Black Friday just got serious for Apple fans. Walmart kicked off its early holiday deals Friday with the AirPods Pro 2 priced at a record-low $139 - that's $110 off retail and even cheaper than Amazon's Prime Day discount. The deal positions last-gen AirPods just $10 above the entry-level AirPods 4, making premium noise cancellation suddenly accessible to budget-conscious shoppers.
Walmart just fired the opening shot in this year's Black Friday wars, and Apple fans are the immediate winners. The retail giant's early holiday deals launched Friday with the AirPods Pro 2 marked down to $139 - a full $110 off the $249 retail price and the lowest we've ever tracked for Apple's second-generation premium earbuds. The discount runs through November 16th, giving shoppers a three-day window to snag what might be the season's best audio deal. Best Buy quickly matched with $149.99 pricing, but Walmart's holding the lead by $10. The timing couldn't be better for consumers, with the deal landing just $10 above the entry-level AirPods 4 without noise cancellation - effectively making premium features accessible at near-budget pricing. This represents a seismic shift in Apple's typically rigid pricing structure, where meaningful discounts on current-generation products remain rare. While Apple launched the AirPods Pro 3 earlier this year with enhanced features, the Pro 2 continues delivering flagship-level performance that justifies the investment even at full price. The wireless earbuds pack Apple's H2 chip for computational audio processing, delivering what many consider the gold standard for active noise cancellation in the sub-$200 category. The transparency mode stands out particularly, offering natural sound passthrough while automatically dampening sudden loud noises like emergency sirens - a feature that's proven invaluable for urban commuters. But the Pro 2's most compelling feature might be its FDA-approved hearing aid capability, positioning these earbuds as legitimate medical devices for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. Battery life hits six hours with ANC enabled, extending to 30 hours total with the MagSafe charging case - performance that remains competitive against newer entrants. The IP54 rating handles dust and water resistance for daily wear, though it falls short of the Pro 3's upgraded IP57 rating that allows brief water submersion. The ecosystem integration remains unmatched for Apple users, with automatic device switching that seamlessly transitions audio from iPhone to Mac when you start watching videos or join calls. It's the kind of invisible tech that works so well you forget it exists until you try competing products. Walmart's aggressive pricing signals retailers are serious about capturing holiday spending early, with inflation-conscious consumers showing willingness to shop deals whenever they appear rather than waiting for traditional Black Friday weekend. Amazon hasn't responded with matching Prime member pricing yet, but the e-commerce giant typically follows Walmart's lead on major Apple discounts. The deal comes as Apple's audio division faces increasing competition from Sony, Bose, and emerging brands offering comparable features at lower price points. Industry analysts suggest Apple's willing to discount older generations more aggressively to maintain market share while driving adoption of its latest Pro 3 models at full retail pricing. For shoppers on the fence, the math is compelling: you're getting 95% of the Pro 3's performance at nearly half the current retail price, with the main tradeoffs being slightly less water resistance and missing some newer computational audio features that most users won't notice in daily use.
This Walmart deal represents the rare convergence of meaningful Apple discounts with genuine consumer value. At $139, the AirPods Pro 2 deliver premium features - from FDA-approved hearing assistance to seamless ecosystem integration - at prices that make them accessible beyond Apple's traditional premium market. With retailers clearly front-loading their best deals before Black Friday proper, consumers who've been waiting for Apple audio discounts should probably pull the trigger now rather than hoping for deeper cuts later.
