Abstract: This study investigated the effects of three pretreatment methods-hot water blanching (HWB), high-voltage electric field (HEF), and atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ)-on the heat pump drying characteristics, moisture distribution, microstructure, and physicochemical properties of Saimaiti apricot slices, with fresh slices serving as the control (CK). The results demonstrated that HEF pretreatment showed no significant differences in drying rate and quality characteristics compared to CK. APPJ treatment achieved the shortest drying time (22 h), representing reductions of 35.29%, 17.65%, and 35.29% compared to CK, HWB, and HEF treatments, respectively. The Wang and Singh model best fit the drying curves of CK and HEF samples, while the Page model was most suitable for HWB and APPJ samples. Microscopic analysis revealed that both HWB and APPJ pretreatments disrupted cell wall and middle lamella structures, with APPJ treatment particularly enhancing cell wall porosity and reducing moisture migration resistance. Pectin component analysis confirmed that APPJ pretreatment significantly altered cell wall mechanical strength and porosity by increasing water-soluble pectin (WSP) content while decreasing chelate-soluble (CSP) and alkali-soluble (NSP) pectin fractions. Regarding antioxidant properties, both HWB and APPJ pretreatments significantly improved DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP values, with APPJ showing superior performance in retaining total phenolics (176.40±8.19 mg/kg) and carotenoids (32.64±0.83 mg/kg). Furthermore, APPJ treatment effectively inhibited enzymatic browning by reducing hardness, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and peroxidase (POD) activities while maintaining brighter color. These findings demonstrate that APPJ pretreatment enhances drying efficiency and product quality through cell structure modification, pectin component alteration, enzymatic browning inhibition, and antioxidant preservation, representing an efficient and eco-friendly pretreatment method with significant potential for industrial applications.