Best AirPods deals: Get Apple AirPods for £109 and discounts on third-generation AirPods

Looking for the best Apple AirPods deals in the UK? We’ve unearthed the best prices! (Image: APPLE • EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS)

AirPods are the accessory – offering one-tap pairing across all of your Apple gadgets, microphones for FaceTime and phone calls, and hands-free access to Siri. Apple AirPods can be much pricier than third-party wireless earbuds, so you’ll want to avoid paying full price.

As such, it’s essential to wait until a brilliant AirPods deal arrives. Fortunately, there are quite a few available right now!

Before you add one of these discounted AirPods to your shopping basket, you’ll need to decide which pair of wireless ‘buds is right for you. There are three versions of AirPods available to buy right now – Apple AirPods, Apple AirPods (third-generation), and . For the latter, you’ll need to check out our guide to the .

The AirPods (third-generation) launched back in late 2021 and support a few features previously only available on the AirPods Pro, like Spatial Audio. This creates a surround sound-like experience in your ears when listening to music from Apple Music, watching TV shows and movies from Apple TV+ or Netflix. AirPods (third-generation) also have a redesigned ‘bud that should provide a more snug fit inside your ear and improved audio drivers for better sound performance. The case is water resistant and compatible with Qi wireless chargers.

Meanwhile, Apple AirPods sport the original design, which first appeared on store shelves back in 2016. These wireless ‘buds can be paired with all of your Apple devices with a single tap and offer up to 24-hours of battery life with the included carry case. They’ve also enjoyed the biggest price cut, starting at £159 when they were released, but now regularly available for less than £100. Bargain!

Best AirPods (third-generation) deals

For those who don’t know, the Apple AirPods (third-generation) arrive with improved sound quality, an hour extra battery life on a single charge and up to six hours more with the charging carry case, support for Spatial Audio, and sweat and water-resistant design – so you don’t need to worry about wearing these ‘buds in the gym or getting caught in a downpour. You can read our  to see how these ‘buds compare to previous iterations.

There are a number of other high street and online stores that have slashed the cost of the latest generation of Apple AirPods. Usually priced at £169 – an increase of £10 compared with the previous generation of AirPods, which these latest generation ‘buds replaced in the lineup.

It’s possible to secure some serious discounts on the Apple AirPods (third-generation) and there are plenty of options so you can choose to click-and-collect or secure next-day (or same-day delivery in some areas of the UK) delivery. Find the complete list of the latest Apple AirPods deals in the UK below…

Best AirPods (second-generation) deals

If you’re looking for the cheapest Apple AirPod price, it’s worth looking at the previous generation of these popular wireless earbuds.

Apple still sells its second-generation AirPods which, until a few months ago, carried a £159 price tag on the Apple Store. Following the launch of the third-generation Apple AirPods, which joined the AirPods Pro (which, thanks to the , can be found at a much cheaper price these days) and in the lineup, Apple decided to drop the price to £119.

However, there are even better discounts on the AirPods if you know where to look. A number of retailers regularly slash the UK price of the standard AirPods in sales – so it’s possible to secure some impressive savings if you stray from the Apple Store. Like the AirPods (third-generation), this older pair boasts seamlessly wireless pairing to your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and other Apple gadgets, the ability to summon Siri hands-free with a “Hey Siri” command, and 24-hour battery life with the included carry case.

If you’re happy to miss out on a few features that remain exclusive to the newer AirPods (third-generation), the older model is guaranteed to be the best AirPods price that you’ll find anywhere. We’ve rounded up the latest deals and price drops on the second-generation AirPods below…

What are Apple AirPods?

Apple unveiled the first generation of AirPods back in September 2016 alongside iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. These ‘buds were designed to solve many of the headaches of wireless ear / headphones, including the hassle of scouring the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone to connect to the device each time you wanted to listen to a song or podcast.

This process would have to be repeated each time that you wanted to switch to another device, like a tablet. Apple AirPods ended all of that palaver, thanks to the custom-designed chipset inside the ‘buds.

Instead of beginning in the Settings menu to pair your new AirPods, Apple allowed owners to simply flip open the charging case close to their smartphone, which triggered a prompt on-screen to begin pairing. And that’s it.

Better yet, AirPod owners don’t need to go through this step with every Apple-branded gadget in their cupboards – any device associated with the same iCloud account will be paired with the AirPods simultaneously. With a single tap, owners will see their new AirPods linked to iPads, MacBooks, and even Apple TVs (perfect for watching without the speakers built into your telly or sound system late at night).

best airpods deals

Pairing with AirPods is simple – you only need to tap the Connect prompt, and you’re done! (Image: APPLE)

Apple uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to decide which device you’re trying to use with your AirPods at any one time. After all, you might have an iPhone in your pocket, but want to watch on an iPad. AirPods are pretty accurate when it comes to switching to the right device, although if the earbuds make a few mistakes, it is possible to turn off this behaviour in the Settings menu.

By default, Apple will always switch your AirPods back to an iPhone when it detects an incoming call – even if you’re in the middle of watching a Netflix show on your iPad, or listening to music on a Mac. That’s useful as you don’t want to miss an important call because you’ve been fiddling with the Bluetooth settings (and let’s be honest, we’ve all seen it happen to others).

AirPods Pro launched in October 2019 and introduced a more compact form factor. These ‘buds were also the first to introduce interchangeable silicone tips, which create a better seal within the ear canal than the one-size-fits-all approach employed by the original AirPods.

To this day, AirPods Pro remain the only ‘buds in the lineup with interchangeable silicone tips. To ensure you pick the correct size (there’s a choice of Small, Medium, and Large in the box) Apple added an Ear Tip Fit Test inside the Bluetooth menu that uses software to analyse whether you’ve got the best possible seal for your ear shape.