Note: Since publication, Amazon has sold out of AirPods 2 and Walmart has raised its price to $100. This still represents a savings of $29 at Walmart, but not quite as good as the price when originally published. The original article follows.
I've been writing about Apple for well over a decade, and I'm a former Apple retail employee. I've tested AirPods, written about AirPods, talked about AirPods, and sold plenty of them when I worked at Apple — but I never owned a pair until now. This morning at 3 a.m. (up with a sick doggie anyway) I finally pulled the trigger and bought myself the AirPods 2, down to just $89.99 at Amazon right now.
Why AirPods 2, and why now? The short answer is that price point. At under $90, even with sales tax, they are still well under $100.
Have you been waiting to buy AirPods, too?
Apple brings its magic to earbuds with premium sound quality, an H1 chip, "Find My" capability, easy device switching, and more. While these AirPods aren't the latest or greatest, they're still a great purchase.
I've been writing about Apple and Apple products since 2010, with a year-long break between writing gigs to work in an Apple Store. In fact, the original AirPods were released during the time I worked at the Apple Store, so I tested them out extensively. AirPods were so popular when they first came out that we sold out of them as soon as we replenished our stock just about every day. I have always admired them, but the price tag put me off.
I've written quite a bit about AirPods over the years, discussed them on the iMore Show, and reviewed many AirPods competitors. As a reviewer, I have many sets of headphones and earbuds, so I just never felt I could justify the $100+ price tag to buy AirPods myself. As much as I like the other excellent-quality earbuds I own, I've always felt something was missing. That special Apple sauce. Setting up non-Apple earbuds is a hassle. Switching between devices is a bigger hassle. The controls aren't intuitive and have to be learned and re-learned. And if I misplace them? Forget it. They're gone.
In the back of my mind, I've been wanting to buy AirPods since they came out. So, why did I buy AirPods 2 and not AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max, which are also on sale for Prime Day? Although I'm a tech reviewer/writer/podcaster/major Apple fangirl and almost never buy or recommend "older" tech, my audio needs are quite simple. But the AirPods 2 have the Apple-exclusive features I wanted most: easy setup, easy device switching, Find My capabilities, and intuitive controls. I don't need the active noise canceling of the AirPods Pro or Beats Fit Pro so I never considered those, though I consider them both excellent choices for others who do need that feature.
I did consider the AirPods 3, but I really don't need the Spatial Audio, adaptive EQ, water resistance, MagSafe charging, or slightly longer battery life. The other proactive reason (besides price) for choosing the AirPods 2 vs. AirPods 3 is that the AirPods 2 case is smaller and fits more easily into my tiny purse or pockets. The only feature I might miss is wireless charging since the pair I purchased comes with a Lightning charging case. But for the lower price point, I'll take the old-fashioned charging method.
If you're looking for other AirPods deals this Prime Day, then make sure you take a look at the AirPods Prime Day AirPod deals hub for the full lineup. Do you want to know what other Apple products are marked down today? Check out our Apple Prime Day deals hub for more great deals!
