale for less than a month, so any bit of savings are welcome.
Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS + Cellular) for $329 ($170 off): As a general rule, most people should buy the newest version of whatever Apple product they want. That said, the Series 11 is only a minor upgrade over the prior Series 10 — the glass is more scratch-resistant, the cellular model has 5G support, the battery is marginally bigger and that’s about it. If you’re mostly worried about saving cash, want LTE support and still need the more advanced health features the Apple Watch SE lacks, this is a worthwhile discount for a version of last year’s model with cellular support.
Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS) for $240 ($9 off): Apple only released its latest crop of Apple Watches a couple weeks ago, but Amazon is selling each with a modest discount. The Watch SE 3, for instance, is available for $240: That’s just $9 off its list price, but it’s something if you’re buying soon after launch anyway. As for the device itself, this third-gen version of the SE adds an always-on display, which makes it so you no longer have to wake the watch to check the time or your notifications. It now runs on the same S10 chip as its higher-end siblings, too, and it still covers the essential health and fitness features. If you’re in the market for your first smartwatch, or if you only want a watch for step counting, sleep tracking and notifications, it should be a strong value.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 (49mm) for $780 ($19 off): The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a much more niche device than the Series 11 or SE 3, aimed at serious athletes and adventurers more than the typical gymgoer. It is the biggest and most rugged Apple Watch, with the brightest display (up to 3,000 nits), longest battery life (up to 42 hours) and most advanced components. It also supports satellite communications. The watch normally retails for $799, so this isn’t a major discount, but since this is a brand-new device, any drop at all is worth noting for early adopters.
