Apple's new AirPods just went on sale ahead of their release

SAVE $4.01: Apple's priced its new third-gen AirPods at $179. But as of Oct. 25 — the day before they launch — you'll pay just $174.99 when you pre-order a pair from Amazon.

Amazon has a little treat for anyone who wants to snag a pair of the new third-generation AirPods ahead of their official release tomorrow.

The retail mega-giant was listing Apple's latest earbuds for $174.99 at the time of writing — that's about $4 off their $179 MSRP, which is their first discount to date. (They were still full price at Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and in the Apple Store, FYI, though the former did briefly match Amazon's deal before this article went live.)

Sporting a contoured, more subtle design with shorter stems than their predecessors (and no ear tips), these little guys mark the AirPods' first update since 2019. They're meant to replace the second-gen 'Pods from that spring, not the premium AirPods Pro that came out a few months later, so there's no noise cancellation to see here, folks. Instead, their big draws include:

• a new low distortion driver for improved bass

• support for Apple's spatial audio technology for immersive, three-dimensional listening in Apple Music

• an "Adaptive EQ" feature(previously exclusive to the Pros) that tunes their sound in real-time based on their fit

• an extended battery life that offers up to six hours of listening time per charge (which gets ramped up to 30 hours with the included charging case)

• support for MagSafe wireless charging

• sweat and water resistance

Apple stuck with the H1 chipset once again, so the AirPods 3 should deliver the same effortless connectivity and zippy performance as the buds who came before them.

Credit: Apple

Apple Airpods (3rd Gen)

Buying Options

$174.99 at Amazon

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