Update: The offer is now live in eight Asian countries, with the US, Canada and Europe still waiting. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had reported it was set to launch this week, with materials heading to Apple’s retail stores mid-week.
Every summer, Apple runs the same reliable play. Buy a Mac or iPad for the new term, get a free pair of AirPods or a gift card thrown in. The Back to School offer is one of the few genuinely predictable moments in the Apple calendar. Except this year it is running late, and the reason is not hard to guess.
As things stand, there is still no sign of the 2026 promotion, well past the point it normally kicks off.
Where Has It Gone
For the last several years, the Back to School deal has landed in the first half of July, often between the 9th and the 12th. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple had planned to start it by late June this year. That came and went with nothing.
When it does arrive, it usually runs through to the end of September in North America, so there is still plenty of runway. It is the delay at the start that is out of character.
The Price Hike Problem
Here is the most likely explanation. In June, Apple raised prices across the Mac and iPad lines, pre-announcing the increases on the 17th and implementing them on the 25th. Some models went up by a few hundred dollars, and the very top end by a great deal more, all traced back to the AI-driven memory shortage squeezing the entire industry.
Launching a student discount the same week you put prices up is not a great look. The sensible read is that Apple wanted buyers to absorb the new pricing first, then roll out the sweetener a couple of weeks later once the sting had faded.
What You Actually Get
The formula rarely changes. Students and educators buying a qualifying Mac or iPad get a free gift, usually AirPods or an Apple gift card, which knocks the effective cost down without Apple touching the sticker price. After a round of increases, that free extra is doing more work than usual this year.
Should You Wait
If you have been eyeing a Mac or an iPad for the new term, yes. Going on years of history, the offer should be imminent, likely landing in early July and running to the end of September. Buying the week before it goes live would be a genuinely annoying way to leave free AirPods on the table, so hold off a few days and let Apple make the higher prices a little less painful.
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