Apple Extends U.S. Back to School Sale for Two Weeks, Excludes New iPad Air

Following the debut of the new Apple Watch Series 6, the refreshed iPad Air, and the low-cost eighth-generation iPad, Apple has extended its Back to School sale in the United States, with the promotion now ending on October 12 instead of September 29.

apple back to school 2020
In addition to extending the dates of the sale, Apple has also updated its Terms and Conditions [PDF] to exclude the new ‌iPad Air‌ from the promotion. Customers who purchase one of the new $599 ‌iPad Air‌ models (which are not available for sale yet) will not be eligible to get free AirPods.

Prior to today's update, both the iPad Pro and the ‌iPad Air‌ were eligible products that customers could purchase to take advantage of the free AirPods promotion.

The Back to School Sale in the United States initially launched on June 15, and it provides a $159 credit toward the purchase of AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods with Wireless Charging case for those who purchase a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, ‌iMac‌ Pro, or ‌iPad Pro‌.

Apple launched Back to School promotions in Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the Middle East in July and the new ‌iPad Air‌ exclusion may also apply in other countries that previously allowed free AirPods with the purchase of an ‌iPad Air‌.

Apple has not provided an exact date for when the new ‌iPad Air‌ models will become available for purchase, but they're expected to be available next month. Given that Apple specifically excluded the ‌iPad Air‌ from the Back to School sale but also extended it for two weeks, we could see the ‌iPad Air‌ become available before October 12.

Related Roundup: iPad Air
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

arvinsim Avatar
47 months ago

I have an iPad Pro 10.5 with gen 1 pencil and keyboard.

Someone, please, sell me on why I need a new iPad Air or iPad Pro.

I need a real push, cause how it feels right now this is a side step for me. (Trade in is $240, accessories not included.)

95% of my use is reading, 4% writing, 1% sidecar.
If your current hardware meets your needs, then don't buy anything new.

Get off the rampant consumerism bandwagon.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPSaltzman Avatar
47 months ago
Back to ... what?!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
47 months ago

Back to ... what?!
Just because they’re not going to sit in physical classrooms, doesn’t mean kids aren’t in school - they’re just doing it online from home in most places. Which makes a new iPad or Mac even more helpful.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BeatCrazy Avatar
47 months ago

Honestly, I don't think the new Ipad pro should be purchased without an update to it.
If the price delta is small (after selling off AirPods or if you were going to purchase regardless), the Pro still has nice features including more RAM, double the base storage, better GPU, better sound and Promotion. Those 5 things right there are easily worth the $100 premium to me. This assumes you can get $100 for reselling AirPods, which shouldn't be hard at all.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Freida Avatar
47 months ago
Really? Don't buy anything. What you have is perfect for your needs. Its just lust taking over.

I have Air 2 and only now its start to show its age so I'll upgrade but your case, you can easily wait another year or 2.



I have an iPad Pro 10.5 with gen 1 pencil and keyboard.

Someone, please, sell me on why I need a new iPad Air or iPad Pro.

I need a real push, cause how it feels right now this is a side step for me. (Trade in is $240, accessories not included.)

95% of my use is reading, 4% writing, 1% sidecar.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
invisibleshoes Avatar
47 months ago
If I get the iPad Pro 11" with educational pricing and sell off the AirPods, I think the price will almost be the same as iPad Air 4. Is this correct or is my math/pricing way off?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store [Updated]

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
apple vision pro orange

Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

Monday April 22, 2024 2:12 am PDT by
Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage. Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On...