The best Apple deals of the week: Up to $500 off a MacBook Pro? Say less.

The Apple Store's Back to School promo is in full swing right now, meaning college students who buy a new MacBook or iPad direct get a free gift card worth up to $150. It's a pretty good deal when you factor in Apple's usual $100 education discount, too. But if you're ineligible, fret not: There are plenty of other great Apple deals to be had around the web this week.

The best ones I've spotted at third-party retailers are going to premium "prosumer" Apple devices like the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Of particular note, Amazon and Best Buy have a 14-inch MacBook Pro with a 15-core M5 Pro chip, 24GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage listed for $2,499, or a whopping $500 off. For reference, it cost $2,599 before Apple's price hikes earlier this summer, and the Apple Store currently sells it in refurbished condition for $2,539.

If you're working with a particularly tight budget, you might also consider leasing a new Apple device through the all-new Apple Upgrade program, which launched in the U.S. this week. Shoppers can rent a new MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch, or iPhone for as little as $11.99 per month for up to 36 months through Klarna. It's a decent short-term solution for cash-strapped folks, but know that you won't automatically own your device at the end of your leasing period. You either have to upgrade it, return it, or pay the difference between your leasing fees and its MSRP to make it officially yours. (In other words, you won't save money in the long run if you plan on buying your rental eventually.)

For actual savings on a new device upfront, check out my exhaustive list of the best Apple deals as of July 30.

Best iPad deal

The M5 iPad Pro is our top pick for professional creatives and other power users. It's a splurge, to be sure, but it's prettier and pepper than any other tablet on the market. (Mashable tech editor Timothy Beck Werth was wowed by its Tandem OLED display when he tested it.) Amazon's current discount on the 13-inch Space Black model with 512GB of storage almost nullifies Apple's $200 price increase. The Silver version was slightly more expensive at the time of writing, FYI.

More iPad Pro deals

Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — - $1,139.99- ~~$1,199~~(save $59.01)
Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB) — - $1,327.50- ~~$1,399~~(save $71.50)
Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — - $1,424- ~~$1,499~~(save $75)
Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 1TB) — - $1,710- ~~$1,799~~(save $89)
Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 1TB) — - $1,994- ~~$2,099~~(save $105)
Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 2TB) — - $2,181- ~~$2,299~~(save $118)
Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 2TB) — - $2,464- ~~$2,599~~(save $135)

iPad Air deals

Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) — - $689- ~~$749~~(save $60)
Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) — - $902- ~~$949~~(save $47)
Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — - $979.99- ~~$1,049~~(save $69.01)
Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) — - $1,011- ~~$1,049~~(save $38)
Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) — - $1,196- ~~$1,249~~(save $53)
Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 1TB) — - $1,299.94- ~~$1,349~~(save $49.06)
Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) — - $1,472- ~~$1,549~~(save $77)

iPad deals

Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — - $426.99- ~~$449~~(save $22.01)
Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 256GB) — - $522- ~~$549~~(save $27)
Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 512GB) — - $712- ~~$749~~(save $37)

iPad mini deals

Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFI, 128GB) — - $569- ~~$599~~(save $30)
Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFI, 256GB) — - $664- ~~$699~~(save $35)
Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFI, 512GB) — - $874- ~~$999~~(save $25)

Best MacBook deal

The M5 Pro-powered MacBook Pro is wayyy overkill for the average user, but perfectly suited for the demanding workloads of video editors, graphic designers, and programmers. Spec highlights include a super bright 3K mini-LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, Apple's latest N1 wireless chip, and three Thunderbolt 5/USB-C ports.

More MacBook Pro deals

Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $1,849- ~~$1,999~~(save $150)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $2,046- ~~$2,199~~(save $153)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $2,259.99- ~~$2,499~~(save $239.01)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $2,799- ~~$3,099~~(save $300)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $2,799- ~~$2,999~~(save $200)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $3,399- ~~$3,699~~(save $300)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $3,419- ~~$3,599~~(save $180)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — - $3,599- ~~$4,099~~(save $500)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — - $3,999- ~~$4,399~~(save $400)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 48GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — - $4,499- ~~$4,999~~(save $500)

MacBook Air deals

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — - $1,199- ~~$1,299~~(save $100)
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — - $1,349- ~~$1,499~~(save $150)
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $1,499- ~~$1,599~~(save $100)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — - $1,499- ~~$1,699~~(save $200)
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $1,699- ~~$1,799~~(save $100)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — - $1,399- ~~$1,499~~(save $100)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $1,699- ~~$1,799~~(save $100)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — - $1,899- ~~$1,999~~(save $100)

Best AirPods deal

Somehow, the entry-level AirPods are still chilling at their Prime Day price of $99 (or 23% off). Our audio experts were impressed by their excellent sound quality, clear mic, and effortless connectivity with other Apple devices in their testing. They offer up to five hours of listening time on their own; with their charging case, they can last for up to 30 hours away from an outlet.

More AirPods deals

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC — - $144.99- ~~$179~~(save $34.01)
Apple AirPods Pro 3 — - $199.99- ~~$249~~(save $49.01)
Apple AirPods Max — - $449- ~~$549~~(save $100)

Best Apple Watch deal

Best Buy has the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a premium Black Titanium Milanese Loop on clearance for only $629.99 — that's 30% off its $899 sticker price. Compared to the newer Apple Watch Ultra 3, which costs $244 more with the same wristband, it just has a slightly smaller display, a slightly worse battery life, and one missing feature (Emergency SOS via satellite).

Apple Watch Series 11 deals

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) — - $299.99- ~~$399~~(save $99.01)
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) — - $329.99- ~~$429~~(save $99.01)

Apple Watch SE 3 deals

Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) — - $219.99- ~~$249~~(save $29.01)
Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 44mm) — - $249.99- ~~$279~~(save $29.01)

Apple accessory deals

Apple AirTag (2nd Generation), 4-Pack — - $89- ~~$99~~(save $10)
Apple Pencil Pro — - $99- ~~$129~~(save $30)
Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad (A16) — - $224- ~~$249~~(save $25)
Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Air (11-inch) — - $242- ~~$269~~(save $27)

Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what’s actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons.

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