The Apple AirPods earbuds family is a clan of three, with the second-generation AirPods as the entry-point and AirPods Pro second-generation as the flagship. In the middle, we’ve got AirPods third-generation, a blend of the two for a cozy pair of earbuds with a long runtime and excellent sound.
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And right now at Amazon, these true wireless earbuds are priced even lower than on Prime Day 2023, having returned to Black Friday-level prices. You can get AirPods third-generation with the Lightning Connector Case for just $140—a massive $29 discount and return to their all-time low price — and Prime members will score free overnight or one-day delivery.
If you act fast, you’ll be popping brand new AirPods in your ears and jamming out to your favorite artist with astounding clarity and oomph-filled bass before you know it.
AirPods Third-Generation, $140 (was $169) at Amazon
How are AirPods third-generation a mix between classic AirPods and the Pros? Well, they feature a shorter stem design like the second-generation AirPods Pro and a curved plastic ear tip, like the entry-level, that simply rests in your ear.
The result is an always-transparent experience that doesn’t seal off your ear entirely. Thanks to the nature of the curved plastic ear tip, AirPods third-generation are pretty cozy, and Apple aims to have crafted a design that works for almost any ear type. For controls, as well you can use just your voice with “Hey Siri” or squeeze the “Force Sensor” built into either stem.
Whether you’re an athlete or tend to get caught outside in the rain, both the left and right AirPods third-generation and the carrying case are resistant to sweat and water up to the IPX4 standard. This means that these can survive an endurance workout or a rainstorm.
In terms of convenience features, AirPods third-generation are filled to the brim with them. Setup is done in a few minutes as you’ll flip the lid open next to your iPhone and follow the splash screen instructions. These will also sync with your iCloud account for quick switching between all your Apple devices. AirPods third-generation are smart enough to pause the music when you remove one or both, thanks to a skin detection sensor.
As far as playback goes, these feature a custom-designed driver and amplifier for strong playback that displays a wide soundstage. This way, you can hear every element of a track across all tones—low, medium, and high. Simply, music sounds great on AirPods third-generation for a broad range of drivers, from Olivia Rodrigo to Bruce Springsteen with The Killers, Taylor Swift, or Selena Gomez in between.
Like AirPods Pro, these feature “Adaptive EQ,” which will also mix the track in real-time to your ears based on feedback from an in-ear-facing microphone. When listening to select tracks on Apple Music and movies or TV shows from Apple TV+, you can engage Spatial Audio with head-tracking, putting you in the middle of the action. All of this, as well as fast-pairing, is powered by the Apple-made H1 chip.
Last but not least, you can expect up to six hours of playback, and the case can provide five full recharges for 30 hours of listening. By placing the AirPods in the carrying case for just about five minutes, you can also get an hour of listening time.
With a design that doesn’t seal off your ear entirely and lets you hear the world around you, AirPods third-generation are a great pick—especially at $140. Whether you don’t like your ears to be sealed off or don’t need active noise cancelation, these are worth a look.
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.
