Don't buy AirPods 2 for $89! Wait for these Sony or Nothing Black Friday earbuds deals instead

I get it: you want to find a few choice early Black Friday deals and avoid the stress of the big weekend itself. You also quite fancy a pair of those AirPods you've seen hanging out of people's ears everywhere you look – and whoa! At Walmart right now, you can get a pair with the charging case for just $89; a $40 saving on their $129 'regular' price.

The thing is, I'm TechRadar's Audio Editor, and unless it has to be Apple and it absolutely has to be AirPods, I wouldn't. This isn't the cheapest they've been – and even then, they're hardly the newest earbuds on the block (having been superseded twice… or four times if you count the Pro versions). While newness isn't the be-all and end-all when it comes to audio, I think your $89 could be far better spent on something newer in the run-up to Black Friday. What would I nudge you towards? Either of these more fully-featured and sonically superior offerings from Nothing or Sony…

Both of these cheap AirPods alternatives feature in our best budget wireless earbuds lineup. Both are also five-star offerings (versus the 3.5 stars the AirPods gained under intense review) and during recent sales events their humble price tags have actually been slashed even further – and I'll even tell you the discounts to look out for. Don't thank me now…

Today's best Black Friday earbuds deals

• Amazon: incredibly cheap Anker Soundcore prices
• Best Buy: up to half price on JBL earbuds
• Target: big deals on Sony, JLab, Beats and more
• Walmart: the best early deals on AirPods and Bose

The AirPods deal I don't think you should buy

Apple AirPods (2nd Generation): was $129 now $89.99 at Walmart
This is actually a fairly typical price for these earbuds these days, so we wouldn't say it's much of a deal really – but if you want the cheapest AirPods available, here you go. They've actually been on sale for as little as $69.99 before now too, so while a sub-$90 fee may be tempting, it's not the cheapest they've been. They don't have the more advanced features of newer models, but they do feature fast pairing, auto-switching between Apple devices, and Find My support.

View Deal

…and what you should wait for instead

So what do I suggest you snap up if you don't grab a set of inexpensive AirPods? Let me direct you to the Sony WF-C700N or Nothing Ear (a). Which is best? Well, I've even written a versus comparing the Nothing and Sony options, so you can choose for yourself.

Now, I can't promise you unequivocally that these deals will land again in the run-up to Black Friday, or even over the big weekend itself, but I can show you what has happened before – and will probably happen again if you're prepared to exercise a little patience. I'm not a betting woman, but if I were, I'd wager these deals will land again soon…

So, the lowest price on the April 2024-release Nothing Ear (a) we've seen is $79 (down from $109), which happened in September 2024. And the Sony WF-C700N? The lowest asking fee we've seen on these April 2023-release earbuds is $78 (down from $119).

Both feature noise cancellation and a plethora of perks they've no business offering at the level – and both are cheaper than those $89 AirPods listed above that don't have noise cancellation. See what I mean?

Nothing Ear (a) Wireless Earbuds: list price $109; lowest we've seen: $79 at Amazon
★★★★★ rating! The latest Nothing Ear (a) Wireless Earbuds offer exceptional bass along with powerful active noise cancellation, so they’re immediately off to a good start. Their talented 11mm drivers are bigger than the norm and there’s 42.5 hours of battery life via the charging case, multi-point connectivity, and even ChatGPT support via the pinch stems if you're using a Nothing phone. The above price is their lowest-seen fee and if you see them selling for anything under $85, I wouldn't hang around… 

Sony WF-C700N: list price $119; lowest we've seen: $78 at Amazon
★★★★★ rating! The WF-C700N tore up the rule book on what is achievable for this money when they landed in April 2023. Are they still among the best noise-nixing earbuds around? Certainly – and our five-star Sony WF-C700N review is irrefutable proof. As long as the lack of higher-res audio support or auto-pause when you remove them doesn't bug you (and at this level that would be a tad churlish) they're an awesome buy – if you see them at this lowest-seen price, they're a steal.

More Black Friday deals to consider

• Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
• Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
• Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99
• Christmas trees: top-rated trees from $54.99
• Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
• Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
• Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
• Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
• Lowe's: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
• Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses
• Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry
• Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
• Target: save on furniture, Halloween, tech & clothing
• Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances