Apple back to school sales




    CNN
    —  

    Fall is fast approaching, and for the students among us, that means it’s almost time to hit the books. Once again, Apple is giving pen and paper a run for its money with its annual “Back to School” savings event. Right now, you can buy a Mac or iPad at reduced education pricing and Apple will throw in a free pair of AirPods with Charging Case. You can also upgrade to Airpods with Wireless Charging Case for $40, or even AirPods Pro for just $90.

    Apple’s education pricing will last through September 27, so there’s plenty of time to pick up your tech of choice. It’s worth noting that the promotions and free AirPods are available while supplies last. These deals are available to accepted and current university students, teachers and staff at all levels — even parents of students are eligible. And to protect your new gear, you can score 20% off AppleCare+ for any eligible product. We break down the benefits of the plan, like greatly reduced repair costs, here.

    If you’d prefer to pay for your product in increments, you can use your Apple Card for 0% interest financing. In addition to the Apple Card’s 3% cashback, it’s a great way to take advantage of this Back to School offer.

    With all that being said, let’s dive into the deals Apple has offered up this year both at their own site and at other retailers.

    As previously mentioned, Apple is serving up discounts on numerous Mac and iPad models for its Back to School event this year, not to mention free AirPods. For starters, you can save up to $200 on the MacBook Air, our top MacBook of 2021. Or, if you’re interested in a powerful upgrade, you can save up to $260 off the 13-inch MacBook Pro and up to $620 off the mighty 16-inch MacBook Pro.

    Then there are Apple’s hand-held options: the iPad Pro and the powerful iPad Air. You can save up to $100 on both the 11-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro as well as up to $50 on the iPad Air, our favorite iPad for work and play.

    With your purchase, you’ll also have the option to include a Magic Keyboard and the 2nd Gen Apple Pencil. Apple’s Magic Keyboard provides unparalleled utility to your iPad as a keyboard and trackpad you can pop right onto your device. The 2nd Generation Apple Pencil lets you interact with your iPad like a drawing tablet with tilt and pressure sensitivity, and it’ll wirelessly charge with any of the iPad models mentioned above.

    Moving into the realm of desktop computing power, you can take home Apple’s all-new 24-inch iMac for up to $180 off. You can also save up to $230 off the Mac Mini, a truly versatile little computer. Finally, there’s the Mac Pro, a beast of a machine with potential savings in the thousands depending on how much power you pump into it.

    Apple itself isn’t the only site that’s marking down Apple products ahead of back-to-school season. Numerous retailers are offering deals on Apple tech and accessories, so now’s the time to stock up before first period.

    One such retailer is Best Buy, which is running all sorts of student deals right now. In order to participate, you must first have a My Best Buy account, which you can register for after signing into Best Buy’s website. From there, you can enroll in Student Deals to receive the offers. These deals are available for both students and parents of students.

    Among the Apple products up for grabs are the MacBook Air (starting at $899.99, originally $999.99; bestbuy.com), 13-inch MacBook Pro with the Apple M1 chip (starting at $1,099.99, originally $1,299.99; bestbuy.com) and 13-inch MacBook pro with an Intel Core i5 processor (starting at $799.99, originally $1,249.99; bestbuy.com). Students and parents can also save on the 11-inch iPad Pro ($949.99, originally $999.99; bestbuy.com) and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro $1,249.99, originally $1,299.99; bestbuy.com).

    We’ve compiled even more deals on Apple products and accessories, including the Apple Watch, AirPods and much more. Read on to see what other affordable options there are for the upcoming semester.

    MacBook Pro

    Apple

    MacBook Pro

    Heading back to school with a trim new MacBook can give you a leg up in note-taking, multitasking and even gaming for those off days. Among the discounted MacBook laptops this year is the MacBook Air, our pick for best MacBook of 2021. This sleek laptop packs Apple’s latest M1 chip. During our testing, it operated over 12 hours at a time and delivered great visuals thanks to its 13-inch retina display. You can nab the entry-level model with an M1 chip for $899, originally $999. If you are looking to upgrade storage or RAM, we’ve listed better deals on other configurations below.

    During our MacBook testing, our upgrade pick was the 13-inch MacBook Pro. We used this computer for even more intensive tasks like 8K video rendering, which it performed minutes faster than the MacBook Air due to an extra GPU core. You can put the power to the test for less this school year with the M1 chip-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro starting at $1239, originally $1299.

