The Top 5 Prime Day Apple Deals on Our Favorite Gadgets

Brenda StolyarJuly 16, 2024

0 18 4 minutes read

the-top-5-prime-day-apple-deals-on-our-favorite-gadgets — The Top 5 Prime Day Apple Deals on Our Favorite Gadgets

apple isn’t known for holding sales, which is why it’s important to take advantage of any discounts through third-party retailers. In this case, it’s Amazon. This year’s Prime Day Apple deals include our top-rated devices—including MacBooks, AirPods, iPads, and more. We threw in a few of our favorite accessories that are on sale too. In addition to Apple deals, we’ve got bell-to-bell Prime Day coverage in our absolute best Amazon Prime Day deals list, and a handful of smaller stories highlighting deals on our favorite Amazon devices and laptops.

We test products year-round and handpicked these deals. We’ll update this guide periodically throughout the sale event.

WIRED Featured Deals

The best MacBook: MacBook Air (13-inch, M3) for $849 ($200 off)—Click the Coupon
A big, bright iPad for both work and play: iPad Air (13-inch, M2) for $749 ($50 off)
Apple’s best earbuds, Yyet: AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) With USB-C for $169 ($80 off)
A top-tier smartwatch: Apple Watch Series 9 for $280 ($119 off)
The lowest price on Apple’s headphones: AirPods Max for $395 ($55 off)

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Apple Deals

Apple MacBook Air (13 Inch, 2024)

The latest M3-powered MacBook Air (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t vastly different from the version with M2. It has the same 13.6-inch LCD screen (with a 60-Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of max brightness), a notch at the top of the display that houses a 1080p webcam, and a variety of ports (two USB 4/Thunderbolt ports, a 3.5-mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe port for charging). The M3 chip, which came out at the end of last year, isn’t a major leap from the previous processor, but it offers a nice boost in performance compared to the original M1. You can also use it with two external displays simultaneously, as long as you keep the lid closed (which is an upgrade from the single external display on older chips). It hits this price often, but we still think it’s a good deal—especially if you’re looking for a reliable and lightweight laptop for everyday tasks.

Apple MacBook Pro (14 Inch and 16 Inch, Late 2023)

You can snag these Pro models for even steeper discounts on Amazon if you clip the on-page coupon. While M4-powered MacBooks are imminent, the MacBook Pro with M3 Pro and M3 Max are less than a year old—so it’s still an excellent choice. Both sizes pack a bright Mini LED screen, a 120-Hz refresh rate, and a 1080p webcam. Most importantly, you’ll also have plenty of ports including three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI, an SD card slot, a high-impedance headphone jack, and a MagSafe charging port. Since various configurations are on sale, you might be stuck on which to go with. We recommend the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro for intermediate content creators who want a laptop that’s easier to travel with. The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great option if you want a big display and excellent battery life.

Apple iPad Air (2024, M2)

The M2-powered iPad Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) launched recently in May and it’s already on sale. You’ll have the choice between an 11-inch display and a new, larger 13-inch one. I prefer the latter, which I’ve been using as a secondary display during the workday and for watching TV before bed. It’s a bit brighter too, with a 2,732 x 2,048-pixel resolution and the ability to hit 600 nits of peak brightness in Standard Dynamic Range. Like its predecessor, it packs the same slim bezels, USB-C port, and Touch ID built into the top power button. Thankfully, Apple also moved the front-facing 12-MP camera to landscape orientation. The M2 chip delivers smooth performance too, even with tons of apps running simultaneously. Despite the bigger size, battery life remains the same, but you’ll still get about six hours on a busy day.

Apple’s AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED Recommends) deliver excellent sound with a massive soundstage, rich bass, and fantastic noise cancellation. They have great build quality too, with a springy mesh headband and soft fabric earcups (that are also replaceable). We’re particularly fans of the volume knob, which looks similar to the one you’d find on an Apple Watch, that allows you to adjust the volume. We also love how well these headphones integrate with iOS devices—with the ability to switch back and forth between devices (like your iPhone and MacBook) without having to go through your Bluetooth settings manually. This deal applies to only the Space Gray colorway (for now), but it’s also the lowest price we’ve seen for these headphones. The other colors are on sale at Amazon for $449 ($71 off). They dip to this price often, but it’s still a good deal. However, it’s important to note that, according to rumors, it’s highly likely a new version of AirPods Max is coming later this year. But it looks like the only major change will be the addition of a USB-C port instead of Lightning. So, if that’s super important to you, we suggest holding off.

The Series 9 (7/10, WIRED Review) is currently our favorite Apple Watch in our guide to Best Apple Watches. It looks the same as the Series 8, but it does come with a few upgrades, including faster performance, a brighter display, and improved battery life. It also comes equipped with the Double Tap feature, which triggers functions like playing music or hanging up a call by simply tapping your index finger and thumb. It’ll also support WatchOS 11 (coming later this year) so you’ll have access to new features like tracking health metrics at a glance via the Vitals app and measuring performance improvements with the new Training Load algorithm. It is, however, important to note that due to a patent dispute, Apple has disabled the blood oxygen sensor on models sold directly through its stores. But this doesn’t apply if you purchase the smartwatch through third-party retailers like Amazon.