Amazon Drops AirPods Pro 3 Price to $179 for October Prime Day

Amazon has cut the price of Apple's AirPods Pro 3 to $179 for October Prime Day, a 28% discount off the earbuds' $249 list price, according to The Verge. The outlet reported Oct. 4 that the sale marks the first time the noise-canceling earbuds have dropped below $190 since Amazon's Prime Day event in June. The discount applies to the standard AirPods Pro 3 listing at Amazon, per the report.

What is the AirPods Pro 3 deal, and where is it live?

The $179 price is live now at Amazon, where the AirPods Pro 3 normally list for $249, The Verge reported. Verge commerce editor Cameron Faulkner wrote that the markdown is tied to Amazon's October Prime Day promotion, a sale window that is also discounting the latest iPad Mini and the M5 MacBook Air, according to the same report. That timing suggests Amazon is running markdowns across several Apple product lines at once rather than isolating the AirPods Pro 3 for a one-off sale. The Verge did not list an end date for the $179 price in its Oct. 4 post, so shoppers do not have a confirmed deadline from the report itself.

How does $179 compare to the earbuds' usual price?

At full price, the AirPods Pro 3 cost $249, putting the Prime Day tag at 28% off, per The Verge. The outlet said the earbuds have not dropped below $190 at any point since Amazon's Prime Day sale in June, which makes the current cut the steepest discount on the AirPods Pro 3 in roughly four months. The $179 figure sits $11 under that $190 threshold. The Verge frames $179 as the lowest price since June, not necessarily the lowest the earbuds have ever sold for; the Oct. 4 report does not cite an all-time low or say whether any retailer has priced the AirPods Pro 3 below $179 since launch.

Why does The Verge call the AirPods Pro 3 a better value than the AirPods 5?

Apple sells the AirPods 5 with a wireless charging case for $149.99, according to The Verge, meaning the discounted AirPods Pro 3 now cost just $30 more at $179. The outlet wrote that the gap makes the Pro 3 "a much better value" for most shoppers, because the AirPods 5 do not form a seal inside the ear canal the way the Pro 3 do. For buyers who specifically want earbuds that sit loosely rather than sealing the canal, The Verge said the AirPods 5 remain the right pick. For anyone who wants a sealed fit, the outlet argued the narrower $30 gap at the sale price outweighs the AirPods 5's lower sticker price, since the Pro 3 add noise cancellation and other features the open-style model lacks.

What features come with the AirPods Pro 3 at this price?

The AirPods Pro 3 ship with five ear tip sizes so buyers can customize fit, plus a live translation feature, The Verge reported. The outlet's linked review describes a redesigned earbud shape that improves fit over earlier AirPods Pro generations, noise cancellation the review calls superior, improved bass response, and heart rate sensors the review characterizes as "fairly accurate." The Verge pointed readers to that full review for a deeper assessment of those features rather than re-testing the earbuds in the deal post itself. None of the specifications change at the discounted price; the $179 listing is the same AirPods Pro 3 hardware Apple has sold since launch, per the report.

Will other retailers match Amazon's $179 price?

Faulkner wrote that he expects "other retailers to offer a similar price in the coming days," though the Oct. 4 post names only Amazon as currently selling the AirPods Pro 3 at $179. The piece does not identify which retailers might follow or whether a match would land during Prime Day or after it ends. That expectation rests on Faulkner's own forecast rather than a confirmed matching offer from a named competitor. Shoppers comparing options before buying will not find a second retailer price confirmed in The Verge's report as of publication.

Does The Verge earn money from the deal link?

Yes. The Verge's post carries a standard disclosure stating the outlet may earn a commission if a reader buys something through one of its links, and it points to its ethics statement for details. That affiliate relationship is separate from the $179 price itself, which Amazon set and which The Verge reported rather than negotiated.