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Published: Nov 02, 2021 4 min read
Apple AirPods Pro on a colored background
Courtesy of Amazon

Here’s some music to your ears. The price of Apple's upgraded AirPods Pro just dropped to $189.99 from its regular retail price of around $250.

So right now, you can save about $60 with this AirPods Pro deal, without having to wait for Black Friday sales. The newly upgraded AirPods Pro earbuds are available for $189.99 at Amazon, Walmartand Best Buy.

If you’re thinking about kicking off your holiday shopping early, now may be the time to shop for the techies in your life — or treat yourself, of course.

What’s new with AirPods Pro?

In 2021, the Apple AirPods Pro underwent an upgrade. The earbuds now come with a MagSafe-compatible wireless charging case. This means you can magnetically attach the AirPods onto a MagSafe charging device to give your wireless earbuds a boost.

So far, the upgraded AirPods Pro have received positive reviews overall. Google reviews currently have the AirPods Pro ranking with 4.6 stars out of five. Users cited noise-cancelling technology and compatibility with Apple devices as key selling points.

However, it’s important to note that the upgraded Apple AirPods Pro aren’t much different from their predecessors. These function similarly to earlier first-and-second generation models. The only key difference is that the new 2021 models come with MagSafe chargers. This is convenient. But if you don’t mind charging your AirPods the old-fashioned way, you can probably score earlier models for less, if you can find them on sale.

However, the new AirPods Pro have a IPX4 rating, which makes them resistant to sweat, water and dust. This can be a neat perk when you're at the gym.

Beats Fit Pro vs. AirPods Pro

If you’re deciding between the Apple AirPods or the new Beats Fit Pro, the decision may come down to aesthetics. While the Apple AirPods come only in classic white, the new Beats earbuds come in multiple colors.

But you may have to dish out a little extra. Most online retailers have the Beats Fit Pro set at about $200 right now. Like the AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro has received generally positive reviews.

Users praised the Beats Fit Pro for noise-cancellation technology, bass performance and seamless compatibility with both Android and Apple products. You can get your hands on these Bluetooth earbuds in black, white or red.

Best AirPods deals

Whether you prefer Apple AirPods or Beats Fit Pro, you may want to move quickly. Holiday season shopping this year may be disrupted by the ongoing supply-chain crisis, and popular gift items (like top-brand earbuds) could sell out.

On the other hand, if you're waiting for the absolute lowest price of the season for AirPods or other earbuds, you're in for a guessing game.

There's no telling where pricing for earbuds will go in the coming weeks — though Amazon does have some very good earbuds and headphones deals right now. Beats and AirPods could both see major discounts, or the current pricing could be the season's best deals. For what it's worth, a year ago around Black Friday 2020, AirPods Pros were briefly on sale for as low as $170.

If even those prices are too high and you're more in the market for regular AirPods, you shouldn't have to wait long. Walmart's early Black Friday deals include Apple's second-generation AirPods on sale for just $89 starting on Nov. 10, down from $119 regularly.

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