Prime Day Apple deals guide: When to buy, when to wait

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It's Amazon Prime Day season again, aka the best time of year to score excellent deals on Apple gadgets (outside of Black Friday, at least). Amazon typically offers extra-low prices on Apple Watches, AirPods, iPads, and MacBooks during its annual members-only sale, and the Mashable team is already closely monitoring the best Prime Day Apple deals.

A word of caution: Don't fill your cart just yet! Having covered Prime Day for Mashable for seven straight years, I can tell you with 100 percent confidence that most of these offers will get even better when the event formally begins. Amazon saves its very best deals for the main event, and this year, Prime Day runs from June 23 to 26.

I say "most of these offers," not "all," because there are a handful of exceptional deals that I would in fact shop early. Some devices, including the Apple Watch Series 11, are currently sitting at record-low prices, and you can also pick up the Apple AirPods 4 for just $99.

Over the next week, we will regularly update this page with the best Prime Day Apple deals, and not just at Amazon. We'll also check prices at competing retailers like Best Buy and Walmart to make sure you're truly getting the lowest prices on all things Apple. Plus, we'll tell you how low we expect prices to go on AirPods, MacBooks, iPads, and more.

The only Apple deals I'd shop before Prime Day

Why I like it

There's just something about the phrase "$99 AirPods" that feels good, doesn't it? Ahead of Prime Day 2026, you can already score the latest Apple wireless earbuds on sale. Technically, this isn't the product's lowest-ever price, but we wouldn't count on a better discount next week, though that is possible. In the past, we've seen these buds hit $69 before, so you may want to wait just in case Amazon revives that deal next week.

If you want the pricier version of AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, Amazon currently has deals on these buds starting at $148.99.

Why I like it

Ahead of this year's sale, the 15-inch M5 model is already $149 off. Its current price is $1,149.99, down from $1,299. Unlike earlier deals that only applied to one color, this discount now applies to all colors of this model.

Read our full review of the M5 MacBook Air.

Prime Day AirPods deals to watch

• Apple AirPods Pro 3: Ahead of Prime Day, we've seen these noise-cancelling earbuds on sale for $179.99 at Amazon and Best Buy. Check back during Prime Day, when they'll surely get another discount.

• Apple AirPods Max 2: These snazzy over-ear headphones have been hanging out at their record-low price of $499.99 since early June (normally $549). That's not bad, but the first-gen AirPods Max with USB-C charging were a full $100 off on their first Prime Day and $120 off last Black Friday. Let's see if Amazon can get these new ones down to around $449, at least.

Read our reviews of the AirPods 4 with ANC and the AirPods Max 2. Plus, see where they land on our guides to the best wireless earbuds and the best noise-cancelling headphones.

Prime Day Apple Watch deals to watch

The best Prime Day deals on Apple products always include savings on the latest Apple Watch, plus the SE and Ultra models. Soon you'll be able to buy these smartwatches at their lowest-ever prices.

• Apple Watch Series 11: Apple's latest smartwatch is currently marked down to $279 (normally $399), which is its lowest price to date and a $120 savings. However, it's probably going to get even cheaper on Prime Day. 

• Apple Watch SE 3: Apple's budget wearable has hit $199 before, and its predecessor dipped down to $169 during last October's Prime Big Deal Days sale. It was on sale for $199 at the time of writing (typically $249), or only $50 off, so don't add it to your cart just yet.

• Apple Watch Ultra 3: The Ultra 3 has now dropped to its lowest price yet at $649, down from $799, marking a 19% discount. This rugged premium smartwatch with GPS + Cellular and advanced health and fitness tracking is now cheaper than its previous Black Friday-style lows.

Read our review of the Apple Watch Series 11. If you're not sure which model is right for you, check out our guide to the best smartwatches you can buy right now.

Prime Day iPad deals to watch

• Apple iPad: Apple's entry-level tablet is on sale for $299 right now, down $50 from its usual sticker price of $349. I'm thinking Amazon will revive its Prime Day 2025 price of $279 before the event wraps up.

• Apple iPad Air: The 11- and 13-inch M4 iPad Airs weren't around last Prime Day, but they've previously hit record lows of $519 and $699, respectively — a savings of up to $100. The 13-inch version has dropped back to its record-low of $699.99, while the 11-inch model is still hovering a little above its best-ever pricing at $559.

• Apple iPad Pro: The 11- and 13-inch M5 iPad Pro models are both on sale right now, but neither has fully hit their deepest-ever price drops yet. The 11-inch version is down to $899.99, while the 13-inch model is sitting at $1,199.99. Don't hit the buy button until you see them drop to $799 and $1,149, respectively (or lower, ideally). Their regular retail prices are $999 and $1,299.

• Apple iPad mini: The most compact Apple tablet is on sale for $474 in the lead-up to Prime Day (usually $499) — a hard skip. I'd be happy if it returned to last year's Prime Day price of $379, but hope Amazon can match its best-ever Black Friday price of $349.

Read our reviews of the M4 iPad Air, the M5 iPad Pro, and the iPad mini. Plus, find out which iPad you should buy.

Prime Day MacBook deals to watch

• Apple MacBook Neo: Apple's new budget laptop has been enjoying a $9 discount on Amazon for a couple of months now (normally $599). It would be suuuper cool if the retailer managed to match Apple's $499 student pricing on Prime Day, but that's very wishful thinking. Realistically, it probably won't get any cheaper than $549, if it gets any cheaper at all. A sizable MacBook Neo discount is my white whale for Prime Day 2026.

• Apple MacBook Air: The 13-inch M5 MacBook Air is only $949 right now (normally $1,099), its lowest price yet. It’s sitting below its usual retail price right now, while the 15-inch model is also seeing a $150 discount. Apple’s MacBook Air lineup often gets matching deals across both sizes during major sale events. Hold steady until it hits $899.

• Apple MacBook Pro: The 14-inch base model with the vanilla M5 chip is going for $1,549 ahead of Prime Day (usually $1,699), but its record-low of $1,499 will probably return soon.

Read our reviews of the MacBook Neo, the M5 MacBook Air, and the M5 MacBook Pro. Plus, find out which MacBook is right for you.