One of the best things about being a student – apart from all the parties, the freedom, and more free time that you know what to do with – is Apple’s back to school promotions, which typically see the company offer a free or discounted iOS device to students buying a Mac. Those waiting to get a free iPod touch before they purchase their next MacBook may not have to wait much longer, as this year’s promotion could be just around the corner.
Sources for AppleInsider who are familiar with Apple’s retail operations say the company is set to launch its annual back to school promotion as early as next week, and could tie-in with reports that have revealed an Apple event planned for this coming Sunday to celebrate its 10th year in retail.
A back to school promotion is certainly more likely than a major product launch, which is what some reports would have us believe. However, it would be unlike Apple to launch a new product in its stores without announcing it at a press event first. And some sources claim that shipments making their way to Apple stores are part of ‘procedural changes’ to the way the shops operate, instead of shiny new products we can buy, say AppleInsider.
We initially believed that the event would see the company introduce near-field communications technology into its stores, which would allow customers to pay for products with devices such as the iPhone in the future, but a back to school promotion seems to be more likely at present.
Last year’s promotion was launched on May 25th, and in previous years around the same date, such as May 27th in 2009 and June 2nd in 2008.
Despite this, Apple has been holding these promotions for many years, and it’s hard to believe this amount of preparation and secrecy is needed to launch another one. Although a promotion seems more likely than a major product launch, we still have a lot of questions about this Sunday’s event.
Did we all get our hopes up for something not so spectacular?