    MacBook Air

    • 13-inch MacBook Air Gold, 256GB and 8GB RAM ($899.99, originally $999; amazon.com)
    • 13-inch MacBook Air, 512GB and 8GB RAM ($1,186, originally $1,249; expercom.com)
    • 13-inch MacBook Air, 1TB and 8GB RAM ($1,186, originally $1,249; expercom.com)
    • 13-inch MacBook Air, 2TB and 8GB RAM ($1,747, originally $1,849; expercom.com)
    • 13-inch MacBook Air, 512GB and 16GB RAM ($1,747, originally $1,849; expercom.com)
    • 13-inch MacBook Air, 1TB and 16GB RAM ($1,557, originally $1,649; expercom.com)
    • 13-inch MacBook Air, 1TB and 16GB RAM ($1,936, originally $2,049; expercom.com)

    MacBook Pro

    • 13-inch MacBook Pro, 1.4GHz Intel i5 quad-core (starting at $1,099, originally $1,499; expercom.com)
    • 13-inch MacBook Pro, 2GHz Intel i5 quad-core (starting at $1,707, originally $1,799; expercom.com)
    • 13-inch MacBook Pro, 2.3GHz Intel i5 quad-core (starting at $1,896, originally $1,999; expercom.com)
    • 16-inch MacBook Pro, Intel Core i7 6-core and AMD graphics (starting at $2,199, originally $2,399; expercom.com)
    • 16-inch MacBook Pro, Intel Core i9 8-core and AMD graphics (starting at $2,599, originally $2,799; expercom.com)
    iPad Pro

    Apple

    iPad Pro

    The iPad in all its forms has long been loved for its portability, power and creative potential. In fact, the 8th Generation iPad was our favorite tablet of 2021, boasting Apple’s speedy A12 Bionic chip and a vibrant, accurate display. And right now, you can get an 8th Generation iPad with Wi-Fi starting at $299, originally $329, and the 8th Generation iPad with Cellular+WiFi starting at $439, originally $459.

    Some of these models, and some listed below, may not be back in stock yet. But they’re still available for purchase with plenty of time before school starts up.

    iPad Pro

    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro Space Gray, 128GB WiFi ($999, originally $1,099; amazon.com)
    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro Silver, 128GB WiFi ($1,032, originally $1,099; expercom.com)
    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro Space Gray, 256GB WiFi ($1,125, originally $1,199; expercom.com)
    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro Silver, 256GB WiFi ($1,099, originally $1,199; amazon.com)
    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 512GB WiFi ($1,315, originally $1,399; expercom.com)
    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 1TB WiFi ($1,688, originally $1,799; expercom.com)
    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 2TB WiFi ($2,065, originally $2,199; expercom.com)
    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro, WiFi+Cellular (starting at $1,219, originally $1,299; expercom.com)
    • 11-inch iPad Pro, WiFi (starting at $750, originally $799; expercom.com)
    • 11-inch iPad Pro, WiFi + Cellular (starting at $938, originally $999; expercom.com)
    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (previous gen), 128GB WiFi (starting at $899, originally $999; expercom.com)
    • 11-inch iPad Pro (previous gen), 256GB WiFi (previous gen), 128GB WiFi (starting at $699.99, originally $799.99; target.com)

    iPad Air

    • iPad Air, 64GB WiFi ($539, originally $599; amazon.com)
    • iPad Air, 256GB WiFi (starting at $639, originally $749; amazon.com)
    • iPad Air, 64GB WiFi+Cellular (starting at $692, originally $729; expercom.com)
    • iPad Air, 256GB WiFi+Cellular (starting at $834, originally $879; expercom.com)

    iPad Mini

    • iPad Mini Space Gray, 64GB WiFi ($369, originally $399; amazon.com)
    • iPad Mini Silver, 64GB WiFi ($387, originally $399; expercom.com)
    • iPad Mini Gold, 64GB WiFi ($369, originally $399; amazon.com)
    • iPad Mini Space Gray, 256GB WiFi ($533, originally $549; expercom.com)
    • iPad Mini Silver, 256GB WiFi ($533, originally $549; expercom.com)
    • iPad Mini Gold, 256GB WiFi ($489.99, originally $549; amazon.com)
    • iPad Mini, WiFi + Cellular (starting at $514, originally $529; expercom.com)
    • Apple Smart Keyboard Folio for 12.9-inch iPad Pro ($159.99, originally $199.99; adorama.com)
    iMac

    Apple

    iMac

    Apple’s been in the computer business for a while now, and it shows. Its latest 24-inch iMac sports a slim, pleasing design and a zippy Apple M1 processor, along with an immaculate 4.5K Retina screen. Meanwhile, the Mac Mini demands you provide your own accessories. But it’s a sleek, powerful little computer that can fit in even the smallest workspaces.

