Bye bye to free AirPods
Students who purchased an eligible iPad or Mac computer between 2014 and 2019 received a free pair of Beats earphones. The version of Beats varied by year and by product — the more expensive the purchase, the more expensive the Beats of offer.Apple then made a significant change in 2020, switching out the free Beats earphones for a pair of second-generation AirPods. Students were given the option of upgrading these to the wireless charging variant for $40 or AirPods Pro for $90.
This offer was maintained during the 2021 Back to School promo, but new reports suggest that Apple could be doing away with the free AirPods in its 2022 edition, instead offering customers a gift card with purchase.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects the 2022 Apple Back to School promotion to launch this Friday, June 24. It’ll coincide with the launch of the M2 MacBook Pro and he says that students “may be a gift card with a Mac or iPad purchase instead of free AirPods.”
Expect Apple’s Back to School promotion to go live in the United States and Canada first, before arriving in Europe and Asia at some point next month.
