Amazon’s Prime Day continues to offer excellent opportunities for savings on Apple products, with some devices reaching their lowest prices ever. Thanks to “Prime Big Deal Days,” a popular deal from the previous Prime Day event has made a comeback, reducing the price of the 9th-generation iPad to an unprecedented $249. (During Prime Day in July, it was available for $250.) Of course, it’s worth noting that during the recent Wonderlust showcase, also known as the iPhone event, Apple unveiled two new Apple Watches and introduced the latest iPhone 15.
Although Amazon does not offer new, unlocked iPhones, it does have a selection of discounts available for the two new smartwatches. Additionally, the second generation of AirPods Pro, now featuring a USB-C charging case, has recently reached its most affordable price to date, at just $189 as part of Amazon’s Apple deals.
If you’re in the market for an iPad Air, the new Apple Watch Ultra 2, or even the latest 15-inch MacBook, you’ll find them all at discounted prices during this October Amazon Prime Day. Here are some of the best Apple deals we’ve come across during this event.
AirPods Pro (2nd gen, USB-C)
In the previous month, Apple introduced AirPods Pro that support USB-C charging, coinciding with the announcement of new iPhones equipped with the same capability. The USB-C AirPods Pro maintain their familiar design while offering significant audio improvements over their predecessors, and they now boast enhanced water resistance. During Amazon’s current sale, you can snag these AirPods Pro for $189, down from their regular price of $249, which is a $10 reduction compared to their cost in July. If you prefer the Lightning version, it’s also available for the same discounted price of $189, originally priced at $249.
In our earbuds guide, we designated the AirPods Pro as the top choice for iPhone users. These earbuds represent a substantial upgrade from the first-generation AirPods, featuring an outstanding transparency mode that allows you to remain aware of your surroundings while enjoying music or podcasts. They seamlessly pair with Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and Macs, offering seamless integration with Siri.
Engadget’s Billy Steele awarded these earbuds a rating of 88 in his review, praising their immersive and detailed sound quality that remains clear even at lower volumes. Apple promises six hours of battery life, and our tests even exceeded that estimate by about 15 minutes. Moreover, the battery case provides an additional three full charges, ensuring extended listening without interruptions.
iPad Air
The 5th generation iPad Air is currently available for $500 after a significant $99 discount from its original price of $599, thanks to Amazon’s latest Prime sale. In our iPad selection guide, we identified the 2022 Air as the top choice for most users, as it combines Apple’s own M1 chip for speed and processing power with exceptional build quality and design. The 10.9-inch display is crisp, and the tablet’s battery life is commendable, lasting approximately 12 hours in our testing. Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham gave it a commendable review score of 90.
This tablet excels at gaming and multimedia consumption, and when paired with accessories such as a keyboard and mouse, it becomes robust enough to handle basic productivity tasks. Tasks like emailing, using Slack, writing, and even modest photo editing fall well within the iPad Air’s capabilities. Plus, it offers an economical alternative to the iPad Pro, which may be excessive for the needs of many users.
iPad (9th gen)
Apple’s 9th-generation iPad is still a part of their official tablet lineup, and it’s currently marked down to $249, representing an $80 reduction from the regular $329 price. Amazon frequently offers it at a discount, but this deal is particularly noteworthy as it is now officially the lowest price ever, even a dollar less than last Prime Day. We recognized this iPad as the best budget option in our guide to the best iPads, as it provides the most affordable entry into Apple’s tablet ecosystem. While it may not be the ideal choice for productivity tasks due to a more limited accessory selection compared to newer models, it excels at activities like casual browsing, gaming, and watching shows.
