A little later than last year but perfectly in line with recent rumors, Apple's Back to School promotion is today back with a bang, aiming to take a teensy bit of the financial pressure inherently associated with the still fairly distant return to the classroom off the shoulders of students, teachers, and even parents across the US.Also in line with speculation, the traditional free headphones (be them AirPods or Beats-branded) are gone, which is not necessarily a downgrade. The freedom to choose your own complimentary or deeply discounted Apple product might be worth more than a pair of non-Pro second-gen AirPods for many, even though the actual value of this year's gifts... could have definitely been higher.

In a nutshell, fifth-gen iPad Air and 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) buyers using the education channel between today, June 24, and September 26 are looking at a $100 gift card, while MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and 24-inch iMac purchases are eligible for a $150 voucher a pop under the same general terms and conditions.

The deals are open for employees of public and private K-12 institutions, as well as higher education students, parents purchasing "on behalf" of their children, and faculty and staff members.

The up to $150 gift cards can be used to buy pretty much anything that Apple sells at a cool discount (that the company never offers outside of these types of promotions), and the usual education price cuts are of course still valid. That means the iPad Air (2022), for instance, starts at $549 instead of its regular consumer price of $599 and up, while the 2021-released iPad Pro 12.9 is marked down from $1099 to $999... with a $100 gift card also included. Alas, that also means the "standard" iPad and iPad mini, as well as all iPhone and AirPods models, are once again excluded from Apple's Back to School campaign. View Full Bio

Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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