Apple Extends U.S. Back to School Sale for Two Weeks, Excludes New iPad Air
Following the debut of the new Apple Watch Series 6, the refreshed iPad Air, and the low-cost eighth-generation iPad, Apple has extended its Back to School sale in the United States, with the promotion now ending on October 12 instead of September 29.

In addition to extending the dates of the sale, Apple has also updated its Terms and Conditions [PDF] to exclude the new iPad Air from the promotion. Customers who purchase one of the new $599 iPad Air models (which are not available for sale yet) will not be eligible to get free AirPods.
Prior to today's update, both the iPad Pro and the iPad Air were eligible products that customers could purchase to take advantage of the free AirPods promotion.
The Back to School Sale in the United States initially launched on June 15, and it provides a $159 credit toward the purchase of AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods with Wireless Charging case for those who purchase a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, or iPad Pro.
Apple launched Back to School promotions in Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the Middle East in July and the new iPad Air exclusion may also apply in other countries that previously allowed free AirPods with the purchase of an iPad Air.
Apple has not provided an exact date for when the new iPad Air models will become available for purchase, but they're expected to be available next month. Given that Apple specifically excluded the iPad Air from the Back to School sale but also extended it for two weeks, we could see the iPad Air become available before October 12.
Popular Stories
Apple today announced a "special Apple Experience" in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET.
Apple invited select members of the media to the event in three major cities around the world. It is simply described as a "special Apple Experience," and there is no further information about what it may entail. The invitation features a 3D Apple logo design...
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models "won't be a big update," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the iPhone 18 Pro models will "represent minor tweaks from last year's iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max." He compared the upgrade to Apple's past practice of appending the letter "S" to its more minor...
Apple on Monday invited selected journalists and content creators to a "special Apple Experience" on Wednesday, March 4 in New York, London, and Shanghai.
At an Apple Experience, attendees are typically given the opportunity to try out Apple's latest hardware or software. Following the launch of Apple Creator Studio last month, for example, some content creators attended an Apple Experience...
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still seven months away, an analyst has revealed five new features the devices will allegedly have.
Rumored color options for the iPhone 18 Pro models
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities on Thursday, analyst Jeff Pu outlined the following upgrades for the iPhone 18 Pro models:
Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored...