Apple Launches 2020 Back to School Promotion: Free AirPods With Eligible Mac or iPad Purchase
Apple today launched its annual "Back to School" promotion in the United States and Canada. After five years of offering free Beats, Apple this year is offering free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad.

Qualifying students and educators can receive free second-generation AirPods with a wired charging case with the purchase of a new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, iPad Pro, or iPad Air. During the checkout process, it is also possible to upgrade to second-generation AirPods with a wireless charging case for $40 or to AirPods Pro for $90.
As usual, the standard iPad, iPad mini, Mac mini, and refurbished products are not eligible for the Back to School promotion.
The free AirPods are in addition to Apple's educational pricing, which allows students to save up to $200 off a Mac and up to $100 off an iPad Pro. The promotion runs until September 29, 2020 and is available through Apple's education store on the web, at Apple's retail stores where open, or by calling 1-800-MY-APPLE.
For purchases made using Apple Card Monthly Installments, you will receive an instant credit of $159, which will be applied as a discount to your eligible iPad or Mac at the time of purchase. Then, the cost of the AirPods will be billed in six monthly installments. Apple provides more details in its full terms and conditions for the promotion.
The promotion does not appear to be live in Europe or other regions at this time.
Popular Stories
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why.
In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence.
The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
Apple at WWDC previewed a bunch of new features coming in its updated operating systems, but certain changes will have been met with dismay by third-party developers who already offer apps with equivalent or similar features. In other words, their product has been "sherlocked" by Apple.
When Apple creates an app or a feature that has functionality found in a third-party app, it is referred...
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look.
Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
Apple this week announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles.
iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to...
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro.
The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...