    Fortunately, the iMac newcomer is available at a discount, such as the 24-inch iMac 7-core GPU in Silver with 8GB of memory, 256GB of storage and a Magic Keyboard for $1,233, originally $1,299. As always, you can opt for better specs, but you can also upgrade to include a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID as well as the aforementioned with a numeric keypad. The only downside is not every color option is discounted (if you aren’t opting for Apple’s Back to School deals).

    Another deal we couldn’t help but highlight is this previous-gen 21.5-inch iMac with 256GB and 8GB RAM for $999.99, originally $1,499.99. The quad-core Intel i5 processor inside provides plenty of power, and you won’t be left wanting for details thanks to the Retina 4K display.

    iMac

    • 24-inch iMac Green, 7-core GPU (starting at $1,233, originally $1,299; expercom.com)
    • 24-inch iMac Blue, 7-core GPU (starting at $1,233, originally $1,299; expercom.com)
    • 24-inch iMac Pink, 7-core GPU (starting at $1,233, originally $1,299; expercom.com)
    • 24-inch iMac Silver, 8-core GPU (starting at $1,423, originally $1,499; expercom.com)
    • 24-inch iMac Green, 8-core GPU (starting at $1,423, originally $1,499; expercom.com)
    • 24-inch iMac Blue, 8-core GPU (starting at $1,423, originally $1,499; expercom.com)
    • 24-inch iMac Pink, 8-core GPU (starting at $1,423, originally $1,499; expercom.com)
    • 24-inch iMac Yellow, 8-core GPU (starting at $1,423, originally $1,499; expercom.com)
    • 24-inch iMac Purple, 8-core GPU (starting at $1,423, originally $1,499; expercom.com)
    • 24-inch iMac Orange, 8-core GPU (starting at $1,423, originally $1,499; expercom.com)
    • 27-inch iMac (previous gen) Retina 5K Display, 3.1GHz Intel i5 6-core, 256GB and 8GB RAM ($1,699, originally $1,799; amazon.com)
    • 27-inch iMac (previous gen) Retina 5K Display, 3.1GHz Intel i5 6-core with Radeon Pro 5300, 256GB ($1,708, originally $1,799; expercom.com)

    Mac Mini

    • Mac Mini, Apple M1 256GB and 8GB RAM, Gigabit Ethernet ($649, originally $699; amazon.com)
    • Mac Mini, Apple M1 512GB and 8GB RAM, Gigabit Ethernet ($649, originally $699; amazon.com)
    • Mac Mini, Apple M1 1TB and 8GB RAM, Gigabit Ethernet ($1,043, originally $1,099; expercom.com)
    • Mac Mini, Apple M1 2TB and 8GB RAM, Gigabit Ethernet ($1,423, originally $1,499; expercom.com)
    • Mac Mini, Apple M1, 8GB RAM, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (starting at $755, originally $799; expercom.com)
    • Mac Mini, Apple M1, 16GB RAM, Gigabit Ethernet (starting at $853, originally $899; expercom.com)
    • Mac Mini, Apple M1, 16GB RAM, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (starting at $943, originally $999; expercom.com)
    • Mac Mini, 3.0GHz Intel i-5 6-core, Gigabit Ethernet (starting at $1,043, originally $1,099; expercom.com)
    • Mac Mini, 3.2GHz Intel i-7 6-core, Gigabit Ethernet (starting at $1,230, originally $1,299; expercom.com)

    Mac accessories

    • Apple Magic Trackpad 2 ($119.99, originally $129; amazon.com)
    • Apple Magic Mouse 2 Space Gray ($94, originally $99; amazon.com)
    • Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad ($117.60, originally $129; amazon.com)
    Apple Watch

    Apple

    Apple Watch

    The Apple Watch can come in handy for just about any lifestyle, including that of a student or professor. With it, you can keep your schedule, make lists, find out the weather, track your health and much more. These features were expanded greatly with Apple’s latest Series 6. Plus, it’s stylish thanks to so many accessories and watch faces to choose from.

