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The 12 best Apple deals from October Prime Day: AirPods, iPads, Apple Watches & more
The 9th generation iPad now $249 at its lowest price ever for Amazon's Prime Day.
As we move through the second day of Amazon's Prime Day sale in October, the deals on Apple devices are still going strong. If you've been waiting to by a pair of AirPods, this is a good time to do so as those are down to $189. That includes the new USB-C version Apple recently announced. One of the better offers from Prime Day back in July was on the 9th-generation iPad, which dropped to $250 — now it's a down to $249, which represents its lowest price yet.
If you're looking for the smartwatches Apple announced last month during its iPhone event they're both here and on sale (with the Apple Watch Ultra seeing a much better deal than the Series 9). Amazon doesn't sell new, unlocked iPhones, so you won't find those, but if you want to save on an iPad, AirPods or an Apple Watch, grab them while they're still on sale during these waning hours of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days.
AirPod Prime Day deals
AirPods Pro (2nd gen, USB-C)
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
The AirPod Pros are largely unchanged, save for the new USB-C charging port. But that's fine. We think the audio quality is pretty good. At $189, the buds are down to the lowest price we've seen yet.
Last month, Apple followed the announcement of the new USB-C-capable iPhones with the introduction of AirPods Pro that recharge with the same cable. The USB-C AirPods Pro aren’t a total redesign, so they have the same design and much improved audio as the second-generation buds — though now they're slightly more waterproof. Amazon’s sale brings them down to $189 instead of $249, which is $10 less than they went for in July. Of course for those who prefer the Lightning version, that one is also down to $189 from $249.
We called the AirPods Pro the best bet for iPhone users in our earbuds guide. They are a big improvement over the first generation and have an excellent transparency mode that keeps you aware of the sounds around you as you listen to music or podcasts. And of course they pair nicely with iPhones, iPads and Macs, making good use of Siri as they do so.
Engadget’s Billy Steele gave the buds an 88 in his review, noting that the sound quality was both immersive and detailed while remaining clear lower volumes. Apple promises six hours of battery life and we got about 15 more minutes than that in our tests. Plus the battery case will deliver three more charges.
Read Billy's full review of the AirPods Pro.
AirPods Max
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
These didn't make our list for the best headphones you can buy, mostly because they're too expensive, but October's Prime day prices have taken some money off.
Apple’s AirPods Max headphones didn’t make the cut in our best headphones guide, but these premium headphones combine the best features of AirPods — like excellent noise cancelation and transparent audio — with over-ear comfort and reliable controls. They’re just too expensive to recommend. But now that Amazon has cut the price down to $480 instead of $549 for October’s Prime Day, they make a little more sense.
MacBook Prime Day deals
MacBook Air (15-inch)
Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
The new 15-inch MacBook Air makes a useful laptop even more so.
The 15-inch MacBook Air came out in June and is Apple’s latest laptop to date. The base model is on sale for $1,049 for the 256GB model, instead of the usual $1,299. If you want something a little more beefy, Apple's M2 models with 16GB of RAM are enjoying similar discounts, coming down from $1,499 to $1,299 for October Prime Day. Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham gave it a high score of 96 in his review noting that the larger screen really makes a difference and lets you get the most out of the M2 processor. He calls it a great choice for getting work done and casual entertainment. Though we should note that the M3 chip, along with a few refreshed MacBooks, may arrive later this year or early 2024.
MacBook Air (M1)
This is the budget pick in our MacBook guide and it's back down to its lowest price yet.
Students and anyone on a budget might be more interested in the MacBook Air with the M1 chip. The 256GB base model is just $750 for the October Prime sale. It’s the budget pick in our buyer’s guide to MacBooks and earned a high score of 94 in our review.
Apple Watch Prime Day deals
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
The latest version of the Apple Watch Ultra has a faster chip that supports on-board Siri requests.
Apple released the Apple Watch Ultra 2 alongside the Apple Watch 9 last month. The $799 list price is the same as for the original Apple watch, but Amazon’s sale brings it down to $749, which is a new low. The new S9 SiP (system-in-package) is the same as the Series 9, so you get that on-board processing of Siri requests and support for the Double Tap once that launches. GPS and cellular connectivity come standard with the Ultra 2 (though you’ll need to pay for a separate cell plan) and the large 49mm case accommodates lots of information.
Check out our thoughts from our hands-on time with the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Apple Watch Series 9
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
The brand new Apple Watch 9 is already on sale for Prime Big Deal Days.
When the new Apple Watch 9 came out last month, it promptly replaced the Apple Watch Series 8 as our favorite overall smartwatch. Amazon’s sale drops the price on the new wearable from $399 to $390 for the 41mm case. That's not a huge drop, but $9 cheaper than you'll see it on Apple's storefront, and likely the best you'll do with an Apple product that's this new. The new processor inside allows for on-board (read, faster) Siri responses and will support a new feature rolling out at the end of this month called Double Tap. We awarded the Series 9 a solid review score of 92, praising the comprehensive health and fitness tracking and carbon-neutral manufacturing.
