The best Amazon Prime Day Apple deals on AirPods, MacBooks and more for 2023

Lots of Apple products are discounted for Amazon Prime Day, including some of the latest generation iPads, AirPods, MacBooks and Apple Watches. It's usually a toss-up whether Apple devices will be discounted during a sale event like this; unlike Black Friday, where you're bound to save some money at most retailers, Prime Day is more unpredictable when it comes to these sought-after gadgets. This year, Prime Day deals have discounted most AirPods, a number of MacBooks and a handful of iPads, and some of the latest devices are included among them. Here are the best Prime Day Apple deals you can get.

AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

Apple’s second generation AirPods Pro are on sale for $199 during Prime Day. That’s a $50 discount and the best price we've seen. They are our top pick for iPhone users in our earbuds guide and represent a big improvement over the first iteration, with better noise canceling and overall improved sound. They have an excellent transparency mode that lets you listen to music while still keeping aware of the sounds around you and they pair nicely with iPhones, iPads and Macs and make good use of Siri’s assistance.

We gave them an 88 in our review, noting the sound quality was both immersive and detailed, remaining clear even at lower volumes. The battery life delivered 15 minutes more than Apple’s promised six hours and the case can recharge the buds three more times.

Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

AirPods (3rd gen)

Apple's updated AirPods have been discounted to $140 for Prime Day. Released in 2021, these wireless earbuds improve upon their predecessors in nearly every way. They have better sound quality, a more comfortable design and a longer battery life. They don't have ANC like the AirPods Pro do, but it's hard to beat the third-gen AirPods at this price for iPhone users.

AirPods (2nd gen)

The second-generation AirPods are down to $89 for Prime Day. These wireless earbuds are a bit old at this point, but if you have less than $100 to send and want a pair that work seamlessly with iPhones and other Apple devices, these are a good option. They fit similarly to Apple's EarPods and they have improved wireless range.

AirPods Max

Apple’s over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max are on sale for $450, which is $100 off the usual $549. They earned an 84 in our review when they came out at the end of 2020. We liked the balanced sound, solid active noise cancellation and long 20-hour battery life with a unique low-power mode that leaves the headphones in standby so they’re ready to play as soon as you put them on.

iPad Air

The latest iteration of Apple’s iPad Air is $500 after a $100 discount. We think it’s the best iPad for most people. It came out in 2022 and features Apple’s own M1 system-on-a-chip processor and a bright and sharp 10.9-inch display. We gave it a review score of 90, noting that the updated chip and 5G capabilities (on the cellular model) make it “almost future-proof.”

It’s great for playing games and watching shows, but when you pair it with accessories like a keyboard, the iPad Air can easily handle productivity tasks like writing, drawing, moderate photo editing and running work-related apps like Airtable and Slack. Plus it’s much cheaper than the iPad Pro, which may be overkill for many users.

Read our full review of the iPad Air

iPad (9th gen)

Apple's 9th-generation iPad is down to $250, which it's best price yet as it normally sells for $329. It’s the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads. Though it doesn’t have the thin bezels and as much accessory support as our favorite, the iPad Air, it's the most affordable way to snag an iPad. It’s a great couch companion that performs well for casual browsing, binge streaming and light gaming. 

Read our full review of the 9th-gen iPad

MacBook Air M1

If you want a steep bargain on an Apple laptop, go for 2020's MacBook Air with the M1 chip. It's still a capable laptop and the 256GB base model is just $750 for Prime Day, which is the lowest price we've seen so far on the ultraportable. It’s the budget pick in our buyer’s guide to Macbooks and earned a high score of 94 in our review.

The performance of the M1 chip really makes the MacBook Air M1 stand out. It’s responsive, launching apps quickly and running them effortlessly. The M1 chip is also behind the MB Air’s great battery life. We clocked 16 hours and 20 minutes of play time in our video rundown test, which should be more than enough to get you through a full day of work or study.

