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Discounts, freebies return as Apple guides students back to school

Dubai - Quick guides for learning AR and coding, special activities for parents and teachers included in host of offerings

Apple announced that its back-to-school offerings are back, with discounts on devices, freebies and loads of learning experiences awaiting educators, parents and, most especially, students.

The iPhone-maker has, over the past several years, always ran special incentives for the education sector, which is a vital component of Apple's ecosystem. This is part of its efforts to not only make their products more affordable for parents, but also allow the younger generation access to Apple's specially-configured programmes of learning.

This has been evident at Apple's Worldwide Developers Challenge, most notably in its Swift Student Challenge, where young coders are given the opportunity to pitch their ideas into the wide, wide world of apps and turn them into reality. A quick-start guide to coding is available.

Select Mac and iPad models, aside from special education pricing, entitle customers to free AirPods, in addition to 20 per cent off AppleCare, the company's specialised after-sales service. Trade-ins — with credit of up to a generous Dh3,470 for computers — are also on offer.

The programme also extends into Apple's services, with Arcade, Music and TV+ all having curated education-focused content available for everyone. Apple is offering three free months on these services on purchases on specific products.

On the iPad, Apple has consistently ramped up its augmented reality (AR) features. To help students keep pace with this rapidly-evolving technology, Apple has rolled out AR activities for them, with a list of special apps designed to be easy to follow and help kids acclimate themselves to AR at an early age.

To make it even easier, Apple has its quick guides for learning, featuring everything from organising one's iPad content to managing screen time and increasing productivity to telling stories.

On the App Store, Apple has prepared a concise list of apps meant to help users prepare for the school year, including lists for where to shop for gear, starting the academic year right, apps for college and a 'digital backpack' of apps to help students go about their schoolwork, including those for note-taking, organising homework and many more. Activity guides are also available for both students and parents.

— alvin@khaleejtimes.com