Apple has not yet launched its 2026 Back to School promotion in the U.S. and Canada as of early July, breaking a six-year streak of June debuts. From 2020 through 2025, the offer consistently arrived between June 5 and June 24. The company last waited until July in 2019, when it launched on July 9.

Last year's promotion gave college students and educational staff a free accessory — AirPods 4 or an Apple Pencil Pro — with the purchase of a qualifying Mac or iPad. Apple has not announced this year's incentive, but the timing is awkward: the company raised prices across its Mac and iPad lineups in June, making any discount feel like a partial clawback rather than a genuine bonus.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported that Apple internally targeted a late-June launch, but that window passed without action. Speculation centers on a deliberate delay to let customers absorb the price hikes before layering on a promotion. UNiDAYS verification is now mandatory on Apple's education store, adding a friction point for new buyers.

If history repeats, the offer should appear between July 9 and July 12. But with no official communication, students and educators face uncertainty during peak buying season — and Apple risks ceding ground to competitors who have already launched back-to-school bundles.