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.

apple back to school 2020
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.

Related Roundup: iPad Air
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iOS 26 Maps Glass

Apple Reportedly Moving Ahead With Ads in Maps App

Sunday October 26, 2025 6:22 am PDT by
Apple Maps could feature integrated ads as soon as next year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple's plan to bring more ads to iOS is moving "gaining traction," with the Maps app being next in line. The project will apparently give restaurants and other businesses the option to pay to have their details featured more prominently in...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode

Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing. Test Settings I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:15 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. iOS 26.1 is currently in beta testing. The update will likely be released in the first half of November, and it is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, but some...
swift for android

Developers Can Now Make Android Apps With Apple's Swift

Sunday October 26, 2025 4:23 am PDT by
The first preview release of the Swift SDK for Android was published this week, allowing developers to build Android apps in Swift with official tooling and making it easier to share code across iOS and Android. The SDK enables Android apps to be built in Swift using officially supported tooling rather than community workarounds. In June, it was announced that Apple's Swift programming...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Says U.S. Passport Feature on iPhone is Coming Soon

Monday October 27, 2025 7:41 am PDT by
You will "soon" be able to add a digital version of your U.S. passport to your iPhone, according to Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. Bailey reiterated that the feature is coming soon during her keynote at the Money20/20 USA conference in Las Vegas on Sunday. On its iOS 26 page, Apple says the delayed feature will be "coming later this year." Apple's...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

iPhone XX? 6 Features Rumored for Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday October 27, 2025 4:01 pm PDT by
For the 10th anniversary iPhone that came out in 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone X with Face ID, notch, and minimized bezels, providing more display space than ever before. The 20th iPhone anniversary is approaching and Apple wants to take the iPhone X design even further. We're two years away from the 2027 iPhone, but it's tough for Apple to keep major changes under wraps. We've rounded...

Top Rated Comments

arvinsim Avatar
67 months ago

I have an iPad Pro 10.5 with gen 1 pencil and keyboard.

Someone, please, sell me on why I need a new iPad Air or iPad Pro.

I need a real push, cause how it feels right now this is a side step for me. (Trade in is $240, accessories not included.)

95% of my use is reading, 4% writing, 1% sidecar.
If your current hardware meets your needs, then don't buy anything new.

Get off the rampant consumerism bandwagon.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPSaltzman Avatar
67 months ago
Back to ... what?!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
67 months ago

Back to ... what?!
Just because they’re not going to sit in physical classrooms, doesn’t mean kids aren’t in school - they’re just doing it online from home in most places. Which makes a new iPad or Mac even more helpful.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BeatCrazy Avatar
67 months ago

Honestly, I don't think the new Ipad pro should be purchased without an update to it.
If the price delta is small (after selling off AirPods or if you were going to purchase regardless), the Pro still has nice features including more RAM, double the base storage, better GPU, better sound and Promotion. Those 5 things right there are easily worth the $100 premium to me. This assumes you can get $100 for reselling AirPods, which shouldn't be hard at all.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Freida Avatar
67 months ago
Really? Don't buy anything. What you have is perfect for your needs. Its just lust taking over.

I have Air 2 and only now its start to show its age so I'll upgrade but your case, you can easily wait another year or 2.



I have an iPad Pro 10.5 with gen 1 pencil and keyboard.

Someone, please, sell me on why I need a new iPad Air or iPad Pro.

I need a real push, cause how it feels right now this is a side step for me. (Trade in is $240, accessories not included.)

95% of my use is reading, 4% writing, 1% sidecar.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
invisibleshoes Avatar
67 months ago
If I get the iPad Pro 11" with educational pricing and sell off the AirPods, I think the price will almost be the same as iPad Air 4. Is this correct or is my math/pricing way off?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)