With noise cancelling, a customizable fit and sweat-resistance, the new AirPods Pro are a huge advancement over the existing AirPods, and as you might expect they are also a very popular gift idea. Unfortunately, these wireless earbuds are selling out practically everywhere, and some places may not have them in stock in time for December 25th.
Read on for a round-up of the main places you can buy AirPods Pro from, if they’re still in stock, and when you can expect to get them if you place an order today.
Walmart (in stock)
Good news! At the time of writing, Walmart still has AirPods in stock, and you can get them delivered in two days, which means they’ll be at your door in plenty of time for Christmas. Alternatively, you might still be able to buy some in-person from a Walmart store if you don’t trust it’ll be delivered in time.
Amazon (sold out)
Likely everyone’s first port of call when wanting to buy hot tech products with a fast delivery time, but if you check the AirPods Pro page on Amazon, you’ll see it’s sold out. It’s the same story on the Amazon UK page, too, so we would check back often to see if Amazon is able to replenish its supply.
Best Buy (in stock, ships Jan 3)
The AirPods Pro shelf at Best Buy is unfortunately completely bare. The site promises more will be in stock by January 3 2020, which to be fair isn’t that long a wait, but you’ll have to prepare a good excuse for your loved one when they open up an empty box with an IOU inside on Christmas morning.
Apple (ships within 4 weeks)
If you thought the best place to buy AirPods Pro was from Apple, you’re partly right. Apple’s own website still stocks AirPods Pro, but the problem is the delivery time. Apple only guarantees shipment within four weeks, which isn’t any good for last minute gifts. If you have the time to go to pick up the AirPods in store instead, there are a few large outlets that you can still reserve them at, but many just tell you you’ll have to wait until January 21 for the next shipment to arrive.
eBay (from $350)
The good news is that according to the eBay search page for AirPods Pro, there are plenty of ways you can buy them on the site. Unfortunately, they’re either pre-owned models or factory fresh packages that have had their price jacked up to terrifying levels. The top result when we searched for them gave us a price of $350, a whole $100 more than the MSRP. A good last resort if you’re desperate, but it’s probably wise to look elsewhere.
Target (out of stock)
You won’t be getting any AirPods Pro from Target at this time of year, that’s pretty much certain. Not only are they not available online, but they’re also not available for in-store pickup. There’s no sign of when they’ll be back either, as the site doesn’t give a date for when or a length of time until the AirPods will be back in stock.
B&H Photo (out of stock)
Despite the name, B&H Photo stocks plenty of other desirable electronics. Unfortunately, that currently doesn’t include the AirPods Pro, which as you can see on the relevant store page are out of stock. With an expected availability in 6 - 10 weeks, you could be waiting until February if you try to buy AirPods Pro from here.
AirPods Pro alternatives
If there’s no way you can get a pair of AirPods Pro in time for Christmas, then take a few deep breaths, accept what’s happened, forgive yourself for procrastinating, and then start thinking about other options. Fortunately, we can recommend some great alternatives
If the person you’re buying a present for is a dedicated Apple fan, perhaps the refreshed standard AirPods would be a good choice. The AirPods 2 are not as full featured as the AirPods Pro, but they’re still guaranteed to work excellently with other Apple products and sound great. There’s also the Beats Powerbeats Pro, which sport passive (rather than active) noise cancelling, but a very long battery life and easy pairing with iPhones and the like thanks to Apple’s ownership of the company.
Beyond these, there are competitors with excellent noise cancelling earbuds as well. Sony’s WF-1000xM3 buds are a worthy rival to the AirPods Pro in terms of sound and ANC, and are considerably cheaper. Jabra’s Elite 75T are well priced, super compact, offer passive noice cancelling, and sound better and last longer than Apple’s buds, and the previous generation Jabra Elite Active 65T offer a cheaper price.
We have a list of the best wireless earbuds for more AirPods Pro alternatives.
