December 13, 2016: After months of anticipation and delay, Apple finally launches the first-generation AirPods. The tiny wireless earbuds arrive in Apple’s online store just in time for holiday shoppers looking for stocking stuffers.
Like so many Apple products, they aren’t the first wireless earbuds to arrive on the scene. However, AirPods’ rapid success will fuel a wireless listening revolution.
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation have dropped to near their Black Friday low at just $99.99. Amazon’s stock of entry-level AirPods 4 (without ANC) seems depleted, because those earbuds shot up to cost more than their more sophisticated siblings!
With the “regular” AirPods 4 AWOL from holiday sales, you should jump on this deal on AirPods 4 with ANC if you want to gift a pair of Apple’s affordable earbuds.
If you’re trying to listen to podcasts or music on your iPhone, it can be annoying when your AirPods keep switching to other devices, like your Mac or iPad.
Personally, I don’t mind this behavior. If I’m sitting at my Mac, I want to use the Music and the Podcasts apps on the Mac. But a lot of people consider their iPhone their primary device — and always want to play audio from their phone, no matter which other device they’re using.
If you want your iPhone to retain supreme control over your ears, here’s how to disable AirPods auto-switching.
These excellent Cyber Monday deals on all AirPods models make Apple’s lineup of trend-setting headphones more affordable than ever.
Whether you want Apple’s entry-level earbuds (AirPods 4, with or without active noise cancellation), the amazingly versatile AirPods Pro 3 or the luxurious over-ear AirPods Max headphones, you can be sure that the latest models will work like a charm with all your Apple devices.
They’re even better when you can snag them at a discount — and most of these Black Friday deals drop AirPods to their lowest prices yet!
Our guide to the best Cyber Monday 2025 deals on Apple products and accessories showcases some prices that are even lower than Black Friday’s blowout sales. We’ll update this post throughout the day, but the clock is ticking. These Cyber Monday deals should end at midnight!
Our favorite earbuds — AirPods Pro 3 — remain at an all-time low price. The iPad mini just hit a new low of $349. And somehow, an amazing deal on the latest M4 MacBook Air got even more amazing as Cyber Monday approaches.
Find our absolute favorite Apple Cyber Monday picks, and our other favorite deals sorted by product category, below.
We put together the ultimate guide to the best Black Friday 2025 deals on Apple gear — and all the accessories you could want. We’ll be updating this post throughout the week as deals come and go.
Our favorite earbuds — AirPods Pro 3 — remain at an all-time low price. And somehow, an amazing deal on the latest M4 MacBook Air got even more amazing as Cyber Monday approaches.
Find our absolute top five picks, and our other favorite deals sorted by product category, below.
Love the convenience of 3-in-1 wireless chargers for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods — but wish they were faster? Well, Ugreen joined the early wave of Qi2.2 chargers with it MagFlow 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger. And that means it leaps from 15 watts (Qi2) to 25W (Qi2.2) of charging power for late-model iPhones, which makes a big difference in charging speed. And with this Ugreen MagFlow charger deal, you can get $40 off right now on Amazon.
Apple continues testing iOS 26.2, seeding the third beta to developers. Building on the first two betas, the third beta contains several changes.
Below is everything new in iOS 26.2 beta 3.
AirPods Pro 3’s redesigned ear tips are an unexpected hit-or-miss change. The new foam-infused tips radically change how the earbuds feel when worn.
Apple knows the ear tips are not one-size-fits-all, so the company includes five sizes of ear tips in the AirPods Pro 3 box. You can easily switch them out to find the best size for your ears.
Using the wrong size can cause problems. The earbuds can slip out if they’re too small or irritate your ears if they’re too big. They might even cause high-pitched feedback if you engage active noise cancellation with the wrong size ear tips (especially when flying).
If you don’t like how your new AirPods Pro 3 feel in the ear, don’t be hasty and return them. You should try out different ear tips first. Here are some tips to make sure you achieve the best results.
You’re happily listening to music on your AirPods when the audio suddenly gets yanked away by a Bluetooth speaker. Don’t get frustrated. Make a quick tweak to the settings on your iPhone running iOS 26.1, and it’ll never happen again.
Here’s what to do.
Nomad launched updated versions of its Stand One and Stand One Max wireless chargers Tuesday, bringing support for the new Qi2.2 standard. It enables 25W fast charging for compatible iPhones. The upgrade matches the charging speeds of Apple’s latest MagSafe chargers and represents a significant improvement over the 15W charging supported by previous Qi2 models.
Apple’s nifty new feature that lets AirPods translate speech in real time will reportedly become available to EU residents while they’re in Europe next month.
That will put an end to an odd situation: Currently, non-Europeans can use the AirPods Live Translation feature while in Europe, and EU residents can use it when traveling outside the European Union but not within the EU.