    Apple Watch Series 6 is a powerhouse in the Apple Watch family. With Apple’s S6 chip and watchOS 7, you can browse your watch without a hitch. It’s also loaded with a gyroscope for fall detection, an always-on altimeter, and an updated sensor array for heart rate, ECG (electrocardiogram) and blood oxygen monitoring. The Series 6 is available at a discount in a variety of styles, including the vibrant (Product) RED aluminum case and sports band 40mm GPS model for $355, originally $399.

    The already affordable Apple Watch SE shares many of these features. It performs smoothly to Apple’s latest watchOS 7, and though it has the previous-gen chip, we didn’t notice any hitches when we tried it for ourselves.

    Apple Watch Series 6

    • Apple Watch Series 6 Blue Aluminum Case with Deep Navy Sport Band, 40mm GPS ($349, originally $399; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Series 6 Silver Aluminum Case with White Sport Band, 40mm GPS ($346.21, originally $399; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Series 6 Gold Aluminum Case with Pink Sand Sport Band, 40mm GPS+Cellular ($429, originally $499; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Series 6 Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band, 40mm GPS+Cellular ($429, originally $499; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Series 6 (Product) RED Aluminum Case with (Product) RED Sport Band, 44mm GPS+Cellular ($429, originally $499; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Series 6 Silver Aluminum Case with White Sport Band, 44mm GPS+Cellular ($479, originally $529; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Series 6 Graphite Stainless Steel Case with Black Sport Band, 44mm GPS+Cellular ($619.93, originally $749; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Series 6 Silver Stainless Steel Case with White Sport Band, 44mm GPS+Cellular ($700.40, originally $749; amazon.com)

    Apple Watch SE

    • Apple Watch SE Silver Aluminum Case with White Sport Band, 40mm GPS ($249, originally $279; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch SE Gold Aluminum Case with Plum Sport Loop, 44mm GPS+Cellular ($312.77, originally $359; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch SE Space Gray Aluminum Case with Charcoal Sport Loop, 44mm GPS+Cellular ($319, originally $359; amazon.com)

    Apple Watch Series 3

    • Apple Watch Series 3 Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band, 38mm GPS ($169, originally $199; walmart.com)
    • Apple Watch Series 3 White Aluminum Case with White Sport Band, 38mm GPS ($169, originally $199; walmart.com)
    • Apple Watch Series 3 White Aluminum Case with White Sport Band, 42mm GPS ($199, originally $229; amazon.com)

    Apple Watch bands

    • Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable, 0.3m ($26.97, originally $29; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable, 1m ($24.99, originally $29; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable, 2m ($34.95, originally $39; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Sport Band Black Unity, 40mm ($34, originally $49; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Sport Band White, 40mm ($43.05, originally $49; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Sport Band Black, 44mm ($44.99, originally $49; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Sport Band Black Unity, 44mm ($39, originally $49; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Sport Band Cantaloupe, 44mm ($44.99, originally $49; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Sport Band White, 44mm ($42.93, originally $49; amazon.com)
    • Apple Watch Woven Nylon Band, 38mm ($26.95, originally $51.21; walmart.com)
    iPhone 12 Pro

    Apple

    iPhone 12 Pro

    While professors may disagree in a classroom setting, having a great smartphone is a must. Aside from texting and calling, you can use your iPhone to keep track of your schedule, make lists and listen to music for all-important study sessions.

    And while there aren’t a ton of iPhones on sale per se, there are offers on a variety of models at Best Buy. Right now, you can save on the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone SE with qualified activation on Verizon, AT&T or Sprint. You can save even more when you trade-in your old phone, iPhone or not. For example, you can save up to $150 on an iPhone 12, which comes out in your monthly phone payments. When you trade in your current phone with AT&T, you can save up to an additional $700 depending on the device, and up to an additional $830 when you trade in your current iPhone with Sprint.

