GoKawiil
Tech News
9to5Mac published a weekend roundup of discounted Apple products, including the Apple Watch Ultra, AirTag, MacBooks, and AirPods available from various retailers. The deals are time-limited promotional offers rather than official Apple price cuts.
Apple advises that dust or earwax blocking the tiny contact points in the AirPods case can prevent proper charging, often causing uneven battery levels between the two earbuds. The company recommends cleaning the case and earbuds with a lint-free cloth, optionally lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol, or a soft-bristled toothbrush with micellar water followed by a distilled-water rinse. If problems persist, Apple suggests resetting the AirPods via the iPhone's Bluetooth settings and reconnecting them as new devices.
Apple-focused troubleshooting guidance identifies drained batteries, dirty charging contacts, automatic device-switching between Apple devices, and outdated firmware as the main reasons AirPods fail to connect to an iPhone. The guidance recommends charging and cleaning the earbuds and case, checking iOS software updates, and verifying AirPods firmware version against Apple's published list to resolve the issue.
Apple's support guidance explains that AirPods appearing to disconnect are often actually switching between multiple paired devices like an iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The fix involves adjusting the 'Connect to this device' setting in each device's Bluetooth or Audio & Routing menu, changing it from Automatic to 'When Last Connected' on secondary devices. Users can also remove AirPods entirely from devices they rarely use via the Forget This Device option.
Amazon is running early Black Friday discounts on Apple accessories, including the AirTag 2 four-pack at $69.99 (about $17.50 each) and AirPods Pro 3 at roughly $50 off. Separately, Apple opened pre-orders for new hardware including an OLED iPad mini, M6 MacBook Pro models, and MacBook Pro units with a PROLED XDR Display, while Best Buy launched its own Week 1 Black Friday doorbuster sale with discounts on Apple Watch Ultra 4 and M5 MacBook Air.
Apple has opened pre-orders for several new products, including the OLED iPad mini starting at $699, the 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro from $1,999, and the first touchscreen Mac, the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, starting at $2,899. Alongside these launches, new accessories like the World Travel Kit, upgraded 70W/140W power adapters, and a TechWoven iPad mini case are also now available, while retailers are offering gift card incentives and trade-in discounts on the new hardware.
Amazon is selling AirPods Pro 3 for $199.99, about $50 off list price, while Woot offers AirPods 4 with ANC for $99, a 45% cut from their original $179 price. Other deals include the 24GB M5 MacBook Air at $200 off, a record-low price on a single AirTag 2, and the first cash discount on Beats 360 headphones, alongside accessory deals on Apple's 40W Dynamic Power Adapter and Apple Pencil USB-C.
Amazon is currently selling Apple's AirPods Max 2 for $449, a $100 discount, across all five color options. The AirPods Pro 3 earbuds are also discounted by $49, now priced at $200.
Amazon has reinstated a 20% discount on Apple's AirPods Pro 3, pricing them at $199.99, alongside a continuing $69 offer on the Apple Pencil (USB-C). The retailer is also offering Apple's entry-level M5 MacBook Air at $200 off with a bundled 70W charger, and AirTag 2 at its lowest price yet, while Twelve South launched its new Airfly View accessory and restocked the Airfly Drive CarPlay adapter.
A new batch of Apple-focused deals includes the lowest-ever Amazon price on a single AirTag 2, the USB-C Apple Pencil starting at $59, and Apple's 13-inch M5 MacBook Air in Midnight discounted $200. The sale also includes continuing pre-order discounts on the next-gen Apple TV 4K, $50 off AirPods Pro 3, a first-time discount on Apple's Desert Alpine Loop band, and an Anker Halloween sale offering up to 42% off.
Testing by SoundGuys found that AirPods paired with a Samsung Galaxy phone retain basic controls like play, pause and skip, but lose customization options such as press-and-hold stem actions, ear detection, Spatial Audio, head tracking, and health features like Hearing Test and heart rate tracking. These settings require an Apple device to configure, and automatic switching between devices only works within the Apple ecosystem since AirPods don't support standard Bluetooth multipoint.
9to5Mac published a roundup of weekend deals on Apple products, including discounts on the Apple TV 4K, a MacBook Pro listed $900 off, the USB-C Apple Pencil, and AirPods Pro 3, among other items. The deals are being offered by third-party retailers rather than Apple directly.