Sunday, November 16, 2025

Purchase a MacBook or iPad for college, get a free pair of AirPods – here is how

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AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Max

Jada Jones/ZDNET

Again-to-school season is approaching, whether or not you wish to admit it or not. For these beginning school this fall, a superb laptop and noise-canceling headphones are probably the most glorious instruments. Fortunately, Apple has a handy sale the place you may get the most effective of each worlds, however with out paying full worth.

Additionally: Get 50% off an Amazon Prime membership if you’re age 18-24 – here’s how

Now by means of September 30, Apple is providing a deal simply in time: you may get a free pair of AirPods or any eligible accessory of your selection whenever you buy an iPad, MacBook, or iMac. Certified purchasers are eligible for this supply, which Apple particulars as college students, mother and father of upper training college students, workers of public or personal Okay-12 establishments, college and employees of upper training establishments, serving college board members, and choose PTA/PTO executives. Learn the full eligibility terms at Apple.

With this supply, there are fairly a couple of objects to select from which can be free with buy. In the event you select to seize the iPad, you’ve gotten the selection of a free Apple Pencil Professional, AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Lively Noise Cancellation (further $50 price), AirPods Professional 2 (extra $120 price), or a Magic Keyboard appropriate with the iPad measurement you selected. The iPad can be simply as nice a selection as a MacBook or iMac, as their new software program updates make them act extra like a desktop. 

Additionally: These 6 gadgets are the college essentials you’ll actually reach for

You can too buy a MacBook and have the choice of AirPods 4 with Lively Noise Cancellation, AirPods Professional 2 (an additional $70 price), a Magic Mouse, a Magic Trackpad, or a Magic Keyboard with Contact ID without spending a dime. I used a MacBook Air all through school, which was well worth the buy.

Lastly, in the event you select an iMac as your weapon, your freebie could be both AirPods 4 with ANC, or AirPods Professional 2 (further $70 price)

All three choices above can be nice instruments in your tutorial profession. Apple’s desktop and iPad software program has many productiveness choices and runs easily. I keep in mind after I needed to restore my school MacBook Air for the primary time and used an outdated HP whereas it was within the store. After these three days, it made me respect the velocity, comfort, and really feel of my MacBook. My youthful sibling is attending school within the fall, and I inspired them to buy one.

Additionally: The iPad I recommend to most users is only $299 right now

I paired my laptop with my second-gen AirPods on the time, which helped me lock in additional throughout library examine periods. In any other case, an iPad, particularly with its trendy software program upgrades, can be helpful for many college students. In case you are in a discipline of examine that requires a number of drawing, note-taking, and annotating, an iPad makes these issues really feel much less like a chore.

iPadOS 26 on M3 iPad Air

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

The iMac is the grandfather of all these gadgets. I like to recommend this to these taking extra on-line lessons, as it might be robust to lug your desktop to your lecture. Nevertheless, it is nonetheless a robust laptop with a number of advantages. If you recognize you will be bouncing from class to class, one thing transportable just like the iPad or MacBook would higher fit your wants. 

Apple’s back-to-school deal, the place you may get a free accessory of your choosing with a tool buy, you may turn out to be the educational weapon you have all the time needed to be. 

On the lookout for the following greatest product? Get professional critiques and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.

How I rated this deal 

Apple’s back-to-school offers are usually not a shock to many individuals, as they have been an annual supply for some time. Nevertheless, this deal has a couple of stipulations in addition to paying barely further charges for the costlier equipment. You additionally need to spend cash on a brand new and expensive gadget. Due to this, we gave this supply a 4/5 Editor’s Deal ranking. A free product is free; if I had been a scholar, mum or dad, or trainer, I might hop on this deal. 

This supply from Apple is barely out there throughout a select promotional period. The promotion started on June 17, 2025, and ends on September 30, 2025 within the US. 

Nevertheless, offers are topic to promote out or expire anytime, although ZDNET stays dedicated to discovering, sharing, and updating the most effective product offers so that you can rating the most effective financial savings. Our crew of specialists frequently checks in on the offers we share to make sure they’re nonetheless reside and obtainable. We’re sorry in the event you’ve missed out on this deal, however do not fret — we’re continuously discovering new possibilities to avoid wasting and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com. 


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Apple says this supply is obtainable to certified purchasers inside the promotional timeframe. Apple identifies certified purchasers as college students, mother and father of upper training college students, workers of public or personal Okay-12 establishments, college and employees of upper training establishments, serving college board members, and choose PTA/PTO executives. Learn the full eligibility terms at Apple.

This supply is obtainable at brick-and-mortar Apple Retailer places, the Apple Retailer for Schooling, and at 800-MY-APPLE. 


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We goal to ship probably the most correct recommendation that can assist you store smarter. ZDNET affords 33 years of expertise, 30 hands-on product reviewers, and 10,000 sq. toes of lab house to make sure we carry you the most effective of tech. 

In 2025, we refined our method to offers, growing a measurable system for sharing financial savings with readers such as you. Our editor’s deal ranking badges are affixed to most of our deal content material, making it simple to interpret our experience that can assist you make the most effective buy resolution.

On the core of this method is a percentage-off-based system to categorise financial savings provided on top-tech merchandise, mixed with a sliding-scale system based mostly on our crew members’ experience and several other elements like frequency, model or product recognition, and extra. The consequence? Hand-crafted offers chosen particularly for ZDNET readers such as you, totally backed by our specialists. 

Additionally: How we rate deals at ZDNET in 2025


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