    If you have a lot of handheld Apple tech already, you can pick up the Apple MagSafe Charger ($34, originally $39; amazon.com). This handy wireless charger magnetically snaps right on the back of any iPhone 12 model, as well as the charging cases of AirPods.

    iPhone

    • iPhone 12 Pro Pacific Blue, 256GB ($1,085, originally $1,159.97; expercom.com)
    • iPhone Mini Green, 64GB ($625, originally $769; expercom.com)
    • Apple iPhone cases
    • Apple Leather Case with MagSafe Saddle Brown, iPhone 12 Pro Max ($54, originally $59; amazon.com)
    • Apple Leather Wallet with MagSafe (starting at $49.55, originally $59; amazon.com)
    • Apple cables
    • Apple Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter ($7.99, originally $13.99; amazon.com)
    • Apple Lightning to Digital AV Adapter ($29, originally $49; amazon.com)
    Apple AirPods

    Apple

    Apple AirPods

    Apple’s audio accessories have majorly excelled in the past few years, with innovations like the AirPods Pro, our favorite true wireless earbuds of 2021. These buds put out raw sound quality that highlights every instrument in a song, and the active noise cancelling (ANC) drowned out distractions everywhere we tested it. You can nab a pair of AirPods Pro for $179.99, originally $249 — and the best price we’ve seen in a few months — on Amazon.

    Another of Apple’s heavy hitters is also on sale: AirPods Max. These headphones put out incredible sound, with even better soundstage and booming bass. The ANC was also an A+, neck and neck with Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones for best in class. Our only major concern, aside from the strange Smart Case, was the $550 price point. Fortunately, you can pick up AirPods Max $519 right now, which may bring it a bit closer to an affordable range.

    We’re also glad to see some Beats on sale, including Beats Solo3, our top-rated on-ear headphones of 2020. Despite their 2016 release, these headphones have held up to time with crisp sound quality and impressive soundstage. Plus, they really lay down the bass. All in all, they’re a great pair of affordable headphones, made moreso with sales like the Beats Solo3 Rose Gold for just $123, originally $199.95.

    AirPods

    • Apple AirPods with Wired Charging Case ($119, originally $159; amazon.com)
    • Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case ($159.98, originally $199; amazon.com)
    • Apple Wireless Charging Case for AirPods ($69.99, originally $79; amazon.com)

    EarPods

    Beats

    • Beats Solo3 Black ($136.46, originally $199.95; amazon.com)
    • Beats Solo3 Red ($149.95, originally $199.95; amazon.com)
    • Beats Solo3 Club Navy ($169, originally $199.95; amazon.com)
    • Beats Solo3 Club Red ($164.99, originally $199.95; amazon.com)
    • Beats PowerBeats Wireless Black ($129.95, originally $149.95; expercom.com)
    • Beats PowerBeats Wireless White ($129.95, originally $149.95; expercom.com)
    • Beats PowerBeats Wireless Red ($129.95, originally $149.95; expercom.com)
    • Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds Beats Black ($39, originally $49.99; amazon.com)
    • Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds Flame Blue ($39, originally $49.99; amazon.com)
    • Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds Smoke Gray ($39, originally $49.99; amazon.com)
    • Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds Yuzu Yellow ($39, originally $49.99; amazon.com)
    Apple TV 4K

    Apple

    Apple TV 4K

    Just a few months ago, Apple came out with its latest iteration of the Apple TV 4K. And honestly, one of our favorite features is the remote. It’s silver aluminum, ergonomic and intuitive to control. As for the TV part of the package, it hasn’t changed much save for smart home connectivity, slightly improved performance and support for high frame-rate content. That being said, if you’re looking to stay up to date, or you’re new to Apple TV, you can get the latest Apple TV 4K with 32GB of storage for less ($169, originally $179; amazon.com), as well as a discounted 64GB model ($189.99, originally $199; amazon.com).

    Apple TV

    • Apple TV HD ($139, originally $149; expercom.com)
    • Apple TV 4K (previous gen), 32GB ($134.18, originally $169; walmart.com)
    • Apple TV 4K (previous gen), 64GB ($179.99, originally $199; amazon.com)
    • Apple TV Remote Loop ($5.46, originally $12.99; amazon.com)

    HomePod

    It’s clear there are a lot of options this year for Back to School. Whichever tech you choose, there are plenty of ways to turn it to your advantage when it comes time to take notes in class, cram for an exam or relax on your day off.

    And don’t fret if you’re new to the Apple ecosystem. Apple offers Today at Apple at Home Classes so you can get the most out of your devices. And if you’re more of a reader, Apple’s Learning with Apple can help you ace the basics in no time.

    For more great Apple deals, check out CNN Coupons.





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