Read our (rather glowing) review of the MacBook Air with the M1 chip 

iPad mini

A smaller tablet like the iPad mini can do a lot of what your phone can while giving you more screen real estate. For Prime Day, Apple’s diminutive slate is $380 for Prime members instead of its usual $499. We gave the mini an 89 in our review because of its fresh design and solid performance. It also pairs nicely with the second generation Apple Pencil, turning the mini into a portable digital notebook.

The iPad mini comes with a 12MP ultra wide front camera that supports Center Stage, a feature that pans and zooms to keep you in frame during video calls. As for battery life, Apple estimates going for 10 hours on a charge, but we got two hours longer than that on our video run down test, and only had to charge it every other day with casual but regular use. 

Read our full review of the iPad Mini

Apple Pencil (2nd gen)

The latest Apple Pencil is usually $129 but Prime Day is making it just $89. The second generation of the stylus works with the most recent models of the iPad mini, the iPad Air and both sizes of the iPad Pro. The standard iPad, even the latest iteration, still works with the first generation Apple Pencil, which is $79 right now. The Apple pencil lets you draw, sketch, take handwritten notes and even write in search boxes. The second gen pencil magnetically attaches to and charges from all compatible iPads.

Magic Keyboard

The Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air or the 11-inch iPad Pro is now just $250 as opposed to the $300 list price. The keyboard wraps around and magnetically attaches to your iPad, acting as a case when closed, then when it’s time to type, your tablet “floats” above the keyboard. It’s one of our favorite iPad accessories and in our review of the iPad Pro, we noted the Magic Keyboard “provides the best typing experience” for Apple’s tablets. The keyboard for the 12.9 inch iPad Pro is also on sale and going for $299 for Prime Day.

AirTags

Apple’s AirTags are discounted less than $89 for the four-pack. Compared to the usual $28.50 per-tag price, that’s a decent savings. We named the AirTags the best bet for iPhone users because they tap into Apple’s vast Find My network, pinging off nearby Apple phones to anonymously locate the tracker if it's ever lost out in the city.

Apple Watch Series 8

Apple’s flagship smartwatch is the Apple Watch Series 8 and Prime Day is giving it a $120 discount. Usually $399, the 41mm GPS model is now $280. The Series 8 is our favorite smartwatch thanks to its detailed health and fitness tracking along with a seamless integration with your iPhone’s apps and notifications. New features like temperature sensors, ECG monitors, blood oxygen readings and improved sleep metrics give you more data than ever, while the crash detection can call for help if you’re ever in an accident. The upcoming WatchOS 10 will add widgets and expanded features including ways to track your mood in the Mindfulness app.

The cellular-enabled models are also on sale. Those watches can make calls, get texts and more when you don't have your phone. The 41mm GPS plus cellular Series 8 is $380 instead of $499 and it's $410 for the 45mm size as opposed to the usual $529.

MacBook Pro (M2, 14-inch)

The MacBook Pro offers music makers, video producers and other heavy users a lot of processing power with the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. Amazon is selling the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro chip, 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage for $1,799, which is $200 off the usual $1,999. The base model 16-inch MacBook Pro with the same specs is down to $2,299 instead of $2,499. When the new MacBook Pros came out in January of this year, we gave the 14-inch model a 92 review score, praising the Liquid Retina XDR display, sturdy design and plethora of ports including three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, HDMI, a headphone jack and a full-sized SD card slot.

Read our full review of Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro

Apple Studio Display

The usual $1,599 for the Apple Studio Display is pretty steep. Prime Day has brought the price down to $1,499, which makes it a little more palatable, but we still think the display is ideal only for true Apple devotees. The A13 Bionic chip inside makes it a little smarter than most displays, but the 60Hz refresh rate is disappointing. Still, it’s got a nice build with good speakers and a bright and accurate screen.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-amazon-prime-day-apple-deals-on-airpods-macbooks-and-more-123422037.html?src=rss