The latest standard iPad, the tenth generation, is now available for $399 in the 64GB configuration, a price point it has frequently reached in recent times. It features a larger screen and a more recent chip than the 9th generation but lacks Apple’s proprietary M-series silicon. Furthermore, it does away with the home button and lacks a headphone jack. If you wish to use wired headphones, you’ll need a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.
iPad mini
The iPad mini strikes a balance, offering more screen space than your smartphone while maintaining portability. During Amazon’s current Prime sale, this compact tablet is available for $400, down from its regular price of $489. Valentina Palladino, in her review for Engadget, awarded the iPad mini an impressive score of 89, lauding its new design and reliable performance. It also seamlessly integrates with the second-generation Apple Pencil, effectively transforming the mini into a portable digital notepad. We’ve recognized it as the top choice for one-handed use among all iPad models.
Magic Keyboard
One of our preferred iPad accessories is Apple’s own Magic Keyboard. The version designed for the newer iPad Airs and the 11-inch iPad Pro is currently available at a reduced price of $269, marking a $31 discount from its original $300 list price. This accessory serves a dual purpose as a keyboard and a protective cover, elegantly enveloping the tablet and securely attaching via magnets. In practical use, it elevates the screen above the keyboard, creating a floating effect. As we highlighted in our iPad Pro review, the Magic Keyboard delivers the “best typing experience” available for Apple’s tablets.
Apple Watch Series 9
With the release of the new Apple Watch 9 last month, it quickly supplanted the Apple Watch Series 8 as our preferred overall smartwatch. Amazon’s sale trims the price of the latest wearable from $399 to $390 for the 41mm case. While this may not represent a substantial price drop, it’s $9 less expensive than what you’d find on Apple’s official storefront, making it likely the best deal available for such a recently launched Apple product. The new processor incorporated into the watch enables faster on-board Siri responses and introduces support for a forthcoming feature known as Double Tap, set to roll out at the end of the month. We evaluated the Series 9 and assigned it an impressive review score of 92, commending its comprehensive health and fitness tracking capabilities and its commitment to carbon-neutral manufacturing.
For those who prefer the previous generation, the Apple Watch Series 8 is attainable at a reduced price of $300 for the 41mm GPS model, down from the regular $399. Although this isn’t the lowest price ever recorded, we recommend considering the upgrade to the Apple Watch 9, given its enhanced features. However, if you’re seeking to save on a smartwatch that integrates seamlessly with your iPhone, the Series 8 is still a superb choice, offering outstanding health and fitness tools in a multipurpose wearable.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple Watch SE
While Apple’s budget-friendly smartwatch did not receive an update like its other counterparts this year, the second-generation Apple Watch SE remains the most recent offering. With a starting price of $250, October’s Prime Day promotion slashes $50 off that cost. Cherlynn Low from Engadget praised it as “the best smartwatch $250 can buy” in her review, awarding it a commendable score of 89. While it lacks an always-on display and certain advanced health features like blood oxygen level tracking, temperature monitoring, or EKG readings, it still significantly enhances the functionality of your iPhone and provides valuable health and fitness data.
MacBook Air (15-inch)
In June, Apple unveiled the 15-inch MacBook Air, representing their most current laptop release. The base model is currently available at a discounted price of $1,049 for the 256GB version, down from its standard cost of $1,299. If you’re seeking a more robust configuration, the Apple M2 models equipped with 16GB of RAM are also subject to notable discounts, dropping from $1,499 to $1,299 during October Prime Day. Nathan Ingraham from Engadget accorded the laptop an impressive review score of 96, emphasizing the advantages of the larger screen and how it maximizes the potential of the M2 processor. Ingraham described it as an excellent choice for productivity tasks and casual entertainment.
However, it’s worth noting that a MacBook with the M3 chip, along with a few refreshed MacBook models, may potentially become available later this year or early in 2024.
MacBook Air (M1)
AirPods Max
Apple’s AirPods Max headphones, while not featured in our best headphones guide, offer a premium audio experience that blends the best qualities of AirPods, including outstanding noise cancellation and transparent audio, with the comfort and dependable controls of over-ear headphones. Their only drawback has been their relatively high price, which made them difficult to recommend. However, with Amazon’s current price reduction to $480 from the original $549 for October’s Prime Day, they become a more sensible and appealing choice for those in search of high-quality audio.
Apple Studio Display
