(Image credit: Future)

It very much isn't an official part of the Prime Day deals right now, but Apple just launched what looks like one of the most compelling Back to School deals you're likely to see this year, right in the middle of Amazon's big sale. It's throwing in free accessories along with the purchase of an eligible MacBook or iPad from now until 21 October, including AirPods 4 for those who want them.

That's pretty stellar, not least because the freebie comes on top of the already superb Apple Education discount, which often knocks around 10% off the price of an Apple device if it's going to be used by a student who can prove their status.

I really can't overstate how worth it this is if you're a student planning to buy an Apple device in the next few months. Clearly, they're not the cheapest options when it comes to a laptop for studying, but a MacBook at this point should last you for years and years, so getting both a discount and a great freebie is a gimme.

Take the M4 MacBook Air in its 13-inch version, for instance. You can get that for £899 instead of £999 here in the UK if you're a student, which is already excellent. With a £179 pair of AirPods 4 with Active Noise-Cancelling thrown in for free, it becomes incredible.

In fact, you can also choose to get AirPods Pro 2 instead, if you prefer the in-ear style for better isolation, or indeed a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad (although these have lower RRPs so aren't quite as fetching).

On the Apple Page linked here, tap on the card labelled "Save on Mac and iPad for uni, choose AirPods or an eligible accessory"; it'll let you see what accessories come with each device that's eligible, along with any optional step-up fees for those looking to get a fancier version.

Hopefully, this ends up on the radar of anyone looking to buy a new laptop or iPad ahead of their new term of year of studying – it's an even better deal than usual, and could set you up for some true academic excellence.