Imagine being on a long plane flight and one of your new AirPods Pro 3 earbuds keeps whistling in your ear. Infuriating, eh? That’s what some users of Apple’s latest wireless earbuds say happens while flying.
It certainly doesn’t happen to every user. But there’s no easy solution for those experiencing the problem. Still, there are a few things you’ll need to be ready in case you’re unlucky.
★★★★☆
In the evolving landscape of wireless charging, Ugreen has positioned itself at the forefront with the MagFlow 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger — one of the first products to receive official Qi2.2 certification from the Wireless Power Consortium. With that boost from 15 watts (Qi2) to 25W (Qi2.2) for late-model iPhones, it’s great — but not without some minor problems.
Apple is already working on future generations of its AirPods lineup despite only recently releasing the AirPods Pro 3, according to a new report. The company focuses development efforts on transforming its popular earbuds into AI-powered devices with enhanced health tracking capabilities.
Shockingly, many of the amazing discounts on Apple gear that we saw during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days remain available for anyone who blinked and missed them. Some disappeared, but some actually got better!
We double-checked the deals early Thursday. Below, you can see all the best Prime Big Deal Days sales still going on Apple gear, from AirPods to iPads to MacBooks to the Studio Display. And that includes Apple audio subsidiary Beats, too.
Be aware that Amazon’s pricing often changes, and we have no idea how long any of these amazing Apple deals will last.
I put AirPods’ new Live Translation feature to the test and came away impressed with the results.
I tested the feature with the help of Niléane, a native French speaker and fellow tech blogger. While we hit a few stumbling blocks in our conversation, we were able to have a perfectly good chat for a solid 10 minutes.
I cut it down to a seven-minute video, where you can see it for yourself. Keep reading for my full thoughts and analysis of the fantastic new feature.
★★★★★
In testing the latest AirPods Pro 3 for this review, I found Apple’s high-end earbuds deliver remarkable audio quality and practically unbelievable active noise cancellation. Add to that a heart rate monitor that’s on par with the Apple Watch’s sensor, and Apple has made the best earbuds around even better.
The biggest upgrade is the AirPods Pro 3’s new foam-infused ear tips. They help increase the earbuds’ noise cancellation to uncanny levels. Plus, somehow, the audio quality sounds punchier than ever. I get better sound out of Apple’s tiny earbuds than from some over-ear headphones.
Here’s how the AirPods Pro 3 stack up to their predecessors.
Want noise-canceling Apple earbuds for less? Hop on this deal to snag a pair of refurbished first-gen AirPods Pro for just $89.99.
No, they don’t come with all the advanced features of second- and third-gen AirPods Pros. But they deliver quality audio and active noise cancellation at a price that even Amazon can’t beat.
AirPods have a new trick that lets them work as a camera remote. Simply pressing the earbuds’ stem can control your iPhone’s Camera app and snap a picture. This proves helpful when you want to set your iPhone to take a large group photo with you in it.
However, the feature is off by default. You need to activate it. Here’s what to do.
Early reviews of AirPods Pro 3 are out, and wow, are they positive. Engadget calls Apple’s latest a “comprehensive update to its best set of earbuds.” Cnet‘s headline perhaps said it best: “Big improvements, same price, no compromises.”
After poring over AirPods Pro 3 reviews from a wide variety of sources, it’s hard to find a negative comment anywhere.
With AirPods Pro 3 coming September 19, it’s time to sell your old AirPods for quick upgrade cash. The bad news is that Apple doesn’t let you trade in old AirPods, and neither will most other buyback services.
However, Cult of Mac offers good money for your old AirPods, making your next upgrade more affordable. We won’t leave you waiting weeks for your e-check if you sell us your old AirPods, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max to our buyback program. And we promise that none of the tech we receive will end up in a landfill.
So, what are you waiting for? Lock in a 30-day guaranteed quote in seconds, with no haggling or hassles. It’s the easy way to sell your old AirPods.
★★★★★
Finding a reliable power bank that actually delivers on its promises isn’t always easy. For this Ugreen MagFlow power bank review, I put the potent, 10,000mAh Qi2.2 power bank through about two weeks of real-world testing with my iPhone and other devices. Whether you’re getting a new iPhone Series 17 model or not, this cutting-edge power bank could be a good choice.
Apple’s new feature that lets AirPods act as language translators isn’t available for EU residents while they’re in Europe. What makes the restriction odd is that the feature can be used by EU residents outside of the European Union.
And Live Translation with AirPods can be used by those traveling to the European Union from the United States, the United Kingdom, etc.
During Tuesday’s Awe Dropping event, Apple announced AirPods Pro 3, refreshed every model of Apple Watch and unveiled four all-new iPhones, including the first iPhone Air. It’s an impressive set of products in a pretty quick event.
But if you want to watch an even faster event, you can get the gist in 90 seconds with our Awe Dropping event video recap.