Prime Day 2024 — is it the best time to buy Apple devices for back to school?

Apple Mac Studio Studio Display Lifestyle 01
(Image credit: Apple)
Road to Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day 2024

(Image credit: Amazon)

Want to see the best deals before the sale? Here's all our Prime Day content:

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If you’re a student getting ready for the next school year or even starting college, you’re probably wondering how you can get hold of new devices to work on. Perhaps your old laptop is going out of date, slowing down, or becoming more and more difficult to use. Maybe you’re a parent of a student who’s going into a discipline that requires the use of specialist software, and they’re going to require a Mac to succeed. No matter what you’re looking for, however, you’ll quickly discover that Apple devices are expensive.

That’s why you’ll likely be looking at Prime Day in the hopes that it will save you money before school starts, with fingers crossed that you’ll be able to get the devices you need without spending loads. But just how good is Prime Day if you want to get cheaper back-to-school tech?

Is Prime Day a good time for Apple deals?

Apple Store iPad Pro

(Image credit: Apple)

In a word, yes. Prime Day is going to be your best bet in the middle of the year for saving money on all the different devices that you might be looking for, with some massive price drops across almost all of Amazon’s product pages. That means you might get a cut-price MacBook, or a discount on a pair of AirPods to help you get through those lengthy studying sessions.

Don’t forget, however, that if one retailer drops the prices on its products then others often follow suit so that they can get a slice of the money-making action — because when prices go down, people spend more money. We’ve frequently seen sales drop on the likes of Walmart and Best Buy to combat the Prime Day cuts, where you’ll sometimes find prices even lower than you might see on Amazon. As with any time of year, it's well worth shopping around to make sure that you’re going to get the best price possible.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that there are other deals events throughout the year which often feature prices that are even better than those you’ll spot over Prime Day. Black Friday often has the best prices of the year, for example, so if you really want to save some money then it's worth waiting for November to roll around. If you absolutely need to get stuff before the school year starts, however, Prime Day is still going to be a great time to pick up that iPad, MacBook, iPhone, or pair of AirPods that you’ve been lusting after since school finished.

What deals can I expect for Back to School over Prime Day?

The 2024 MacBook Air M3 on a wooden table in front of a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Gerald Lynch / Future)

There are going to be deals over two days of Prime Day that will save you money on pretty much anything you might want to get your hands on. That means iPads (although the latest models are so new they might not receive huge discounts), MacBooks, and more. We’re expecting some temptingly low prices on the iPad Mini and some of the MacBook Pro range — they’ve already matched some all-time low prices this year, so we’re hoping they drop even lower over the course of Amazon’s deal event.

If you want to keep track of what is happening over the Prime Day sale, we’ll be posting the best deals here on iMore, and letting you know when the key Apple devices drop to those all-important lowest prices ever.

Back to school devices we'd recommend

MacBook Air M2 13-inch| $999$849 at Amazon

MacBook Air M2 13-inch| $999 $849 at Amazon

The M2 MacBook is the perfect laptop for a student, with plenty of power on tap for all your schoolwork. This deal is extremely close to its lowest price ever and nets you a great MacBook for a stellar price.

Price checker: $999 at Apple | $999 at Best Buy | $999 at B&H Photo

iPad 10th-gen | $349$321 at Amazon

iPad 10th-gen | $349 $321 at Amazon

An iPad is an excellent study companion, and this deal nets you a decent saving on one before school starts up again. It might not seem huge, but before the iPad event this tablet was $449 — so it's all about perspective.

Price check: $349 at Best Buy | $329 at B&H Photo | $349 at Apple

AirPods 2 | $129$89 at Amazon

AirPods 2 | $129 $89 at Amazon

The entry-level AirPods are perfect for wearing while commuting to school or college. This deal isn't quite the lowest price we've ever seen, but it's a solid discount for the new school year. Keep an eye on them over Prime Day, they could drop even further.

Price check: $79 at Best Buy | $109 at B&H Photo | $129 at Apple

Tammy Rogers
Senior Staff Writer

As iMore's Senior Staff writer, Tammy uses her background in audio and Masters in screenwriting to pen engaging product reviews and informative buying guides. The resident audiophile (or audio weirdo), she's got an eye for detail and a love of top-quality sound. Apple is her bread and butter, with attention on HomeKit and Apple iPhone and Mac hardware. You won't find her far away from a keyboard even outside of working at iMore – in her spare time, she spends her free time writing feature-length and TV screenplays. Also known to enjoy driving digital cars around virtual circuits, to varying degrees of success. Just don't ask her about AirPods Max - you probably won't like her answer.