Apple's second-gen AirPods Pro have returned to their best price yet – The Verge

By Sheena Vasani, a writer covering commerce, e-readers, and tech news. She previously wrote about everything from web development to AI at Inside.
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Good news if you were contemplating gifting Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro as a Valentine’s Day present: they’ve returned to their lowest price yet. Regularly $249.99, the popular buds are available for around $199 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.
If you’re unfamiliar with Apple’s latest pair of premium earbuds, here’s a brief summary: they offer significantly better noise cancellation and improved sound quality alongside a few new unique perks over their predecessor. Volume is much easier to adjust now that you can turn it up or down by simply swiping the stem, for example, while the new extra-small fourth ear tip should more securely fit smaller ears. Apple even improved the included MagSafe charging case, adding a new lanyard loop and built-in speaker as well. The latter, combined with Apple’s Find My app, makes it easy to find the earbuds should you lose them, as the case can make sounds. Read our review.
The second-gen AirPods Pro improve upon the original with better noise cancellation, enhanced sound quality, and onboard volume controls. The case also now has a built-in speaker that makes your misplaced AirPods easier to find.
If you prefer something cheaper and live without noise cancellation, the third-gen AirPods are also currently on sale. Right now, you can buy the earbuds with a Lightning charging case at Best Buy and Target for $149.99 ($20 off), one of their better prices to date. While you won’t be able to drown our distracting noises with them, they’re still a terrific pair of entry-level earbuds that sound good and offer features like IPX4 water resistance, as well as support for Apple’s spatial audio feature.
For more details about the third-gen AirPods, be sure to read our review. And if you’re not sold on gifting a set of AirPods for some reason, head on over to our Valentine’s Day gift guide for more ideas.
Similar in appearance to their sleeker sibling, the AirPods Pro, the latest entry-level AirPods boast a new charging case and shorter stems. They’re also water resistant, unlike the 2019 model, and sport better battery life.
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Update February 6th, 11:51AM ET: We’ve updated this post to include a deal on Apple’s third-gen AirPods.
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