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Student? Buy an iPad or Mac today and Apple will throw in some free AirPods

By Jennifer Allen Published June 17, 2020

Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s time to think about what to buy for your return to school and Apple has just provided some fantastic offers courtesy of its ‘Back to School’ student sale. Right now, if you buy an iPad or Mac for college with the educational pricing discount, you also get a free pair of AirPods and 20% off AppleCare+, along with discounts on accessories. If you’re thinking about buying some new tech for the school year, this is the ideal time. Not sure whether to go with an iPad or Mac? Read on to find out more.

Both Macs and iPads are pretty great. Ultimately, whichever you go with, you’ll be happy. However, there are some key advantages to both.

Generally, an iPad is best for students who want to type up notes while on the move. You can pair it with a Smart Keyboard and easily catch up on writing notes or doing research while you’re between classes. All iPads are slim and lightweight so they’re easy to toss into your bag, plus they have great battery life. You won’t miss out on entertainment either as the broad range of available apps ensures you can check out the latest streaming hits on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

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An iMac or MacBook is a better fit for students who need to complete more intense tasks on their setup. Do you need to edit a video in Final Cut Pro X for instance? Or maybe your studies require you to tweak pictures in Photoshop on a regular basis? While the iPad offers some cut-down versions of these apps, you need a Mac to get the best out of these editing opportunities. Anything processor-intensive tends to fare far better with a Mac setup than a tablet like the iPad.

Whatever you choose, you’ll be happy – even more so with free AirPods. There’s also a year of free Apple TV+ and three months of free Apple Music up for grabs, along with 20% off AppleCare+, which is a huge help if you run into any issues with your system. Via the student discount scheme, you can grab the latest MacBook Air from $900, or the latest iPad Air from $480.

The free AirPods offer and the reductions on AppleCare+ only last until September 29. That’s enough time to consider your options and see whether a Mac or iPad is best for you but you want to spend the summer enjoying your new tech, right? Grab the deal now if you know what’s the right fit for you.

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Deals Writer

Jennifer Allen is a technology writer with over 10 years of experience. She primarily writes about the best deals coverage…

Audio / Video

Best AirPods Pro deals: Get Apple’s flagship earbuds for $125

The Apple Airpods Pro in their charging case.

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Mobile

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An official photo of the 2024 iPad Air.

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Computing

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The screen of the MacBook Air M2.

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Why you should buy the 13.6-inch Apple MacBook Air M2
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