The best Prime Day Apple deals on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks and more for day three of Amazon's sale

Engadget

2 days ago

Day three of Amazon's sale is here and this guide rounds up the best Apple Prime Day deals we could find. Since last July, Apple has released around a dozen new products, including the AirPods 4, the Apple Watch Series 10, an M4 MacBook Air and a new iPad mini and iPad Air. Upcoming releases include computers with M5 chips, possibly some new AirTags, a rumored home hub, and of course, the iPhone 17. In short, the Apple gear machine never stops churning. Of course, one of the things we love about Apple products is their longevity — so whatever you buy today should last you a good long while.
Apple iPad (A16) for $280 ($69 off): The latest edition of Apple's standard iPad isn't powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence, but we don't think that's an issue. In his review, Enadget's Jeff Dunn praised the tablet's speed, calling it 'plenty fast' for browsing the web, streaming video, editing photos and playing most games. It's the most affordable iPad (especially now) and it easily handles the basics. This is a new all-time low price.
Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $479 ($120 off): In our opinion, the iPad Air is the best iPad for most people as it strikes an ideal balance between performance, price and features. The M3 chip is almost overkill for a tablet, but it means performance should never be an issue. And upcoming productivity gains from iPadOS 26 should make the tablet even more powerful. This is the lowest price we've seen so far for this model, and it's still in stock.
Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) for $379 ($120 off): Apple's smallest iPad earned an 83 review score from us when it came out late last year. Despite its compact size, it's still a fully-featured iPad, with support for accessories and a laminated, anti-reflective screen. It's not a laptop-replacer, but rather the perfect couch companion, handling games, video, web browsing and email triage. This deal is the cheapest the mini has ever been.
Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M3) for $679 ($120 off): This is Apple's most affordable large-screen iPad. Engadget's Nate Ingraham awarded it a review score of 89 upon its debut this March. When you pair it with accessories like a keyboard folio and mouse, it becomes a true productivity machine — though those add-ons make it a pricey package. Good thing iPads are on sale for Prime Day. This $120 discount matches the lowest price we've seen over the past couple months.
Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) for $899 ($100 off): We named the iPad Pro the best tablet money can buy. The screen is one of the best we've seen and Apple somehow managed to make the Pro model lighter than Air models. If you plan on handling heavy productivity — video rendering and editing, machine learning apps and the like, this is the way to go.
AirPods Max (USB-C) for $430 ($119 off): Apple's only over-ear headphones are due for an update. The company outfitted the AirPods Max with a USB-C port late last year, but the internals haven't had an overhaul since 2020. Still, we named them the best (and only) over-ear AirPods. They are comfortable and relatively lightweight, have a balanced sound and the noise cancellation is solid. The headphones dipped down to $399 (in starlight) on Tuesday, but have now popped back up to $430.
AirPods 4 (with ANC) for $119 ($60 off): Apple introduced the fourth generation of its basic earbuds alongside the iPhone 16 last September. This model includes ANC — a first for Apple's 'regular' buds — and Billy awarded them an 86 in his review. Just note they don't have a fully closed design like the Pro models — but some may prefer the open fit, which Apple completely redesigned to fit more securely.
AirPods 4 (without ANC) for $89 ($40 off): Apple introduced two models of its fourth generation basic earbuds alongside the iPhone 16 last September. This one doesn't have the extra features of ANC or Transparency Mode (which makes them cheaper). This pared down model benefits from a shape redesign — which our headphone expert, Billy Steele, found both more comfortable and more secure — as well as improved sound quality that's more immersive than before.
MacBook Air (M4, 13-inch) for $849 ($150 off): Engadget's Devindra Hardawar named the M4 MacBook Air the best laptop overall. It's remarkably thin and light, with an excellent battery life, and the M4 chip is powerful, making this an ideal ultraportable productivity machine. Apple reduced the starting price by $100 compared to the last MacBook Air, and this deal only makes it an even better buy.
MacBook Air (M4, 15-inch) for $1,049 ($150 off): If you want a little more screen real estate, go for the 15-inch Air. Devindra found the screen more immersive than the smaller model, and only slightly less portable. The slightly larger battery gave it a few more minutes of life. Whichever size you go for, the MacBook Air will be able to handle all but the most demanding rendering tasks without breaking a sweat.
MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 24GB RAM) for $1,249 ($450 off): This higher-specced version of the M3 MacBook Air from last year has a 15-inch screen and a little extra internal memory. We gave the 15-inch model a score of 90 in our review when it came out in early 2024. Outside of its older M3 chip (which is still plenty fast for everyday use), marginally improved camera and inability to power two external displays with the lid open, this MacBook is virtually identical to the M4 version.
We found a few non-Apple laptops on sale for Prime Day, too.
Apple Watch Series 10 for $279 ($120 off): Apple only announced one new smartwatch last September and this is it. It's a little wider than the Series 9, but thanks to a slimmer design, it doesn't feel clunky. The health and fitness tracking is still better than most smartwatches out there and the integration with an iPhone is seamless. There's a reason it's our favorite smartwatch overall. This is the lowest price we've ever tracked on the wearable, though throughout the day, Amazon has been oscillating between limiting the deal to Prime members and opening the price to anyone.
Apple Watch SE for $169 (32 percent off): We wouldn't be surprised to see an update to Apple's budget smartwatch sometime soon (and we have a few suggestions on the matter). But thanks to some serious discounts, the Apple Watch SE has turned out to be the most affordable way to get an iPhone companion for your wrist. Despite the lackluster screen and limited extra features, it handles the basics well.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $650 ($149 off with Prime): The second generation of Apple's premium smartwatch came out in 2023 along with the iPhone 15 (last September it just got a new Titanium Black colorway. The Ultra model is geared towards serious athletes and outdoor adventurers, packing specialized features like a 40-meter depth gauge, dual-frequency GPS and an on-board siren.
Apple Pencil (USB-C) for $69 ($10 off): Before you buy an Apple Pencil, check this compatibility page to make sure it'll work with your model and generation of iPad. To say the least, it's confusing. This model has the widest compatibility, but note that it doesn't charge through its magnetic attachment, you'll need to use the USB-C for refilling it. It went as low as $59 on Tuesday.
Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off): Apple announced the Pro version of its pencil at the same time as the iPad Pro with the M4 chip. It adds haptic feedback, squeeze gestures and roll capabilities to the usual stylus tricks. It works with the newest iPad Pro, Air and Mini models.