Get ready for Christmas with these Amazon Apple deals

If there's one thing most of us can agree on, it's that Apple products are terrific -- even better marked down. Amazon is slashing prices on its top-selling Apple products to make Christmas gift and holiday shopping that much easier.

If you're looking to gift killer sound at the gym or on your walk to work or school, you'll appreciate the second generation Apple AirPods, $99 (reduced from $129). Adventurous Apple aficionados love the gift of Apple Watch Ultra, now $774 (reduced from $799). And while the Apple Watch 9 is the tech brand's latest, we love this clearance deal on the Apple Watch 8, starting at $319 (reduced from $399).

Keep reading for our take on the very best Apple deals so you can get a jump start on gift giving for Christmas and the holidays.

Our favorite post-Prime Day Apple Deal: Save $80 on the Apple Watch Series 8

See the savings on Apple Watch 8

Save $70: Apple AirPods Max

Apple's top-of-the-line sound comes by way of Apple AirPods Max. Featuring high-fidelity sound, Apple's over-ear headphones have been an Amazon top seller since their release in December 2020. A hit with teens, gym enthusiasts, Apple AirPods Max features sleek styling in five color choices with the Active Noise Cancelling option, which completely blocks out sound.

Apple AirPods Max is on sale at Amazon, now $479 (reduced from $549). Apple's top-level sound product is popular with teens, college students and gym enthusiasts who want stellar sound and style.

Top features of Apple AirPods Max:

We like Transparency Mode for your sound without completely blocking the world around you.
The spacial audio feature creates theatre-like sound.
The ear cushions are designed with a knit-mesh canopy and memory foam for a comfortable, exceptional fit.
These headphones seamlessly switch between Apple devices.

$480 at Amazon

Get the new Apple AirPods Pro 2 on Amazon

Reviewers rave about the sound quality of Apple AirPods Pro 2, now with a USB-C charging case. Says one reviewer: "The soundstage it creates is astounding. I can not only hear individual instruments, I can detect where they are on the stage! I feel like I am listening to a live performance. If there are a pair of earbuds ever made with better sound at this price, I'd like to hear them."

"I expected a lot and got it. In fact, the sound exceeded my expectations."

You can get these headphones at Amazon for $245, a slight discount over the Apple list price.

Top features of the Apple AirPods Pro 2:
Enjoy better noise cancellation (2x) than the first-generation Apple AirPods Pro.
Get up to 30 hours of battery life with the charging case.
The charge case has a U1 chip for Precision Finding when lost.
These are sweat-resistant enough for gym use (IP54 rated).
Available with your choice of Lightning and USB-C charging cases.

$245

Get Apple AirPods (second generation) for $99

If you don't need the advanced features of the AirPods Pro 2 (such as 3D spatial audio and a USB-C charging case), consider the second generation Apple AirPods -- they still deliver great sound. They're on sale at Amazon for $99, a $30 savings.

Top features of the Apple AirPods (second generation):

These are the best Apple AirPods you can get under $100.
Get up to 24 hours of battery life with the included wired charging case.
These AirPods are easy to set up and make it easy to switch between devices.

$89 at Amazon

Get the $80 off clearance deal on Apple Watch Series 8

Apple Watch Series 8 features advanced health sensors and apps. You can take an ECG, measure heart rate and blood oxygen and track temperature changes for advanced insights into your menstrual cycle. And with Crash Detection, sleep stages tracking and advanced workout metrics, it helps you stay healthy, safe and connected. It's a helpful, stylish accessory for users of all ages who want to monitor their health while staying safe on the go. It's rated IPX6, so while you can't wear it swimming, it will resist sweat at the gym and splashes of water.

The Apple Watch 8 is available in four colors and two sizes (41mm and 45mm). It pairs effortlessly with Apple iPhones, but note that the Apple Watch is largely incompatible with Android smartphones. Prices vary by color.

$320 and up at Amazon

Get the first-ever discount on the Apple Watch Series 9

Amazon has already dropped the price of the Apple Watch 9 below Apple's list price. So if you want the latest generation, you can get it for $389 by ordering it from Amazon, a savings of $10.

The most impressive upgrade coming with the Apple Watch 9 is Siri Health. This will make starting your workouts and getting status updates along the way a breeze. Instead of navigating the watch screen, just say "Siri, start an outdoor run workout" or "Siri, start a yoga workout." Your new watch will immediately start tracking the activity, even when you're not connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network.

You can also ask Siri for updates during a session like what your current heart rate is or how much distance you've covered so far. With this voice command functionality, you won't have to stop or slow down to look at your watch when you want to check your stats. Finally, you can log health data with Siri, too. Log your latest weight check in, the start of your period, or when you've taken your medication all via voice command.

When you pair Siri Health with the new Double Tap feature, mid-workout watch navigation will be easier than ever. Double Tap is a new gesture you can use to interact with your watch without having to touch the screen. Simply tap your index and thumb finger together twice in a row and the Apple Watch 9 will answer or end a call, start or stop a timer, play or pause your music or whatever else you need it to do.

You can protect your investment by adding two years of Apple Care+ for $79.

Our favorite new features of the Apple Watch Series 9:

Siri Health turns Siri into your built-in fitness trainer, letting you start or stop workouts, check your health stats, and more with voice commands on your watch, with no Wi-Fi required.
The new double tap gesture lets you control any active app on your watch by double tapping your finger and thumb so you don't have to stop or slow down to navigate your watch.
The improved dictation is up to 25% more accurate so you can reply to texts, email and more while you work out.

$389 at Amazon

Buy Apple Watch Ultra 2 on Amazon for $25 off

The new Apple Watch Ultra 2 (49 mm) will also get the Siri Health voice command features and the double tap gesture. Then it adds a few more cool upgrades on top of those. Aside from the brighter screen (3,000 nits!), one of our favorite upgrades is the customizable watch face.

It also boasts improved depth and altitude tolerance. Dive as far as 100 meters (about 325 feet) or scale mountains as high as 9,000 meters (about 29,500 feet) above sea level. Since the tallest peak on earth is Mount Everest's 8,848-meter peak, that means you can take this to the top of literally any mountain on the planet.

The rugged and powerful Apple Watch Ultra 2 is available at Amazon for $774. While the Ultra rarely goes on sale, it's a favorite of CBS Readers and Amazon shoppers. With good reason.

Our favorite new features of the Apple Watch Ultra 2:

Siri Health lets you access pretty much every fitness-related feature via voice command so your hands (and attention) are free to stick to your workout.
The double tap gesture gives you even more hands-free functionality to control your watch without having to touch or look at the screen.
The Modular Ultra watch face lets you customize which metrics are displayed so you can see all the data you care about on one screen.

$774 at Amazon