Back to school Apple sale: deals on iPads, MacBooks, AirPods, Apple Watch, and more

back to school apple sale sales deals
(Image credit: Future)

The 2021 back to school sale season is in full swing, and if you're looking to snag a deal on one of Apple's best-selling devices, then you've come to the right place. We're rounding up the best back to school Apple deals that are happening online, including discounts on iPads, MacBooks, AirPods, the Apple Watch, and more.

Some highlighted offers include the best-selling AirPods Pro in stock and on sale for $197 (was $249), a massive $80 discount on the Apple Watch 6, and the luxurious AirPods Max on sale for a new all-time low price of $477.80.

If you're a student looking for a laptop or tablet deal, Amazon has record-low prices on the 10.2-inch iPad, which is on sale for just $299.99 (was $329), and the powerful MacBook Air marked down to $899 (was $999).

See more of the top back to school Apple sales below, and keep in mind, these are limited-time offers, so we recommend taking advantage now before it's too late. You can also shop for more bargains with our roundup of the best back to school sales from retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, and more.

The best Back to School Apple sales

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Apple: <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X363&xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fus-hed%2Fshop%2Fback-to-school%3Fafid%3Dp238%257CsAD0SHCXa-dc_mtid_1870765e38482_pcrid_532157137190_pgrid_55558984205_%26cid%3Daos-us-kwgo-edu-bts-slid---product-&sref" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - apple.com"" target="_blank">buy select Mac and iPad models and get free AirPods
For a limited time, Apple is offering students and teachers free AirPods when you buy a select MacBook Pro or Air, iPad, iMac, or Mac Mini device. The AirPods with charging case currently retail for $159, so with this deal, you're getting a free pair of premium earbuds, plus Apple is also offering 20% off AppleCare Plus.

AirPods with wired charging case: $159 $119 at Amazon
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AirPods with wired charging case: <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB07PXGQC1Q%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"">$159 $119 at Amazon
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We only see prices drop below this $119 position during major sales events like Black Friday, but before June we were more accustomed to a $130 price. That means you're still getting a great deal on the standard 2019 AirPods here, even if they have dropped down to $99 before. You can also grab the AirPods with wireless charging case for <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB07PYLT6DN%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"">$159.98 (was $199). 

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Apple AirPods Pro: <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FApple-MWP22AM-A-AirPods-Pro%2Fdp%2FB07ZPC9QD4%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$249 $197 at Amazon
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Amazon has the best-selling AirPods Pro back in stock and on sale for $197. The wireless earbuds sold out during Prime Day and have been flashing in and out of stock as of late, so while this isn't the lowest price we've seen, it's still a decent discount and the best deal you can find right now.

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iPad 8th generation (32GB): <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08J65DST5%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"">$329 $299 at Amazon
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This is a well-worn iPad deal by now, as we've been seeing this $30 discount on the 8th generation entry-level model for months. However, this is still the cheapest this device has ever been, and we don't expect to see a lower price any time soon.

Apple Watch Series 3, 38mm: $229 $169 at Walmart
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Apple Watch Series 3, 38mm: <a href="https://goto.walmart.com/c/1943169/565706/9383?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FApple-Watch-Series-3-GPS-38mm-Sport-Band-Aluminum-Case%2F706203065" data-link-merchant="walmart.com"" target="_blank">$229 $169 at Walmart
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Get the best-selling Apple Watch 3 in stock and on sale for $169 at Walmart. Stock on the Series 3 smartwatch has been particularly difficult to find as of late, so we'd definitely take advantage of this great price if you're looking for an excellent budget device.

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Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS): <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FNew-Apple-Watch-GPS-40mm-Aluminum%2Fdp%2FB08J5RBMRN%3Fth%3D1%26tag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank">$399.99 $319 at Amazon
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You can score a massive $80 price cut on the Apple Watch 6 at Amazon's latest sale. That's the best price you can find right now for the 40mm smartwatch, which features a new S6 processor, blood oxygen monitoring (although most won't use that), an ECG app, and elevation tracking.

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Apple AirPods Max: <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08PZHYWJS%3Fth%3D1%26tag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$549 $472.83 at Amazon
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We've spotted the powerful Apple AirPods Max on sale for a record-low price of $472.83 at Amazon - $20 less than the previous all-time low. The over-ear headphones feature active noise cancellation to block out unwanted noise and provide up to 20 hours of battery life. This deal only applies to the Space Gray headphones.

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iPad Air 4 (64GB): <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08J66ZMY7%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"">$599 $539 at Amazon
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We have seen a $519 record low price on the iPad Air, but only for a very short period over Prime Day. Before that, this model rarely dropped below $550, which means a full $60 is an excellent offer. The 2020 iPad Air comes with 64GB of storage and includes Touch ID, Apple Pay, and provides up to 10 hours of battery life.

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Apple MacBook Air: <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FApple-MacBook-13-inch-256GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB08N5M7S6K%3Fth%3D1%26tag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank">$999 $899 at Amazon
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The M1 MacBook Air has dropped back down to its record low $899 price at Amazon when you apply the additional $50 coupon code at checkout. The 13-inch laptop features Apple's powerful M1 chip, 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and provides up to 15 hours of battery life.

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MacBook Pro M1 (256GB): <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08N5LLDSG%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"">$1,299 $1,099.99 at Amazon
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MacBook deals are also hitting the M1 Pro model at Amazon, with a massive $1990 discount on the 256GB configuration, which is the lowest price we've seen. You're upgrading your speakers and mic on this model, with extra cooling enhancements under the hood as well.

More Apple deals

You can also shop for more offers with the best AirPod deals and see the best cheap Apple Watch deals.

See more upcoming offers with our guide to the best Labor Day sales.

Mackenzie Frazier

Mackenzie Frazier is the deals editor in the US for TechRadar at Future plc. She's been sharing deal advice for Future for the past three years and loves to find products that the consumer wants at the best possible price. She's had eight years of experience working in the e-commerce space and loves being a mom to her baby boy.