Apple could give away free AirPods with Macs and iPads as back-to-school promotion

AirPods are cool. Free AirPods are even cooler. 

According to MacRumors, a promotional banner in the Apple Store app suggested that students and educators could get a free pair of AirPods with an eligible purchase of an iPad or a Mac computer. Apple’s annual back-to-school promotion isn’t live, so we don’t know what the specific qualifications are yet.

It probably won’t take long. Apple’s shopping website is currently down for maintenance, as MacRumors pointed out. Whenever the promotion actually goes live, you should probably temper your expectations. Apple is probably giving away the regular, slightly cheaper AirPods ($159) as opposed to the noise-canceling AirPods Pro ($249). 

Still, the second-gen AirPods released early last year are excellent wireless earbuds that are pretty close to must-haves for any iPhone owner. They work seamlessly with iOS, requiring very little in the way of setup or troubleshooting. A lack of noise reduction can be a problem on a busy subway platform or in a noisy office (or student union in the case of this promotion’s target audience), but our current pandemic predicament means you’ll probably be at home more than usual anyway.

Regardless, if you were planning on getting an iPad or a Mac for school this morning, maybe give it a few hours for the promotion to go live. Apple might make it worth the wait.