Huge Apple Back to School sale launches with $150 gift cards - 7 deals I’d buy today
It’s back - the biggest Apple sale of the year
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It’s that time of the year again folks - theAppleBack to School event is officially back. Students, teachers, and everyone in between can currently get their hands on the latest Apple gear withgenerous gift cards of up to $150.
I’ve rounded up the exact details of what’s available below - but rest assured that all the latest models are available with high-value gift cards today. This includes some of our favorite models here at TechRadar, including the latest Apple MacBook Air M3, the new iPad Air 2024, and the Mac mini.
The Apple Back to School event is eligible for all students, faculty, and even parents of students K-12 and up. Typically you need some form of verification but the promotion applies to both delivery and in-store pickup.
Note that you cannot use the gift card to reduce the price of the item you’re buying - it’s technically eligible for future purchases only. It can, however, be extremely handy for getting discounts on AirPods, peripherals, and even software subscriptions. Plus, the gift card even stacks with the Apple Store’s official trade-in program - which you can use to cut down the price of any new iPad, MacBook, or iMac upfront.
Best deals in the Apple Back to School sale
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M2):starting at $899, plus $150 gift card at AppleA great option for the student who needs a relatively powerful laptop for all the basics, the MacBook Air M2 is currently up for grabs with a $150 gift card at Apple. While this model has been superseded by the M3 iteration (see below), we still rate it highly. In fact, at the time of its release in 2022, ourMacBook Air M2 reviewconcluded that this was the best laptop for most people thanks to its stylish design, clear display, impressive performance, and long battery life. For those needing a premium laptop for creative apps such as photo editing, video editing, and even relatively intensive workloads, this is a great starting point.
Apple MacBook Air (M3):starting at $999, plus $150 gift card at AppleThe M3 model is the latest MacBook Air on the market currently and it’s an incredible machine for students, teachers, and everyone in between. This model was released earlier this year and runs on the powerful M3 chipset, making it a great buy for creatives and anyone after a high-end device. Our five-starMacBook Air 13-inch M3 reviewpraised its excellent performance, lengthy 18 hours of battery life and slick fan-less design. We think it’s thebest laptopyou can buy right now if you’ve got a decent budget for a portable and powerful machine. We’ve seen this particular modelgo for as little as $899 on Amazonin recent weeks but today’s Back to School promotion at Apple gets you a $150 gift card.
Apple MacBook Pro (M3 Pro):starting at $1,499, plus $150 gift card at AppleMoving on to the incredible Pro models; you can currently pick up one of the latest M3 MacBook Pros with a superb $150 gift card. Even though these are pricey buys, you get plenty of power with up to a 14-core CPU, a 30-core GPU, and 32GB of RAM. It only has 512GB of SSD storage but it’s a workable amount for most people. Other than that, everything including the Liquid Retina display oozes quality so this is a great long-term investment if you need a high-end laptop.
Apple iPad Air (2024):starting at $549, plus $100 gift card at AppleApple’s latest iPad Air was just released last month so it’s great that it’s included in the Apple Back to School event with a generous $100 gift card. This model comes with similar features as the last-gen iPad Air but upgrades the M1 chip to the M2 - the same processor that was in the 2022 MacBook Air. In short, you’re getting incredible power and battery life with this slate but it does come at a relatively high premium. Not as high as the latest iPad Pro models, however.
Apple iPad Pro (M4):starting at $899, plus $100 gift card at AppleSpeaking of which, if you want yourself a high-end slate, you’ll be able to get yourself a $100 gift card with any of the latest M4 chipsets. For sure these are pricey tablets; at least $200 more than the base price for both previous-generation models, but you do get the brand-newM4 chip, high-quality tandem OLED display and twice as much storage (256GB) as standard. The cheapest this high-end slate has ever been is $945 at Amazon so today’s Apple Back to School gift card is actually a very, very good deal on this popular model.
Apple iMac (M3):starting at $1,249, plus $150 gift card at AppleThe Apple iMac tends to get overlooked in favor of a MacBook but don’t discount one if you’re looking for a powerful machine for static work. OurApple iMac 24-inch (M3) reviewranks the latest model as the best all-in-one desktop you can buy right now - not least because of its powerful M3 chipset and 2,520p Retina Display. While it’s obviously still a desktop, the iMac does feature an extremely thin and relatively lightweight design that makes it perfect for smaller desks.
Apple Mac mini (M2):starting at $499, plus $100 gift card at AppleWe love the Mac mini here at TechRadar - so much, in fact, that we awarded it a full five stars out of five in ourApple Mac mini (2023) review. Its combination of a minimalist, lightweight design, and powerful chipset make it a fantastic choice if you want a static desktop that can cover the basics. Of course, you don’t get a display with the Mac mini but the baseline model starts at just $499, which is the cheapest way to get your hands on some Apple silicon by far. You’ll also get a $100 gift card in today’s Apple Back to School event, which is handy for picking up accessories.
What can I spend my $150 gift card on?
The gift card is valid for the Apple Store so there’s a wide selection of products and services you can spend it on. For example, if you’re picking up a Mac mini, you could put your $100 gift card toward aMagic MouseorMagic Keyboard- both of which are extremely handy to have for a desktop setup.
If you’re looking at a MacBook, you could use your gift card to get a decent price cuton the latest AirPodsoran external drive for more storage. Those going for an iPad could pick up the latestApple Pencil Proto supercharge their productivity and design game.
Alternatively, the gift card could be extremely handy for getting a discount onApple’s excellent suite of design applications.
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Alex is TechRadar’s deals editor, specializing in getting our readers the bang bang for the buck on the tech that we know and love. He’s a dab hand at covering retailer events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day having over seven years of e-commerce experience at Future PLC; including bylines at our sister sites T3 and GamesRadar. Alex’s expertise touches on most areas of TechRadar but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer. Outside of work, you’ll find him indulging his love for street and travel photography, at home working on music, or down at the local climbing gym.
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