AirPods are cool. Free AirPods are even cooler.
Apple is giving away a free pair of AirPods for students and teachers who buy a Mac or iPad. That’s along with the education discount that Apple normally gives educators. To be clear, Apple is giving away the regular AirPods ($159) as opposed to the noise-canceling AirPods Pro ($249).
Still, getting a MacBook Air for $899 — down from the regular price of $999 — plus a free pair of AirPods is a pretty damn good deal.
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, now is probably the time to do it — especially since Apple said this limited-time offer “may end at any time.”