If you'd rather go for the previous generation, you can grab the Apple Watch Series 8 for $300 instead of $399 for the 41mm GPS model. That's not an all-time low price and we thing the step up to the Apple Watch 9 is worthwhile, but if you'd like to save on a smartwatch that works well with an iPhone. We called it "superb watch that makes a great multipurpose wearable with excellent health and fitness tools."
Read our full review of the Apple Watch Series 9.
Apple Watch SE
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Apple didn't release a new version of the Apple Watch SE during its iPhone event last month, but the 2nd-gen SE still gives you a lot of smartwatch for the money.
Apple’s budget smartwatch didn’t get a refresh like its other watches this year, so the second-generation Apple Watch SE is still the most recent. It starts at $250 but October’s Prime day knocks $50 off that price. Engadget’s Cherlynn Low called it “the best smartwatch $250 can buy” in her review and awarded it a respectable score of 89. It doesn’t have an always-on display, nor can it track your blood oxygen levels, temperature or give EKG readings. But it still extends the utility of your iPhone while gathering useful health and fitness data.
Apple iPad Prime Day deals
iPad Air
Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
The iPad we recommend for most people is seeing a decent discount for Amazon's October Prime sale.
The iPad Air is now in its 5th generation and it’s currently down to $500 after a $99 discount off its $599 price tag, thanks to Amazon’s latest Prime sale. In our guide to iPads, we named the 2022 Air the best pick for most people as it gives you the speed and processing power of Apple’s own silicon, in this case the M1 chip, plus a top-notch build quality and design. The 10.9-inch display is sharp and the battery life is admirable, getting about 12 hours in our tests. It earned a review score of 90 from Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham.
The tablet is great for playing games and watching shows, but when you pair it with accessories like a keyboard and mouse, it's powerful enough to handle basic productivity tasks. Emailing, using Slack, writing and even modest photo editing are all well within iPad Air’s capabilities. Plus it’s cheaper than the iPad Pro, which may be overkill for many users.
Read the Apple iPad Air review, in which we call the tablet "almost future proof."
iPad (9th gen)
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
The 10.2-inch iPad is our budget pick for Apple's tablets.
The 9th-generation iPad is still part of Apple’s official tablet lineup and is now down to $249, which is $80 of the $329 MSRP, though Amazon regularly sells it at a discount. This is a full $1 cheaper than it went for last Prime Day, so it can officially be said that this is the lowest price ever. We named it the best budget pick in our guide to the best iPads as it’s the most affordable way to snag one of Apple's tablets. It might not make sense as a productivity machine, as the accessory support isn’t as vast as it is for newer iPads, but for couch browsing, playing games and watching shows, it’s a great pick.
The latest standard iPad is the tenth generation and it’s down to $399 for the 64GB size, which is a price it's hit many times in the recent past. It has a bigger screen and a newer chip than the 9th generation, but not Apple’s own M-series silicon. It also doesn’t have a home button and no headphone jack either, so if you want to hardwire your headphones, you’ll need a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.
Here's our original review of the 9th generation iPad.
iPad mini
Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget
It's not meant for productivity, but the iPad Mini is still a great compact tablet for recipes, browsing and making FaceTime calls.
The iPad mini gives you a bit more on-screen room than your phone does, but is easier to carry around than a full-sized tablet. For Amazon's latest Prime sale, the diminutive slate is down to $400 instead of its usual $489. Engadget’s Valentina Palladino gave the mini an 89 in her review because of its new redesign and solid performance. It also pairs nicely with the second generation Apple Pencil, turning the mini into a portable digital notebook. We also named it the best iPad for one-handed use.
Read our full review of the iPad Mini.
Apple accessories Prime Day deals
Magic Keyboard
This expensive case magnetically attaches to the latest iPad Pros and keeps them “floating” above the keyboard and trackpad.
One of our favorite iPad accessories is Apple’s own Magic Keyboard. The version that fits newer iPad Airs and the 11-inch iPad Pro is now just $269 which is $31 off its $300 list price. It acts as both a keyboard and cover, wrapping around the tablet and magnetically attaching to the back. In use, it “floats” the screen above the keyboard. As we noted in our iPad Pro review, we noted the Magic Keyboard “provides the best typing experience” for Apple’s tablets.
Check out all the iPad accessories we recommend.
Apple Studio Display
Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget
Get a total of $200 off the Apple's pricey display.
Apple’s Studio Display is pretty pricey at $1,600, but for October’s Prime Day sale, Apple’s only monitor is down to $1,399. We think the display is ideal only for the Apple faithful, everyone else would be better served by another monitor. That said, the A13 Bionic chip inside lends some smarts to drive its webcam and mics and the build is solid, the speakers are good, and the screen is bright and accurate.
Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.
